Answers to environmental questions regarding Old Main water leak

Some Old Main employees have had questions about the water leak and its impact on their short-term and long-term health. Getting solid information is extremely important.

On Wednesday, Nov. 24, people in Old Main experienced a number of odors related to wet walls, carpets and furniture present in the affected areas. There was a lot of dust present from the work moving furniture and documents and cutting into walls and ceilings. These caused irritations and allergic-type reactions in some people. Luckily, these types of symptoms should be relatively mild and dissipate fairly quickly upon leaving the area. Ongoing drying of the impacted spaces continues to reduce odors. As this week continues, dust-related issues will likely continue to affect some people as we move furniture and equipment around.

The most significant environmental impact related to water damage of building materials and contents is the growth of mold. To prevent this, Facilities Management personnel repaired the leak and, with assistance from Environmental Health and Safety staff, aggressively and immediately measured moisture content, opened areas up for drying and removed wet materials. We are confident that our energetic, quick work has precluded the growth of mold in Old Main. There should be no future impact on any Old Main occupants.

There was no asbestos impacted on Tuesday or Wednesday as part of the water leak response. On Friday, Nov. 26, a few pipe joints received extremely minor damage during the removal of building materials. Because the joints possibly might have contained asbestos material, certified asbestos workers immediately cleaned the areas completely and mitigated the damaged joints. The minimal nature of these impacts ensured that there is no short- or long-term asbestos-related impact from the water leak response to those working or being in Old Main.

Lead-containing paint was not present in the areas impacted by the water damage, so there are no long-term issues related to lead exposure.

For additional information or if you would like to discuss your issues further, please feel free to contact Gayle Shipley in Environmental Health and Safety at (360) 650-6512.