Policy

All broken pipes must be dealt with as soon as possible. Water could be very damaging to library materials. To lessen damage, buckets, wastebaskets or other containers should be placed under the leak to collect the dripping water.

Procedure

At the Administration Building and the branches, report leakages or broken water pipes to Facilities at 503.988.3779. If after regular business hours, stay on the line because it may take a while before your call is answered. The supervisor will need to decide if immediate repair is necessary, or if the problem can wait for the next available plumber during regular County hours. If necessary, the operator will need to be told that there is an emergency and that someone should be sent immediately. NOTE: If the leak is very bad and facilities cannot respond immediately, call the fire department.

• For safety reasons, wet floors must be promptly mopped and "Wet Floor" signs need to be placed near hazards.
• If books are damaged, refer to "Water Damaged Materials" in the Daily Operations Manual for the procedure to treat wet books. Immediate treatment is vital for wet books.
• If Facilities Management staff have not arrived by closing, leave a note for Facilities Management with a full description of the problem and list all the places where the water inlets were shut off.
• If very cold conditions have been forecasted, leave all faucet taps dripping to prevent frozen water pipes.