Univ. reports second water main break

Commuter students yesterday morning discovered the university had experienced a second water main break this past weekend, this one flooding the parking lot near the University of Maryland, University College.

University Police were informed about flooding on Campus Drive at 9:42 p.m. Sunday and sent about five police cars to help block off traffic in both lanes, University Police spokesman Paul Dillon said.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission was informed of the problem a few hours later, at 12:59 a.m. on Monday, spokesman Mike McGill said. Upon arriving at the scene, workers found a break in a 16-inch water main, McGill said.

The road was closed from Adelphi Road to Presidential Drive for much of early Monday, preventing UMUC students from driving to the UMUC parking lot for yesterday's classes.

Department of Transportation Services Director David Allen said UMUC students parked in Lot 1 to get to their classes. Students with UMUC permits were not given parking tickets for parking in Lot 1, Allen added.

He said he wasn't aware of any congestion problems caused by sharing the parking lot.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission reported the water lines were fixed as of 7:16 p.m. last night after having affected 17 customer accounts, McGill said.

The cause of the break was still unknown, but McGill speculated age was probably the biggest factor, though construction, road traffic, weight on the road and shift in temperature may have contributed, he said.

No damage was done other than the roadwork to fix the pipe, McGill added.

The flooding was the second in two days around the campus. Over the weekend, the Ellicott Community flooded near The Diner, and water in Ellicott, Hagerstown and La Plata dorms was shut off yesterday while the pipes were repaired.

Jack Baker, director of operations and maintenance for Facilities Management, said this is a "very common" problem to have at this time of year, and that pipes all over the area have been breaking.

Staff writer Kyle Goon contributed to this report. taustindbk@gmail.com