The east stairwell of the Level 2 parking garage in United Methodist Hall has become home to a puddle that appears without notice, sometimes after a rainfall, sometimes not. The leak has been a concern for students and facilities for several months.
After an unsuccessful attempt to fix the issue last spring by redirecting the building’s rain gutters, housing officials know what is causing the stairwell to become a prolific puddle producer.
“The campus sits on quite a few underground springs,” said Kevin Culbertson, coordinator of housing operations and resident director of Methodist Hall. “It’s underground well water.”
During the summer, there was less rain, so the underground water level did not get high enough to leak into the stairwell, but now that rain has increased, the leak has returned, Culbertson said.
Maintenance staff is working toward creating a solution that will stop the leak, but will not limit students’ access to Methodist Hall entrances.
“The water repellent on the foundation may have worn away,” Culbertson said. “They’ll have to dig down 20 feet to get to that and fix it.”
While this does seem to be the only answer at the moment, digging to the foundation would block at least one of the four outer doors to Methodist Hall.
“They are assessing it now, and they’re trying to do it in a way that won’t affect students being able to traverse the entrances on the side,” Culbertson said.
Culbertson said students should watch where they step in case there is a slippery spot.
“We mop it up as often as we can, but we never know when it’s going to leak,” he said.
Although the water does not pose a health hazard other than the occasional slip, some students still are annoyed by it.
“I avoid that stairwell because the water stains are an eyesore, and I can’t just wear my rain boots every day in case there’s a puddle,” said Joey Simpson, religion junior.
There is not yet a timeline set for repairs of the foundation and water repellent, but Culbertson said they are working on it.
“Maintenance is aware of the leak and is working to fix it as soon as possible,” he said.
Culbertson said students should report any issues by submitting a work order or calling him at (405) 208-6363.
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