Burst pipes flood SES classrooms

The prolonged cold snap that descended over Sisters Country for the much of the first half of January took its toll on Sisters Elementary School. Last week, two pipes froze and burst, flooding classrooms.

"We had a water pipe burst in C Wing and we had a water pipe break in B Wing," said Sisters School District Facilities Manager Leland Bliss. "Most of the damage was in C Wing; the other one thawed and broke while we were there, so we knew what was going on."

The C Wing pipe was located close to an exterior wall, where cold air was trapped.

"It was probably an hour or two into it and it dumped a lot of water into C Wing," Bliss said.

Damage is primarily to carpet and drywall. While the computer lab had water on the floor, the computer equipment remained undamaged.

The school board declared an emergency, which allows the district to move immediately on repairs under looser public contracting

rules.

"We're removing any walls, carpet - anything that's going to present a future problem with moisture and mold," Bliss reported.

Warped cabinets are also being replaced.

Spectrum Builders and Restoration of Bend is the general contractor on the project. Bliss said they have been instructed to use Sisters subcontractors wherever possible.

The total cost of the damage is yet to be determined, as damage to walls and the amount of carpet that will have to be replaced is still being assessed. Bliss said the out-of-pocket "cost to the district will hopefully be the cost of our (insurance) deductible, which is $1,000."

As part of the repair project, Bliss said the contractor is "looking at what we can do to move (and) better insulate pipes" to prevent a recurrence.

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Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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