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Plant Operations just repaired a water main break discovered by employees early this morning.
The break had a negligible impact on campus, impacting water service in Watson Hall for a short time.
“It’s one of our older mains,” says George Xiques, assistant director of engineering and planning. “Hardly anyone on campus would have noticed any effects.”
To repair the main, the steam plant that provides hot water and indoor heating on campus temporarily was shut off, but residual heat continued to circulate in the system.
A contractor with a backhoe was called in to expose the main so that repairs can be attempted. Excavation began early this afternoon. Workers discovered the existence of the break by noticing water seeping through the wall between Plant Operations and the sidewalk that runs along Alumni Hall of Engineering.
If repairs had not been possible, Plant Operations would have activated backup water heaters in residence halls to maintain hot water for showers and other uses.