Plumbing updates address eyebrow-raising brown water – Mcccagora

At midnight, while students were away from campus during a break in classes, MCCC security guards ran water in vanities and bathrooms to flush aged, damaged, and corroded plumbing.

When students and faculty returned to campus, they discovered brown water coming out of the faucets when they used the restrooms in the Campbell Building.

Jack Burns, director of campus planning and facilities, said he is working diligently to fix the issues and is aware of student concerns.

Example of an epoxy coating on the inside of a galvanized water pipe (photos by Michael Moser).

At Founders Hall and L Building, contractors have applied a permanent epoxy to the inside of the pipes, making them smooth as new pipe, Burns said.

“Essentially, you’re running PVC pipe into existing galvanized pipe,” Burns said.

The millage renewal with no increase from November 2020 provided the additional funds needed for the water mains work, along with many other upgrades to the MCCC buildings, Burns said. A full list of these upgrades can be found on the MCCC website.

Founders Hall and the L Building received over $911,000 in plumbing renovations, according to plumbing bills presented by Suzanne Wetzel. Vice President of Administration.

Building C’s plumbing layout was different from other buildings, so it was more cost-effective to replace them with copper plumbing, Burns said.

“We actually put new utility lines where the city water comes from,” Burns said. “All valves and everything is new.”

Plumbing updates for the C building total over $225,000 according to plumbing bills provided by Wetzel.

Building C is on budget and is scheduled for completion in early June to be ready for classes in the fall of 2022, Burns said.

Updated water bottle filler and drinking fountain

The only two remaining original buildings whose service water lines need to be lined or replaced are the A Building and the physical facility, both of which will be addressed as their respective proposed renovation projects take place, Burns said.

All newer water fountains and bottle filling stations have an additional water filter that is replaced regularly, Burns said. Older fountains in older buildings will not have an additional filter, but will be upgraded as MCCC continues to refurbish each building.

Burns said the City of Monroe regularly evaluates the water to make sure it’s safe from contaminants like lead and bacteria.

The City of Monroe also monitors water quality during algal blooms and can test the water upon request.

Burns supported the Agora and planned to have the Monroe Department of Water take samples.

Brian Jeffries, water supply worker, and Kevin Nash, meter shop supervisor, collected samples from an L Building sink, a Founders Hall sink, and the Founders Hall water meter in the basement.

Water facility operator Matt Ratz tests MCCC water samples

Matt Ratz, waterworks operator, conducted tests for bacteria, pH and residual chlorine.

In a bacteria test, the water is placed in a bowl that creates the perfect environment for bacteria to grow and no bacteria were found after a period of 48 hours.

Then they performed a second test for bacteria, which uses a chemical powder and causes the water to change color when bacteria are present. This test was also negative.

The water samples taken from the campus had an average pH value of 7.37. Since 7.0 is neutral on the pH scale, the perfect score for this test would be 7.40 according to the Monroe Water Department.

“Chlorine degrades over time,” said Barry Laroy, director of Water.

The laboratory results also show that the residual chlorine is within the required parameters.

The Monroe Water Department and Jack Burns confirmed that after long pauses when no one has been using the water, water lines should be flushed regularly to prevent the water from stagnating.

After reviewing the results of the samples with Water Distribution Superintendent Kevin Armstrong, Water Authority laboratory staff Barry Laroy and Chris Knight, who also worked on the water samples, the information proved that the water is exceptionally clean.

When asked how clean the water is, with a score of 10 being the best, Chris Knight said, “It’s a 10, I would drink that water myself.”

The water company collects samples behind the H building every Wednesday to ensure that the results remain consistent and always within the acceptable quality range.

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