Pipe breaks in PAC, floods stage area

NORWALK — Mother Nature and the sub-zero weather over the weekend got the best of the Norwalk High School Performing Arts Center when a pipe in the entrance of the PAC burst Monday night, sending gallons of water into the building, down the walkway toward the stage and to the orchestra pit. Norwalk City Schools Superintendent Brad Cooley said the same problem occurred about seven years ago. He said cold air blows underneath the entrances of the PAC and the main entrance to NHS. Cooley said the problem happens due to the false outside walls where there isn't a lot of insulation. "When the wind blows through those vents that is a problem," he said. "On Friday when it was so cold we slid the ceiling tiles back to get more heat up there but obviously it didn't work. That is what we did and the strategy we have used ... clearly it got so cold that was not sufficient. "A tough weekend." Cooley said the fire department got the call when the low-water alarm went off. He said there was about a foot of water in the front office of the PAC and "it was probably going for a couple of hours before the alarm went off. "We had our custodial team there led by Cory Schmidt (director of support services) and Tim Scheel (associated director of support services). We are very appreciative of the Norwalk Fire Department. They helped push water out the door. There were four of them who helped along with our custodial crew." "The good thing with us we believe we can get the carpet cleaners in there fast enough and save that carpet. Seven years ago when we had a similiar event like that we had some stragegies but we will have to take some more steps."