MAGNA — School was canceled for the 1,200 students at Matheson Junior High School on Tuesday after a water pipe froze and burst, flooding several rooms and hallways at the school.
But school officials expect classes to resume Wednesday.
"At this point in time, we do feel comfortable with the cleanup progress that we're making that school will happen tomorrow," said Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley.
Fire crews arrived at the school about 5 a.m. after an alarm had been tripped by water flowing through a fire suppression pipe. When they arrived, they found 4 inches of standing water in a computer lab and water flowing under the doors, out into the hallways, into other classrooms and down the stairs, according to Horsley.
Water also "cascaded" down a wall in a nearby maintenance area, damaging an electrical panel and causing the heating system to cut out, he said.
But crews were able to contain the flood by shutting off the water supply to the broken pipe shortly after they arrived.
"We're talking literally thousands of gallons a minute when the pipe is broken, and (it) was probably pouring out water into that computer lab space for a period of 15 to 20 minutes until the water was shut off," Horsley said.
Crews determined the flood was caused by an air intake dampener on the roof, which was left open and got stuck. For several days, it allowed cold air to build up in the area around the pipe, causing it to freeze.
Horsley said janitorial staff on Tuesday was still assessing the damage, which included "probably a dozen or so" computers that got wet, as well as "minimal" damage to carpet. But other computer labs in the school will likely compensate for whatever computers need to be replaced, and maintenance crews will do ongoing checks for mold and other concerns, he said.
"The cleanup's progressing really quickly. By and large, it's mostly cleaned up at this point, it's just drying out those carpets (that) are still damp," Horsley said. "It's just a minor annoyance for some of our teachers and some logistical issues over the next few days until those computers get replaced.
"I think the bigger issue will be the makeup day that will be required," he said.
School leaders have designated Tuesday, March 29, the last day of spring break, as a makeup day for the seventh, eighth and ninth graders who attend Matheson Junior High.
Families can check for updates through the school's website, schools.graniteschools.org/mathesonjr, as well as social media sites for the school and the district. Administrators will also communicate with parents through email.
Email: mjacobsen@deseretnews.com
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