Coil break causes leak in Hillman

Hillman Library usually provides a calm, quiet haven for anyone who wants to read, study, do… Hillman Library usually provides a calm, quiet haven for anyone who wants to read, study, do homework or simply send an e-mail in peace. But last Thursday, students trying to work on the fourth floor of Hillman might have found less excitement if they had stayed in their dorm rooms.

Late that night, a heating coil in the mechanical room on the fifth floor of Hillman ruptured, causing water to leak down through the ceiling tiles of the fourth floor, according to John Fedele, assistant director of news at Pitt. The rupture also caused a drainpipe clog on the first floor of the library in the area by the elevators.

The leak ruined some ceiling tiles and part of the wall in the current periodicals section of the fourth floor and destroyed a section of carpet on the first floor.

But if a destructive leak can be called lucky, this one might have been. Fedele explained that Facilities Management employees were in the building when the leak occurred and responded immediately. Also, the section of carpet ruined by the water was scheduled for replacement the very next day.

If the leak had occurred 48 hours later, it would have destroyed the new carpet, Fedele said.

When Hillman employees discovered the leak early Friday morning, clean-up efforts were underway, and according to Crystal McCormick Ware, a staff member in the administrative office at Hillman, Facilities Management employees worked “non-stop.”

The library remained open Friday, while Facilities Management responded to the incident and sectioned off the affected area with yellow caution tape and posting signs warning “Danger, Asbestos.” Despite these signs and the presence of workers wearing surgical masks just feet away, many students continued to study in the area.

Asbestos is any group of potentially dangerous flame-resistant materials that are found in the floors, ceiling and insulation of many buildings, especially older ones.

The students were not in serious danger. Although long-term exposure to asbestos can lead to serious health problems, including lung cancer, the worst effect of minimal exposure is usually itchy skin, according to a study published the Mineralogical Society of America.

By Monday, the library was almost completely back to normal. Facilities Management had replaced the damaged wall and ceiling tiles on the fourth floor, as well as the first floor’s ruined carpet.

McCormick praised the clean-up efforts of Facilities Management, saying they worked “very quickly” and managed to save most of the periodicals in the section from water damage.

Aside from a few stray sheets of plastic used to cover the bookshelves, the only sign of the incident yesterday was a strategically placed surgical mask covering the mouth and nose of a statue near the site of the leak.