At approximately 4:55 a.m. on March 17, a faulty urinal part in the men’s restroom on the lower level of Franz caused flooding, resulting in minor damage to classrooms. According to an email to The Beacon from the Director of Campus Safety and Emergency Management Michael McNerney, the incident was likely reported by a custodial contractor as the flood occurred outside the operating hours of Facilities Services.
Joe Cates, the director of Facilities Services, confirmed in an email that the flood was specifically caused by an open flush valve and ejector pump failure.
According to Cates, six classrooms have been affected by the flooding and will be temporarily relocated to rooms in Dundon-Berchtold Hall and Franz’s upper level. The classes are scheduled to return to their original locations by the afternoon of March 18.
The building maintenance team is working with Custodial Services to mitigate the risk of slip hazards and is running dehumidifiers and lifting flooring to limit dry rot and mold growth.
“These will run all day and as long as necessary to ensure spaces are completely dry before putting them back together,” Cates said. “This is how we prevent subsequent issues such as dry rot or mold growth.”
According to Cates, elevators, data rooms and electrical units were not damaged by the flood due to their distance above the ground.
The incident marks the second campus bathroom to flood this semester. Earlier this year, a urinal pipe in a Villa Maria Hall bathroom burst, causing severe flooding and significant damage.
Camille Kuroiwa-Lewis is the Living Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at kuroiwal26@up.edu.
