MCB Building # 186 water event Jan. 24, 2014

Information from Miechaleen Diers - brief summary

186 / water event - Started in 7-229 with a plugged drain

Plugged drain in 7-229 - water leaked from Silver recovery bucket

7-229, 7-227, 7-225, SOME IN 7-223, WESTERLY WALL IN 7-226A + HALLWAY NORTH END (BOTH SIDES)

DRAIN PLUGGED IN 7-229

6-227 AND 6-229 WALLS AND BASEBOARD

5-227 AND 5-229 WALLS AND BASEBOARD

4-229 WALL AND BASEBOARD

WATER FOUND ITS WAY DOWN TO 3RD --- WET CEILING TILE ON 3

Personnel Responded:

Doug Forstie, Bill Hanson, Pete Mattson, Chuck Wuollet, Scott Dewitt, Vince Belanger, Mike Terry, John Lemoine, Bob Wheeler, Ron Rousslang, Sam Mendolia,  

Assisting - Tim Lahti,, Samuel Schroeder, Neil Carlson

7th floor water leaking from wall cavity before baseboard removed.

6th floor water  leak

Water leak in 4-229

Ceiling tiles on third floor

Full description - Samuel Schroeder

Here is the update on both extent of affected areas and what was done in preparation for reassessment on Monday, 1/27:

7-229: Leak Source (film processor in film processing room)

• Entirety of floor covered with ~1/2" water
• Sink cabinet base soaked with water; cabinetry opened for airing out over weekend
• Back of sink cabinet blotched with water spots
• Floor trim removed
• Fan on room to air out over the weekend

7-227: Lab Support Room for Ervasti Lab

• Sink cabinet base soaked with water; cabinetry opened for airing out over weekend
• ~1/4" water covering floor
• Sink basin backed up (connected to sink in 7-229)
• Entirety of floor trim removed
• Important equipment removed to prevent dust contamination
• Fan on room to air out over the weekend

7th Floor LER Hallway: 7-200 Wing

• Water traveled down hallway to just past 7-223

7-226A: Lab Alcove, Ervasti Lab

• Water seeped in through wall from hallway along cabinetry under fume hood and along wall
• Floor trim removed along cabinetry under fume hood and along back wall
• Drywall cut ~6" high along back wall
• Fan on area to air out over the weekend

7-225: Lab Support Room for Ervasti Lab

• Floor trim removed entirely
• Most lab equipment moved to prevent contamination from dust from fan
• Fan on room to air out over the weekend

7-223: Lab Support Room for Lowe Lab

• Floor trim on right side of room removed
• Fan on area to air out over the weekend

6-229: Lab Support Room for Das Lab

• 2 water damaged ceiling tiles removed
• Sheet rock very minimally affected above sink; hoping to dry out wall from 6-227
• Floor trim in between 6-229 and 6-227 in LER hallway removed to air out over weekend

6-227: Lab Support Room for Das Lab

• Inside of wall behind sink quite wet; sheet rock removed to air it out over the weekend
• Lab equipment in room blocked off with plastic sheeting
• Fan placed on wall to air out over the weekend

5-227: Lab Support Room for Schimmenti Lab

• Corner to immediate right inside the door slightly wet; sheet rock removed
• Floor trim in this corner removed
• Fan on area to air out over the weekend

4-229: Lab Support Room for Titus Lab

• Water seeped in from under glass cabinet to left just inside door
• Cabinet unbolted from wall and moved out of way
• Floor trim in area to left of door removed
• Lab Equipment in room covered and blocked off with plastic sheeting
• Sheet rock removed
• Fan on area to air out over the weekend

4-227: Lab Support Room for Lowe Lab

• Water almost non-existent 
• 1 ceiling tile removed
• Floor trim removed between 4-227 and 4-229 in LER hallway

3rd Floor Hallway: Outside 3-154

• 7 ceiling tiles wet in hallway; kept in place for now

Followup from Cheryl Miller 1/28/2014

The service tech examined the instrument today. When the drain became clogged, it backed water into the instrument, breaking the internal solenoid that controls water flow through the instrument. Once broken, this solenoid pushed water through the instrument without regulation, backing up the system further and causing the silver containment bucket to crack and leak as well.

He is putting together a list of recommendations that includes an inline water filter to feed the machine, as well as recommending drain cleaning every 6 months the machines.

We’ll work with Karen and Tim and our service tech to establish a better protocol for maintenance for these machines.

Alternate Explanation from Nic Manley

There was a partially clogged drain serving the processor and 2 sinks.

The solenoid in the processor malfunctioned allowing non stop water flow, which caused the partially clogged drain to back up.

If in fact the pail split from water pressure, that is because there is / was a plug within the silver recovery pail, as the drain from the pail was open, and water could have backed up the standpipe, which it did not  ( I was there to shut off the water flow).