LM Feb 2023

Tips For DealingWith FrozenWater Pipes In School Buildings

By Ralph Grimm IASA Field Services Director

to be made. Updates can be shared via school messenger and Facebook. Some districts have event shared “insurance videos” with the public so people can visualize the extent of the damage. • If the forecast is for severe low wind chills, I suggest that you do not set your building thermostats down. I know many want to do that during break to save on energy costs, but you could end up paying a lot more with clean up and repair costs. • If you have a pipe break and incur water damage, I suggest you take a video and pictures of the damaged area. This will be helpful as you deal with the insurance company. • In some cases of water damage, you may need to consult your Asbestos Management Plan to see what must be done to take care of the damage properly. This is particularly true in an old building where floor tile may have come loose. Again, better to be safe than incur a problem later. • If a company is brought in (think ServPro), be sure that you have an agreement on the scope of the work to be done, and how much the insurance company is going to cover. Don’t be in such a hurry to get things cleaned up that you agree to anything and have a problem with the bill later. • Be sure to take care of your custodial/maintenance crew if they have to do extra work because of a pipe break. Thank them for their work. Buy them lunch on the days they work. They will appreciate it.

Over winter break, a number of school districts experienced problems with frozen water pipes in school buildings. To help superintendents navigate this issue, I compiled a list (not exhaustive) of things to remember to do. If you have additional questions, feel free to reach out to me, or any of the IASA Field Services Directors, for support. We are here to assist you. • A custodian or your head of maintenance should be tasked with walking your buildings every day during break whenever the temperature is scheduled to be below freezing. This might be overkill, but it could save you quite a bit of money and extra work in the long run. • If you have an issue with frozen pipes, it is most likely because a pipe has burst or you have other damage caused by severe cold. Do not forget to call your insurance agent as soon as you discover the problem. Also, let your Board know of the issue. • I suggest you let the teachers in the affected classrooms know if there has been water released into their classrooms. They may wish to (or need) to come in and do some clean up. Some teachers prefer doing that themselves rather than the custodians. • Let your staff, parents, students and community know of the problem and what the expectation is for being able to start back to school on time after the winter break. Will the facility be ready on the first day back? Give regular updates as daycare arrangements may need

17 LM February 2023