Officials: Falling ceiling caused burst pipe
Report confirms source of North Mianus School flooding
GREENWICH — An investigation of the building conditions at North Mianus School that led to the Feb. 13 ceiling collapse confirmed that a plaster ceiling fell on a sprinkler pipe, causing a large flood, officials said.
It was originally believed that a burst pipe caused flooding, then the ceiling collapse at the district’s largest elementary school, home to about 500 students. But an analysis of the building carried out over the past two weeks by district and town personnel, the fire department and an engineer shows that it was the ceiling in the part of the building originally constructed in the 1920s that first faltered.
“Given the situation, we know for certain that the original building will need to be closed to undergo extensive ceiling renovation,” said a statement sent this week to North Mianus families by Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones and Principal Angela Schmidt. “This is the front area of the building, which flooded both the first floor and second floor. We are hopeful that we may continue to use the portions of the building that have been constructed more recently
and are not impacted by the ceiling issue.”
The finalized report, according to the statement, was sent to the state building inspector, and the district is waiting for a response to determine whether other newer parts of the building may still be safely used.
Subsequent parts of the building were constructed around 1952, 1971 and 1995. Those areas, if deemed safe, could possibly house North Mianus kindergarten classrooms. In that case, other grades would need to be moved to an alternate location until the damage is fixed, according to the statement. But the district also said it’s exploring options to relocate the entire school.
“Utilizing the existing space depends on several factors, such as a working fire alarm and sprinkler system adjustment,” Jones and Schmidt wrote. “The fire alarm has already been restored to the building, and the sprinkler company will be on site tomorrow as we work to try and stop the flow of water to the area which needs to be repaired, while keeping the water on in the sections we would utilize. Ultimately, the building must be cleared and deemed safe for use.”
If students and staff are allowed back into the unaffected portion of the building, the damage area would be sectioned off and made inaccessible. Personal items, such as coats that may have been left behind, remain irretrievable at the moment, according to the statement.
Jones and Schmidt said they are working with the goal of getting North Mianus students, who have been learning remotely since Feb. 16, back in classrooms as soon as possible.
“As you may know already, finding alternative space does present a challenge during this pandemic, as many of our schools have spread out more significantly across their own buildings to allow for additional social distancing,” Jones and Schmidt wrote. “We are working with our school administrators and facilities teams to solve this issue, so that our NMS students can return to in-person learning as soon as possible.”
Three other schools in the district with parts built around the same time as North Mianus are also closed, as of Feb. 19, in the wake of the flood.
Out of “an abundance of caution,” the district said it needed to study the structural integrity of Julian Curtiss, built circa 1946; Old Greenwich, completed in 1902; and Riverside School, constructed in the early 1930s. In the last week, engineers reviewed the ceilings at each of the schools and submitted their report Wednesday. The return of students and staff could be imminent, according to a message sent home from school principals to staff, students and families.
“The inspection was incredibly thorough due to the size and construction elements of the building,” the message states. “Because the building contains construction from multiple types of renovation at various points in time, engineers examined ceilings of varied construction methods. We are hopeful that the analysis will be viewed as positive and we will get approval for reentry by the end of the week. As soon as we have exact timing for the safe return to our buildings, we will let our families know.”