On Jan. 19, below-freezing temperatures caused the sprinkler system pipes to burst in the parking deck of the SOVA off-campus student apartments, submerging and destroying some vehicles.
The burst pipes set off fire alarms throughout the complex that began at approximately midnight and continued to sound until after 1 a.m.
In a photograph sent via GroupMe, resident’s cars could be seen submerged in multiple feet of water on the third floor of the parking deck.
“The fire department responded to the call and was unable to silence the alarm,” SOVA management said in an email to residents. “Anytime there is an indication of water flow, the fire alarms will continue to sound regardless of any overrides. We attempted to silence it on multiple occasions, however, it continued to activate after every 30 seconds.”
“We have a sprinkler technician currently on route to address the issue,” SOVA management added in the email.
Management did not comment on the apparent flooding.
After the incident, SOVA sent another email instructing residents to drip their faucets to prevent further damage; however, another burst pipe in the parking deck triggered alarms again at approximately 2 a.m. on Jan. 23. This alarm also sounded for nearly an hour before being deactivated.
In response to this latest incident, SOVA management said, “We’ve taken all necessary measures and precautions to avoid these pipes from bursting, but due to fluctuating changes in the weather causing condensation in our lines, this is out of our control and we can assure you we’ve taken the necessary precautions to avoid this from happening again.”
