Pipe Burst in Fine Arts Building

By: Libby Foster, Skyline Contributor  

ALPINE- On Saturday, January 10th, a major pipe burst, sending faculty and staff scrambling to save expensive sound equipment, musical instruments, and costumes after water began pouring through the ceiling at the north end of the Fine Arts Building. 

The incident was first discovered by art instructor Morgan Eldridge, who immediately alerted her colleague, Professor Gregory Tegarden. Despite faculty being on Winter Break, the professors’ prompt alerts to facility staff mitigated the damage. Students Max Barraza and Ana Martinez also stepped in to help as water poured from the second-floor ceiling. 

According to the physical plant, the burst pipe was not caused by recent weather but instead by a corroded pipe. While most of the equipment was saved, the building sustained damage. Maintenance teams removed soaked tile and used large blowers to dry the area. 

“It looked much worse than it ended up being,” said Marjorie Scott, chair of the Performing Arts Department.   

Even though the basement was flooded and several storage areas were soaked, the damage mostly affected costumes, while the department's most expensive assets like electric keyboards and sound equipment emerged unscathed. Some sound equipment is still being assessed. 

Mold is unlikely to be an issue, but extra precautions are being taken to ensure the building is safe. Scott said she was grateful that nobody was injured during the chaos.  

“Items can be replaced but people cannot.” She said. 

While the building is under repair, students can expect to attend fine arts classes in the Museum of the Big Bend. Many faculty offices and classrooms are usable but affected classrooms and the art gallery will require significant work before the February and March art shows. 

Suzanne Harris, Dean of Students, showed up on Saturday to assist in the cleanup although she was ill. The faculty was grateful for the quick thinking and actions that prevented the further loss of equipment and department resources. Scott said, “It’s a bummer it happened right before classes started,” but that “seeing everyone act together really showed our community.”  

Repairs are expected to continue over the next few weeks. Some rooms may be back in operation within one or two weeks, but others sustained more severe damage and will remain closed for longer to ensure they are entirely safe and back to normal for students.  

Following this incident, there have been two separate instances in which water has been shut off due to a leak since winter break. One was in Ferguson Hall and the other in the Centennial building.