Broken water line closes courthouse
Mark Pacilla of McVehil Plumbing works on a water line break at Washington County Courthouse Friday.
Mark Pacilla of McVehil Plumbing holds the old valve that caused the water line break at the Washington County Courthouse.
Washington County Courthouse was closed Friday because of a broken water line, but officials are confident it will be open Monday.
According to Scott Fergus, director of administration, water was pouring into the basement from a corroded pipe, extending from the elevator shaft out to Beau Street.
“It’s not just patching; it’s going to take time (to repair). We hope to get it done today,” Fergus said Friday. “If it takes working over the weekend, that’s what we’ll do.”
Patrick R. Grimm, district court administrator, said minimal staff manned the courthouse offices.
“We had to close because, without water, there were no facilities and no fire suppression system,” Grimm said.
Most of the resulting damage occurred in the domestic violence service office, which will be relocated temporarily in the judges’ law library on the second floor.
Adding to the chaos at the courthouse Friday, a faulty light bulb in Judge Michael Lucas’ courtroom caused a smoke odor to permeate the building around 9:45 a.m. Washington Fire Department responded, but Fergus said the incident was “much ado about nothing.”
The county office building and the Family Court Center remained open. Judges Gary Gilman and Lucas held some scheduled cases at chambers in the Family Court Center.
Grimm said due to the disruption, those who were scheduled to appear in court Friday will be sent rescheduling notices in the mail. Those who had a filing deadline Friday can file paperwork Monday without penalty.
“It’s not often that the courthouse closes,” Grimm said. “We’re thankful for the quick response from the public safety department, the fire department and the plumber. They put in a good effort to deal with the situation.”