News

Water main break shuts down Cathedral of Learning

Pitt evacuated the Cathedral of Learning at about 10 a.m. Monday morning after a water main break caused the first three floors and the lower level of the building to flood.

The break originated from a fire suppression line on the third floor, according to Pitt spokesperson Joseph Miksch, causing water to flow down to the floors below.

“Soon after the water source was determined and shut off, the entire building was closed and safely evacuated Monday morning,” Miksch said in an email.

People who were above the third floor could not leave the building until about two hours after the initial evacuation occurred.

Kevin Weldon, a junior mechanical engineering major, said his Introduction to Ethics class abandoned their classroom on the second floor at 9:30 a.m. when the ceiling started to leak.

“The hallways around the women’s room [on floor two] already had one to two inches of water at that point,” he said.

Videos taken by students on the second floor show water pouring down the stairwells to the lower floors.

From the outside, water seemed to be leaking mainly from the first-floor doors on the Fifth Avenue and Heinz Chapel sides of the building. University maintenance workers drained water from the building using brooms and power equipment.

According to Jaime Rucker, a Pitt maintenance worker, at 11:15 a.m. the water was still leaking as workers began removing water, struggling to keep up.

Pitt maintenance worker Jamie Rucker said he was running out a batteries and couldn’t keep up with the still ongoing leak. (Photo by John Hamilton / Managing Editor)

After assessing the damage, Miksch said crews determined the Nationality Rooms were not damaged, though some water was visible in some of the first-floor Nationality Rooms.

Classes scheduled until 6 p.m. were cancelled, but some evening classes relocated. The University expects to reopen the building by Tuesday at 6 a.m.

“An update will be provided [Monday] evening through emergency notification messages, the University’s homepage and social media channels,” Miksch said.

Some teachers held classes outside the Cathedral after the building was closed. (Photo by John Hamilton / Managing Editor)

TPN Editor-in-Chief

Share
Published by
TPN Editor-in-Chief

Recent Posts

SGB hears fiscal year 2025 budget requests

During its weekly meeting on Tuesday at Nordy’s Place, the Student Government Board reviewed proposals…

1 day ago

Students bracing for political tension during Thanksgiving break 

Students are, by and large, excited to return home to spend time with family during…

1 day ago

Pitt sounds airhorns as crows migrate to campus

Crow populations have increased significantly in recent months due to the birds’ migration to Pittsburgh.…

2 days ago

University Gamelan Ensemble explores music, culture and creativity at Bellefield Hall concert

The University of Pittsburgh Gamelan Ensemble played at the Bellefield Hall Auditorium on Nov. 18th,…

2 days ago

Photos: University Gamelan Ensemble

Pitt’s Gamelan Ensemble performs in Bellefield Hall on Monday, Nov. 18.

2 days ago

Opinion | The best ways to make the most of the holiday season

From baking treats to ice skating in the cold weather, there is so much to…

2 days ago