Gym Still Undergoing Repair After Pipe Burst

Hanover High’s basketball teams’ games and practices continue to be disrupted this week due to concerns over floor damage in the gym after a pipe that was part of the sprinkler system burst in an adjacent hallway over February vacation, flooding the hallway and the gym with water. According to an article by Josh Weinreb that was published in the Valley News, the water pipe burst at around 2:00 pm on Monday, February 15; the outside subzero temperatures were cited as the most likely cause of the burst. It was estimated that about 2 inches of water had pooled in the gym before the leaking could be stopped. The incident was first noticed by Dan O’Rourke, the coach of the girls basketball team, while the team was practicing that day. The team proceeded to clear out as much water as they could until a maintenance team arrived.

As part of the repair process, the burst pipe is currently being inspected. Antifreeze will likely be applied to the pipes in order prevent another such burst. Warm air was pumped into the gymnasium in an attempt to evaporate any moisture that had accumulated beneath the floor. As of the publication of this article, none of the basketball teams are able to play in the Hanover High gym because of concerns over the floor buckling.

As a result of the damage to the gym, the school’s basketball teams must now practice and play games at the Richmond Middle School, Ray School, Hartford High School, and Lebanon High School. “I don’t think that (having to practice and play home games at other schools) has an impact on our performance,” said Jeffrey Boitnott, a junior on the boy’s varsity team, in an interview. However, he did acknowledge that the disruptions to the schedule had been annoying. He also commented that it did take a little bit of time to get used to playing home games without as many fans from Hanover being present.

Valley News article on the issue: http://www.vnews.com/sports/21091307-95/flooded-gym-forces-marauders-out