The basement of the Hubbard Center experienced some water and flooding issues this past week due to sudden storms that provided unusually large amounts of rain, but no permanent damage occurred.
The flooding originated in the mechanical room in the basement of the UB, one level lower than the Student Organization Space. There was some leakage into the Student Government space on the side closest to Hanna Street, but according to DePauw Facilities Management no damage occurred there. The water reportedly leaked in through the door of the space and the carpet was wet for the following days.
The leak was caused by several different factors, the biggest being the three inches of rain that fell. “The intensity of the rain - we had 3 inches in two hours which is problematic across campus,” said Tony Robertson, assistant director of maintenance for facilities management.
In addition, the construction around the UB fueled the flooding, Robertson said. Even though the construction is problematic now, it is expected to get better as the year goes on. “The likelihood of that (flooding) happening decreases as the project progresses,” said Robertson.
The Student Organization Space will remain open because it only suffered minor damage and the little work that is required to fix the mechanical room. “Any damage that might have taken place at any time will be fixed to prohibit any further damage,” said Robertson.
One student bemoaned that the flooding compounded the problems that have been brought with the construction of Hoover Hall, scheduled to open Oct. 31.
“I feel like it describes what the rest of campus looks like, which is a mess,” said senior Kate Emmert. “I feel like our campus just can’t get it together in appearance, which is really sad.”
While some students said they were upset, others were unbothered and saw it as just part of construction-related issues.
“I don’t really blame them, I don’t think it was a lack of foresight and I’m sure with construction the ways they deal with water has changed,” said first-year Sophia Goettke, “I think it’s just unfortunate for everybody involved.”
Students and staff are encouraged to report any flooding they witness to Facility Management during the daytime, and Public Safety during night hours to prevent further damage.