New House suffers third pipe burst
New House suffers third pipe burst
A heating hot water pipe burst in New House earlier this week, resulting in a fire alarm and the evacuation of the building.
It was the third pipe burst in New House this year.
Suffolk Construction staff quickly addressed the damage, according to a report from Residential Life and Dining on Tuesday, but heating in House 3 was be shut down until the repairs were finished. The report stated: “The damage is minimal and should be repaired quickly ... Once the pipe repair is complete, we will open up the two kitchens in this area. Currently, we expect that this repair will be completed today.”
Construction crews were seen Tuesday night plastering a hole in the affected wall in House 3.
In an email to residents, New House president Richard ‘Trey’ Watts ’18 wrote that several students were concerned about the structural soundness of the dorm.
“Some students have expressed concern about staying in New House because of the pipe bursts, and those concerns are actively being discussed and addressed in a collaboration between ResLife and Dining and New House Exec,” Brittney E. Johnson ’16 said.
Johnson, a New House resident and Community Chair, added: “RL&D has done a lot to address the pipe bursts in New House this semester. (Note: we haven’t had any structural failures; pipes are not part of the structural integrity of New House, as structural integrity has to do with the building itself not collapsing.) … Personally, I really appreciate how responsive and considerate RL&D has been throughout this entire situation.”
The first pipe burst occurred July 12 on the fifth floor of House 2 and effectively shut down Houses 1, 2, and 3 for the Fall 2015 semester. A hot water pipe burst earlier this month in the House 6 stairwell and flooded its first floor and a part of the arcade near Next House.
New House Vice President Alexa M. Garcia ’17 wrote in an email to residents that an individual “who suffered minor burns” due to the pipe burst was medically attended to and recovered. She also added that the water damage and pipe would be repaired within a week. As of Nov. 18, the affected areas in House 6 were still inaccessible.
—Patricia Z. Dominguez