Leaky Pipes Cause Water Damage in Dorms

Some residents of Barnard’s Elliot Hall returned from winter break to find that their rooms had been cleared out due to water damage. A room in Reid Hall also suffered water damage over the break.

A burst pipe in Elliot resulted in the displacement of several students, who were asked to move into dorm rooms in Hewitt Hall until the damages were addressed. Students living in rooms with numbers ending in 01 on the third floor and above were affected and received e-mails two days before returning to campus informing them of the incident.

The students’ personal belongings had been moved from their rooms for protection as soon as the incident was discovered, and no damage has been reported.

Meryl Lodge, BC ’10, a resident of an affected room in Elliot Hall, said, “There was mold on my ceiling when I returned. The incident was unfortunate, but it was handled well."

The students have been given the option of moving back into their rooms once they have been cleaned, but no time frame has been given for when that will happen.

Barnard's Office of Residential Life did not return several calls for about the incidents.

Two students in Reid Hall returned from break to find their room flooded with two inches of water, an incident undiscovered by Residential Life prior to the student’s return.

The students were offered single rooms to stay in until the issue was resolved, but were asked to vacate the room until the problem could be assessed.

“Residential Life responded quickly to the problem,” said Marina Moskalenko, BC ’11 and Reid resident. The problem was attributed to an air vent leak in a radiator.

Lydia Wileden contributed to this article.