YARMOUTH – Work continues at Yarmouth Town Hall as they try to repair the extensive damage caused by a burst sprinkler system.
The failure occurred late last month in the attic, when temperatures plummeted to well below freezing. The space did have heat and the cause is still being investigated.
The water flowed all the way to the basement, soaking the entire building. Power had to be shut off when computers started smoking.
Town Administrator Dan Knappik said that although there is still widespread damage, there is some good news mixed in among the bad.
“Fortunately for us, records and documents that were in filing cabinets have been secured and safe guarded,” he said.
An effort was immediately made to lessen the impact on the public, with departments located in the basement re-assigned to different parts of the building. Business was conducted the day after the incident.
Removing the moisture from the building is expected to take three to four weeks.
Knappik expressed concern regarding a possible serious health issue.
“Dryers and de-humidifiers continue to work day and night because we want to make sure that we don’t have a mold situation occur,” he said.
Town Hall is open during regular hours, but nighttime meetings will have to be moved to another location.