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SALT LAKE CITY — A water break at the University of Utah flooded 75,000 square feet Friday evening, causing about $250,000 in damage, officials said.
The Williams Building, which is home to the university's Department of Pediatrics, began flooding around 7 p.m., said Salt Lake City Fire Capt. Mark Bednarik.
Water was a few inches deep in some places inside the building, which holds data centers and expensive equipment, Bednarik said.
Most of the damage was done to carpet and drywall, according to a University of Utah representative.
The flood would have been even more expensive if some of the department's essential operations had shut down, which can cost about $1 million per hour, he said.
The captain didn't know specifically what functions those were. He said fire crews' focus was on diverting water from the essential operations.
The rush of water was caused by a water break somewhere underground outside the building, but the cause of that break remained unknown Friday, Bednarik said. The water reached an unfilled 4-inch-wide pipe hole in the exterior of the building on the basement level and flowed rapidly inside, he said. The water was heavily polluted with mud and debris.
The loading dock outside the building also sustained heavy damage, in addition to typical building damage and some affected equipment.
Salt Lake City firefighters had turned over the scene to the university and disaster cleanup companies as of late Friday night.
