BURST SPRINKLER PIPE
FLOODS TOWN OFFICES IN GILMANTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Posted: Jan 12, 2015 6:48 AM EST Updated: Jan 12, 2015
6:48 AM EST
GILMANTON, N.H. (AP) - The town offices in Gilmanton,
New Hampshire, are closed after a pipe burst in the building, causing a section
of a ceiling in the auditorium to collapse under the weight of the water.
WMUR-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1AHCGc1) firefighters were called to the
building around 10 p.m. Sunday. They said a sprinkler pipe broke in the attic
and caused the flooding. Water was coming out of the ceiling and light
fixtures. There was standing water on all three floors of the building.
The town clerk said the damage was extensive. It's not
known how long the offices will be closed.
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GILMANTON, N.H. —Frozen pipes in Gilmantown's town
offices burst over the weekend, and officials are trying to determine what was
damaged and what can be saved.
Town Clerk Debora Cornett said the town was in the
middle of preparing its year-end report and getting ready for Town Meeting day
and elections, so the pipe burst came at a particularly bad time.
The one-inch pipe burst in the attic about 10 p.m.
Sunday. The pipe is part of the sprinkler system and wasn't supposed to have
any water in it.
"The sprinkler company last night said they're not
sure how water got into the pipe, but there was some kind of malfunction where
the pipe filled up with water, froze and then it burst because it is supposed
to be a dry system," said Town Administrator Arthur Capello.
Hours after the water was shut off, it continued to
drip. Town officials said the firefighters who responded did an excellent job
getting things covered, and tarps blanketed furniture and equipment.
Cornett said she had one big concern when she was called
about the burst pipe Sunday night.
"My records -- my confidential records and all of
my permanent records," she said.
The town has records going back to the 1850s, and while
water did get into the vault, Cornett said the records were undamaged.
Selectmen said the biggest challenge is to get the town functioning again.
"Making sure we get our service up for the tax
collector so that people can get their registrations, taxes paid if they need
to, and then you have all the contractors that need to get permits," said
Selectman Steve McCormack.
Other towns have offered to help with town services.
Officials said it will be a while before things are back to normal, so they're
asking residents to be patient.
Capello said officials are still trying to determine
what was damaged, but he estimated the cost at anywhere from $300,000 to
$500,000. He said it could be three to four months before people can return to
their offices.
