First Posted: 2/16/2015
OTTAWA — For Ottawa Elementary School, the poor winter weather might prove to have its advantages.
Without it, the district wouldn’t have had a scheduled make-up day Monday, and it could’ve been much longer until someone discovered a broken sprinkler head in the school’s library.
Instead, the issue was reported around 6:45 a.m. by a maintenance worker who heard water running in the school’s library, said the district’s superintendent, Don Horstman.
Teachers and staff were quick to help, salvaging a large number of books and resources. Representatives sent to replace the sprinkler head and from the restoration company to assess the damage were both on the scene by 10 a.m.
According to a Monday afternoon post on the elementary school’s Facebook page, there was a hairline crack in one of the sprinkler pipes. With the leak already repaired, crews have started sucking access water out of carpets and taking moisture readings to determine which areas of the library were most effected.
Though officials were not able to report the amount of damage or the cause of the crack, Horstman said the maintenance staff was able to shut the water off quickly. Water used for cooking and restrooms was unaffected.
The library is closed off to students, restricting access to the media center. It has yet to be determined how long the library will be closed or how much the restoration process will cost.
Still, Horstman is optimistic.
“We’re already starting to put things back together,” he said.
