Since the beginning of the Spring semester, the condensate and steam leaks have become apparent throughout the campus, leading DePauw University to implement a new energy system that will save the University up to $780,000 a year.
Warren Whitesell, associate vice president of facilities management, did not respond to an email requesting an interview, however, Ken Owen, special advisor to President Mark McCoy, responded in place of Whitesell and said that the University will begin installation of the $12 million project, which includes a new boiler, a new chiller and a new poly-material pipeline system during the summer of 2018.
DePauw, which spends between $3.5-4 million a year on energy, has recently experienced “underground steam leaks that are occurring west of the Olin Biological Sciences Building and in the southeast lawn of East College,” according to a campus-wide email issued by Facilities Management on Feb. 22.
In addition, the University also repaired a condensate leak at the southwest corner of the Green Center for Performing Arts in early January.
These leaks have been occurring for many years; however, the frequency of the leaks has increased over the past 18 months. “While we experienced two [leaks] a year back, we have experienced five within the past seven or eight months. As you can tell, the pipes are showing their age,” Owen said.
The piping system, which Owen deemed “an underground labyrinth,” has provided DePauw facilities with heating and cooling for the last 30 years. Every University building on campus is heated through this system, except for Hoover Dining Hall, the Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media and the Memorial Student Union Building, all of which have their own individual heating and cooling units.
Owen said the salt used to treat sidewalks during the winter has corroded the metal pipes, leaving them weak and prone to leakages.
Facilities Management is reportedly repairing the damages as quickly as possible. However, according to Owen, the repair process can be a little tricky. “The steam you see at street level isn’t always where the damaged pipe is. Sometimes the steam will come out the pipe and then it has to find a crevice in the ground to escape from. The steam could be seen in one place, but the actual leak could be a ways away.”
The leaks located near Olin and East College are scheduled to be repaired during spring break in an effort to “reduce the impact to our campus community,” Facilities Management said in an email. “Fixing the leaks will require a total shutdown of building heat and domestic hot water for many buildings across campus.”
Until then, both Facilities Management and Owen advise DePauw students and staff to keep a safe distance from the steam leaks because the water in the pipes can reach 180 degrees. “If you were to stick your arm down there, it could be dangerous. The ground is also quite squishy because of the condensation. You would wind up muddy at the very least. However, the leaks are not dangerous; it’s just a visual spectacle,” Owen said. “The cure is to treat it like Old Faithful and watch it from afar.”
While it may be a visual spectacle, first-year Brooke Hamblen doesn’t feel like the leaks are that big of deal. “I have a class in Olin this semester, and at first I was weirded out by the miniature steam geyser and didn’t know what to think of it. I also have Spanish class in East College, and when I saw how big that one was, I thought we were all going to die from toxic geyser fumes. Sometimes they do smell a little funny. But I’ve gotten used to them and while they’re fun to joke about, they’re not a huge deal to me.”
Hamblen is not the only one who feels nonchalant about the steam leakages. Anna Logan, visit coordinator, said she hasn’t heard any comments about the steam from high school students who visit campus.
Admitted Student Day was on Monday, Feb. 19, and newly accepted students were focused on everything but the supposed geysers. “According to our guides who gave tours the week before and on Admitted Student Day, no one has indicated that families have asked, mentioned or even noticed the steam on East College lawn.”
However, those who are on campus during the summer of 2018 will definitely notice the installation of the new piping system, said Owen. “The work will begin this summer, the summer of 2018, and will be done by the summer of 2020. It will take awhile because there is a lot of pipe to lay and we don’t want to do it when the campus is being used because it’s [the construction process] not going to be pretty.”
Despite the magnitude of the project, Owen said the system will be worth it. “Because of its efficiency and how much money it’s going to save DePauw, the new system will pay for itself in about 5 or 6 years,” Owen said. “Even better, it is part of our deferred maintenance so it’s not something we’re going to tack onto bills. It’s something we knew we’d have to do eventually, and the time is now.”
