By Liv Barry
Lifestyle Editor
Louis L. Goldstein Hall is expected to remain open for classes throughout the spring semester following sewage issues that caused multiple cancellations of in-person classes last fall.
In a Nov. 11 email sent to all Washington College faculty, staff, and students, Director of Facilities Stan Yeakel said that the issues were likely caused by tree roots that blocked the building’s pipes.
“As a short term fix, we have cleaned the pipe of roots in the second area, along with the resulting blockage, and will do so weekly or as required while we prepare for the long term repair,” Yeakel said. He went on to announce that a new sewer would be installed as a “permanent solution.”
According to Provost and Dean Dr. Michael Harvey, Buildings and Grounds performed an overhaul of the sewage pipes around Goldstein Hall over winter break, which included the replacement of damaged pipes and the addition of a new manhole near the building.
While these repairs constitute the bulk of the solution, there are two renovations yet to be completed.
In the spring, a permanent asphalt patch will be laid down on the road across from Goldstein Hall, where the sewage work was conducted. According to Dr. Harvey, the road is safe to drive on, but repairs cannot start until the weather is warmer and the asphalt can set properly.
Additionally, Buildings and Grounds needs to complete inspections of the new pipes and the tree whose roots were encroaching on the previous pipes. While the new pipes are stronger than the preceding, they need to be deemed satisfactory in order for the tree to stay intact.
According to Yeakel, “the Goldstein Hall sanitary line was replaced from the building to a new manhole we set across the street in the direction of John S. Toll Science Center over the Winter Break. The old line had become damaged by roots from the oak tree to the right of the front entrance way.”
The facilities team rerouted and replaced the line with a new PVC pipe. According to Yeakel, facilities will evaluate the removing of the tree to see if it is call for future impact on the new line.
“The road crossing has been filled with crushed stone and will be asphalted in early spring when the plants have reopened for the year,” Yeakel said.
Regarding the potential removal, Dr. Harvey said that the College never enjoys removing a tree.
“We never like taking down a tree, so that would not be the first course of action,” Dr. Harvey said.
Following the repairs, Dr. Harvey said that another shutdown of Goldstein is unlikely.
According to previous Elm coverage, Goldstein Hall was first shut down on Oct. 31 after a sewage leak caused flooding on the ground floor. After an additional incident, Registrar Patricia Seunarine sent a campus-wide email announcing that no classes were to be held in the building from Nov. 10 through Nov. 14.
In Seunarine’s email, professors were encouraged to shift to remote instruction, but for some professors, the shut-down happened so quickly that it was difficult to organize online learning.
“We found out less than an hour before class, and I was teaching a different class when we were notified, so I didn’t have the time to switch modalities and inform my students of what to do. So, I just had to cancel,” Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication and Media Studies Dr. Stephanie Brown said.
In the case of any future septic issues, Dr. Harvey said that rather than shutting down the building, faculty and students will be directed to use other facilities within and around Goldstein in order to minimize class disruptions.
Despite ongoing repairs, classes in Goldstein Hall were canceled for a final time for the fall semester on Nov. 29, prompting Dr. Harvey to send an email imploring faculty, staff, and students to take caution when using the bathrooms in the building.
“Please treat the plumbing in Goldstein like a fragile elderly relative, with kindness and care,” Dr. Harvey said.
While the building remained open through the end of the fall semester and into the first weeks of the spring semester without further septic incidents, Dr. Harvey maintains that the bathrooms in Goldstein still need to be used with caution in order to lessen the stress put on the pipes.
Dr. Harvey also expressed his gratitude for the work that Buildings and Grounds put into the project.
“I want to thank the Buildings and Grounds folks for working on this during Christmas and being able to get the work done at a time that was minimally disruptive to students and everyone else at the College,” Dr. Harvey said.
Elm Archive Photo
Photo Caption: Goldstein Hall was shut down several times during the fall semester following significant septic issues.