Harwood gym update: Drying out
October 2, 2022 | By Lisa ScagliottiThe gym at Harwood Union Middle/High School will remain out of use for at least this coming week as efforts continue to dry out the floor from water damage from a major sprinkler system leak.
School officials last week explained more details of the mishap that caused the damage and the ongoing work to remediate the moisture that seeped under the wood flooring.
Co-Principal Laurie Greenberg said physical education classes usually held in the gym can easily move outdoors this time of year, a practice familiar to students and teachers after outside PE was the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic. The only fall sport using the gym after school is volleyball and the team has shifted to using the gym at Crossett Brook Middle School, she added.
“It gets more complicated with winter sports,” said Superintendent Mike Leichliter in an interview last week. Basketball season is still several weeks away, but once it begins there are multiple teams using the court for practices and games.
In an interview with the Waterbury Roundabout and The Valley Reporter, school officials discussed the incident and the remediation to date.
The mishap that caused the water damage happened shortly after 11 a.m. on Thursday morning, Sept. 22. Greenberg explained that a basketball tossed upwards in the gym ricocheted in a random way, hitting a sprinkler head causing it to bend and pressure to build up, leading to it bursting.
The fire alarms activated, and the building was evacuated — as expected when the fire sprinklers go off someplace in the system. But it quickly became apparent that there was no fire emergency. Instead, it was “a substantial amount of water,” Leichliter said.
School district Director of Facilities and Operations Ray Daigle said water “in excess of 1,000 gallons” flowed onto the gym floor before it could be turned off.
On Wednesday Leichliter also briefed the Harwood Unified Union School District School Board on the matter. During the school board meeting, Waterbury member Marlena Tucker-Fishman asked a question school officials said they have gotten frequently after photos of the spill circulated: “Was anything else coming down besides water?” she asked.
Photos showing a large pool of dark liquid prompted many to ask what was in the pipes in the first place.
“It was just water,” Leichliter replied.
The sprinkler system is fed by a fire pond behind the school, he explained. Inside the pipes, however, is “not pretty and clean water.” Leichliter said it’s not ideal, but the system serves the purpose to have water in case of a fire emergency, albeit not clear water.
Daigle in the interview explained that the system is tested annually and the pump that serves it is checked monthly. Old iron pipes contain rust and sediment.
Insurance will likely cover repairs, school officials said, but the extent of the repairs remains to be determined. The restoration company G. W. Savage has set up fans and a heater to help dry the gym but moisture has spread far beyond the area that originally had water on top. Although water covered only about 20% of the floor, Leichliter said, testing is showing elevated moisture extending farther underneath.
The wood floor is installed with fiberboard between it and a concrete foundation. “You’ve got a big sponge under there,” Daigle said. “It’s very difficult to get air underneath it. We have to give it time now.”
Testing to measure moisture showed readings in the 20% range when normal should be around 8%, they said.
Sometime this week, an assessment will be made with flooring specialists, insurance company representatives and school officials to determine the extent of the repairs needed. At the very least, the top of the floor will need refinishing, but a partial or full replacement have not been ruled out yet. Concerns are the potential for mold to grow and future buckling and cracking.
In the school board discussion, Leichliter reminded the board that replacing the gym floor was on the to-do list for the proposed $60 million school bond that voters rejected in November 2021. One potential recommendation, Leichliter said, may be to replace rather than repair it following this incident, using insurance coverage and some maintenance funding.
Harwood senior Jeswin Antony, a student member of the school board, pressed Leichliter on timing. “I want you to be real with me Doc. How long is it going to take to fix the gym?” he asked.
“I’m not holding news from you,” Leichliter replied. “We hope to have it operational soon … but we do have to do a more thorough job of mitigation” to ensure the moisture beneath the floorboards is reduced.
“We may have to do some work sooner rather than later,” he said. “We’ll keep you posted.”
Equipment running on Saturday, Oct. 1, outside the Harwood gym. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
ORIGINAL POST | Sept. 24, 2022
Sprinkler system springs a leak and floods Harwood gym
Students shared this image of the flooded gym floor on Thursday, Sept. 22. Courtesy photo
The Harwood Union High School gymnasium will be off-limits for use for at least this week after a mishap on Thursday morning left a fire sprinkler in the ceiling broken, resulting in a flood of water on the gym floor.
The school day was disrupted by the incident in the gym and cleanup continued on Friday.
School officials haven’t released many details about what caused the sprinkler to fail or break. Soon afterward, students shared photos and videos on social media showing a large quantity of dark water spreading across the gym floor and leaking out into the hallway.
The view inside the Harwood gym on Friday, Sept. 23, the day after the sprinkler leak flooded the space. Courtesy photo
Superintendent Mike Leichliter, who has an office in the high school, notified local news outlets that there was a leak in the gym due to a faulty sprinkler head. “Our director of maintenance is on the scene and has contacted Vermont Life Safety to make repairs as well as G.W. Savage to do restoration and cleanup work,” he said in an email.
The school day continued and Friday’s classes went on as scheduled except for use of the gym.
“The gym will not be used for a week to dry out the floor,” Co-Principal Laurie Greenberg wrote in a short email update to parents.
The extent of the damage so far is unclear as well as costs for repairs to the sprinkler system and the floor.
Physical education classes and indoor sports -- primarily volleyball -- will be impacted, although school officials have not said what adjustments will be made to schedules or spaces for those activities.