Electrical problems complicate flooding

After a water main broke on Lothrop Street Monday night, residents in Lothrop Hall had to… After a water main broke on Lothrop Street Monday night, residents in Lothrop Hall had to evacuate because of safety concerns.

Pitt police Chief Tim Delaney said that because of fear of electrical problems or any other type of malfunctions, the Pitt police had to evacuate the building.

Freshman Chidinma Nwoso witnessed the rupturing of the water main on Lothrop Street.

“I saw it when it first broke. At first it was a little spurt, then eventually it just blew up,” she said. “It was muddy, murky water coming down the street.”

Some students went to the Petersen Events Center to wait, and others waited outside with no idea what to do.

“It was just a gaggle of kids sitting on the lawn,” freshman Kristi Wagner said, referring to the patch of grass outside Lothrop Hall.

“A lot of upperclassmen knew what to do,” Wagner said. “But the rest of us went either to relatives’ houses or friends’ houses.”

The Pittsburgh Fire Department and Duquesne Light arrived at the request of the Pitt police and later confirmed that there was no danger.

“The City of Pittsburgh shut the line off to stop the water,” Chief Delaney said. “They found an alternative source and redirected the water to Lothrop.”

When the water pressure reached appropriate levels, Pitt police allowed the residents back into the building around 11:30 p.m., Chief Delaney said.

Pitt Spokesperson Robert Hill said that the repairs made in Lothrop Hall’s basement were made on the spot and did not require extensive or costly measures.

“There has been flooding in the basement, but all of the equipment is working. Everything is pretty much back to normal now,” Hill said.