Frozen Coil Causes Water Leak At Reed School

By Tanjua Damon

A frozen coil on an air handling system in a mechanical room at Reed Intermediate School dumped an estimated 1,000 gallons of water on the upper level of the school near the library media center.

Maintenance crews learned of the leak Monday around 2 pm and quickly began cleaning up the mess, according to Building and Grounds Supervisor Dominic Posca. There is damage, but the district does not have a monetary figure and they are still investigating how the coil froze and who might be at fault. Maintenance continues to dry the area affected and only one classroom is unusable at this time, Mr Posca said. The district expects the classroom to be usable later this week.

Tim Alix of Strategic Building Solutions reported to the Board of Education Tuesday night that crews worked over the February vacation continuing to decrease items on the punch list for the school that opened in January. He also touched upon the water leak.

He said he was surprised at how little significant damage had been done by the leak. “There are some ceiling tiles that will need to be replaced, and make sure everything dries out,” he said.

Mr Alix also reported that he expects signs for the school to arrive mid-March. This includes the plaques as well as the outside lettering for the school. A dedication ceremony will be scheduled once everything arrives and is in place.

The board also inquired about the playground area and whether the students will be able to use that area this year.

Mr Alix explained that he did not expect the area to be complete before the end of the year. He went on to say that Haynes Construction would need to wait for the ground to thaw and dry out before heavy equipment can be brought in to finish the work.

Haynes crews and subcontractors are continuing to address items on the punch list; all the work on the punch list will need to be reviewed for acceptance by the school board. Mr Alix also reported that costs are being investigated for the replacement of the outside canopy and lobby area, where the material does not meet the fire code.

Principal Donna Denniston has also requested a design review of the main office, where workers’ quarters are cramped. Jeter, Cook & Jepson, the architectural firm for the school construction project, has said the additional cost for such a review would be $5,000. There are supposed to be three workstations in the main office, but because of the intercom system only two are really usable. The counter in the office also could be moved to create more space for the cubicles where the secretaries work.

The Building and Site Commission has not approved a change order for this request at this time.