Classrooms damaged after water leak in Huntsman Hall

Three classrooms in Huntsman Hall were put out of commission this week after maintenance workers found a water leak had spread from the fourth floor of the building down to the first floor.   

Earlier renovations done in room 490 caused a leak to appear over the weekend and was discovered the morning of Oct. 29. The water went from room 490, which is made up of offices, down through classrooms 380, 280 and 180.  

Water damage to the ceiling of Huntsman Hall room 280, Nov. 1.

The classes that take place in those rooms had to be temporarily relocated to other buildings. Affected students were informed by email of their class relocations.  

John Chase, USU facilities director of operations and statewide campuses, said the plan is to have the affected classrooms back in use again on Monday, Nov. 6.  

The cause of the leak came from the building’s heating and cooling system. Huntsman Hall uses an in-floor hydronic system that pumps hot or cold water through the floor of the building to either heat or cool the building.  

“With unique buildings come unique challenges,” Chase said.  

Three months ago, some furnishings were being moved around the offices in room 490. With that came the installation of an electrical floor box to provide power to desks and outlets.  

While this floor box was being installed, a worker nicked a water line that was a part of the in-floor hydronic system. That first nick was then repaired, but another smaller nick in the line occurred that was not seen.  

“That nick did not appear in the original test of the waterline before we put everything back,” Chase said. “Over the course of time with the pipes, everything moves a little bit and then there’s a little bit of abrasion with the water running through the lines as well. So, it abraded the line, the waterline enough to create a penetration — therein lies the waterfall.” 

The nick in the waterline that caused the issue was so small it could only be seen once water was coming out of it.  

The leak was discovered late Sunday morning, and Chase said he believes the leak began earlier that day.  

The water flowed from the floor the fourth level, coming out of the ceiling of room 380. When the water hit the floor on the third floor, it spread out horizontally before spilling down to the lower floors through the sides of the classroom.  

“There was more width to the water, it wasn’t focused,” Chase said. “Each time it hit the floor, it kind of dissipate out on the floor and go out to the next floor. But it was less water each time as well.”  

Despite the amount of electrical wiring and different electronic devices within the classrooms and the building itself, Chase said the water didn’t hit anything electrical. The damage done was all water damage to the structure of the classrooms, and no electrical damage occurred. 

Dehumidifiers remove moisture in Hunstman Hall room 180, Nov. 1.

Water was cleaned up from the floor of the rooms by the facilities maintenance team using vacuums and dehumidifiers to remove moisture from the space.  

The waterline the leaked stemmed from in the floor of the fourth level was repaired on Nov. 1.  

With the goal of getting the classrooms back into operation by this coming Monday, most repairs will be done throughout the week. Chase said there might have to be more work done over Christmas break when classes aren’t happening and students are gone.