A sprinkler malfunction in a Henle Village building sent water spraying down the dormitory’s main staircase for over an hour onday, flooding apartments and causing what residents said could be hundreds of dollars in damage.
Students called 911 soon after the sprinklers activated at about 6:50 p.m. in Henle’s Building M, and the D.C. Fire Department sent trucks to respond to initial reports of a fire. Several students said they smelled burning rubber as they rushed to evacuate the building, but officials said later that there had been no fire.
Department of Public Safety Director Darryl Harrison said that the building’s sprinkler heads may have been damaged intentionally, causing the sprinkler system to activate and flood apartments 83 through 90.
“Investigation by our officers indicated that there was no fire,” Harrison said. “The entire sprinkler system must be replaced now and there was significant water damage to the area.”
The sprinklers were still active after firemen left campus, and worried residents huddled at a distance as DPS officers and facilities personnel attempted to cut off the water flow.
Karen Frank, vice president for housing and auxiliary services, said that facilities workers were in Building M throughout Monday night with water vacuums, fans and dehumidifiers. There was water flow into two apartments on the building’s lower level, she said.
“What we’re trying to do is to just get the apartments back together,” Frank added.
Frank said that someone hit a sprinkler head in the stairwell, but she didn’t know whether the damage was intentional. Harrison declined to comment on whether DPS is investigating any specific students in connection with the incident.
Frank Brinkofski, an employee in the university’s risk management department, said that it was not yet clear whether Georgetown’s insurance would cover the damage to student belongings. He said that many factors, including vandalism, could affect whether the university pays for the damage to the apartments.
Dave Chiang (SFS ’07), whose apartment received some of the worst of the flooding, said that he returned after the sprinklers were shut off to find standing water on his linoleum floor and puddles on his carpet. Even though he and his roommates had stuffed towels under their door before they left the building, enough water seeped in to ruin one of his roommate’s computers, which was sitting on the floor, Chiang said.
Kara Flook (COL ’07), who lives on one of the lower levels of Building M, said that she first learned of the sprinkler malfunction while walking back to her apartment from the Georgetown bookstore.
“I walked back from the bookstore and I heard the siren,” Flook said. “I walk into the courtyard and there are all these people standing and they’re all wet.”
After unpacking her belongings during her first few days back on campus, Flook said she had to gather everything up again and stack it on tables and furniture. Most of her belongings are now strewn around her apartment while she and her roommates wait for their carpets to dry, she added.
Flook said she is still startled by Monday’s evacuation.
“It was a little freaky going to the bookstore and coming back to find your apartment’s flooded,” she said.
Staff Writer Moises Mendoza contributed to this report.