Libraries, schools and Jefferson County government offices were all victims of burst water pipes this week following two days of extreme cold.
A 2-inch water pipe in the the administrative wing of the Jefferson County Administration and Courts Facility in Golden burst in a ceiling above the county attorney’s office, and water trickled to the stories below, damaging several other offices.
The leak was discovered about 6 p.m. Thursday by a security guard making rounds in the building, said Kathryn Heider, a county spokeswoman.
The leak forced part of the building to be shut down Friday as officials worked to make repairs and estimate the damage.
In Boulder County, more than 1,000 books in the University of Colorado’s earth sciences library and costumes for Fairview High School’s upcoming production of “Pride and Prejudice” were among the casualties of broken pipes.
The pipes in a sprinkler system in the Benson Earth Sciences Building at CU burst about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. By the time the water was turned off 18 minutes later, an inch had accumulated on the floor in the Jerry Crail Johnson Earth Sciences and Map Library, CU spokeswoman Malinda Miller-Huey said.
More than 1,000 books and 100 maps had to be treated, and carpet and insulation were damaged.
Miller-Huey said librarians didn’t need to call in specialists, but they did consult with the Western States and Territories Preservation Assistance Service on how to dry out the books. Roughly 100 of the most severely water-soaked books were frozen to prevent further damage.
Boulder Fire Chief Larry Donner, whose department responded to more than 30 calls involving broken pipes Thursday, said last winter never got so cold for so long. That meant the two days of intense cold that finally eased Thursday revealed plumbing problems that may have lurked unnoticed.
At Brothers Plumbing & Heating, the phone has been ringing off the hook since the freeze hit and frozen pipes started cracking.
“We’ve had more calls than we can help people,” said Lynn Frydenlund. “We’re overwhelmingly busy, so much that we’re not able to get to everybody.”
The company had more than 400 calls Wednesday, about four times the volume on a normal day.
Frydenlund said the company is prioritizing calls based on urgency. “People without water, people without heat, they get service quicker.”
For everybody else, it might take a day or two, she said.
While it’s true that older homes tend to be at greater risk for bursting pipes, new houses can have problems too, she said.
Custodians at Fairview High School made an unpleasant discovery when they opened the school at 5 a.m. Thursday. Sometime in the night, pipes for the sprinkler system broke over the studio area, and by early morning, there was 3 inches of water on the floor.
A number of violins and violas in the upstairs area were soaked. The water also seeped through the upstairs floor and into a closet full of costumes for a production of “Pride and Prejudice” that was scheduled for this weekend, school administrative secretary Jenny McCarthy said.
The costumes went to the cleaners, and “Pride and Prejudice” is rescheduled for next weekend. The musical instruments will need to be assessed after they dry.
“We’re still finding spots,” McCarthy said. “I think it will be a few days before we know the extent of the damage.”
Post staff writers Kieran Nicholson and Karen Auge and The Daily Camera of Boulder contributed to this report.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
Homeowners, protect those pipes
There are steps homeowners can take to lessen the risk of burst pipes, says Lynn Frydenlund at Brothers Plumbing & Heating:
•Keep cabinet doors around pipes open
•Make sure pipes are well insulated, especially those on a north-facing wall
•Put heat tape on problem pipes
•And the old “keep-water- dripping” trick really does help (but it can waste a surprising amount of water).
