Minor plumbing problem backs up A building
Written by Jonah Librande, Former Student on Wednesday, November 13, 2013
A sewage overflow in A building on November 1 had custodians flustered and scrambling to fix the plumbing issue. The source of the problem was a long screw in a pipe that had captured assorted debris over time.
The issue seeped into the debate tournament scheduled for that day, and severely limited the number of rooms available for the competition.
The backup was originally found when wastewater was discovered to be bubbling up through the bathroom’s drainage grate.
When it was discovered, the plumber who would have had the necessary tools to clear the blockage was absent, so a plumber from Roto-Rooters was called instead.
When the plumber arrived, he used a tool called an auger, which is designed to loosen a blockage, the auger became caught on the overlong screw, and could not be retracted once the blockage was clear.
A second plumber was called, also from Roto-Rooters, to loosen the first plumber’s auger. He came with a camera that revealed the cause of the blockage.
The screw was eventually removed with the rest of the clog. The screw was believed to have been in place since the construction of A building.
