Monday, January 12, 2015

BURST SPRINKLER PIPE FLOODS TOWN OFFICES IN GILMANTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE



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.