Inspections detail corrosion of sprinkler pipes

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REGION 16 — An inspection of the pipes for the sprinkler system at Woodland Regional High School found 110 locations that are corroded and need to be fixed.

Director of Facilities and Maintenance Stephen Martoni last week told the Region 16 Board of Education, which oversees schools in Beacon Falls and Prospect, the cost to fix the pipes is estimated to be $55,000 at most.

Martoni said the repairs will be broken down into three phases. The most critical areas are the first floor from the main lobby to room 117 and the third floor science wing. These areas will be fixed over the Christmas break for about $14,000, he said.

The second and third phases of the repairs are planned for April vacation and June, respectively, he said.

MJ Daly conducted the inspection at Woodland and also inspected the pipes at Long River Middle School. The inspection at Long River found 143 areas that are corroded, but none are deemed critical, Martoni said. The repairs at Long River are estimated to cost $25,000.

“We all agree that can wait. So we’re going to address that in the capital improvement plan and break it up over three years,” Martoni said of the work at Long River.

Martoni said the work at Woodland is more costly, even though there’s less corroded areas, because the corrosion is on the main piping and the immediate pipes that branch off the main pipes. He said the work at Long River requires less labor and materials because the corrosion is mostly where the sprinkler heads connect.

The issue at Woodland was discovered when a pipe in the school’s media center started leaking in May. Between June 6 and Oct. 9, the region spent $18,313 for emergency repairs to fix seven different sections of pipes because they were rusting and rotting, and some were leaking.

MJ Daly performed the inspections last month for no charge and is expected to complete the repairs. The Waterbury-based company will also perform a routine five-year internal inspection of the sprinkler systems at each school this school year.