Seven Hartwick College students vacated a fraternity house in the city of Oneonta earlier this month due to a burst sprinkler pipe.
Oneonta Deputy Code Enforcement Officer John Hester said Wednesday, Feb. 25 that a sprinkler pipe in the Alpha Sigma Phi house, 71 Spruce St., burst in the rear stairwell leading to the basement. It was reported to the city Monday, Feb. 9.
He said that a contractor he met on site told him that a new boiler installed in October was “not communicating properly with the thermostat.”
“As a result, the heating system remained off, allowing portions of the house to drop below freezing,” Hester said.
Steven Norris, Alpha Sigma Phi’s national senior director of housing, said Thursday, Feb. 26 that several factors contributed to the pipe bursting, “including an older home and brutally cold temperatures.”
“All former residents are housed, and we are working with contractors and the city to repair the home so that residents can return safely to the house as soon as practical,” Norris said.
Hartwick spokesperson Gail Glover said Wednesday, Feb. 25 that the college was made aware of the burst pipe around Feb. 9.
Glover said the college offered the impacted students on-campus housing if needed. The students who resided in the house at the time of the incident chose to work directly with the national chapter for housing, she said.
Students began moving out on the day of the sprinkler pipe incident, Hester said, as the fire department ordered water and power to the house were shut off.
A complete housing inspection is required before the students can reoccupy the house, he added. Hester said the property would be referred to the city’s Board of Public Service, which is scheduled to meet Thursday, March 5.