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Burst water main causing headaches on Purdue’s campus

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – Several buildings on Purdue’s campus have been evacuated following a water main break Tuesday morning.

According to Purdue News, the water main break occurred around 10:15 a.m. in the area of Memorial Mall and Oval Drive on campus. People are asked to avoid the area as crews work the scene on the southeast end of campus.

In an email sent to certain Purdue employees, the break is causing water to leak into buildings and come into contact with electrical panels. It has also flooded high voltage manholes, which affected a transformer and caused power disruption to several buildings.

The Physical Facilities Department is working to fix the leak. But they said it isn’t known at this time how many manholes have been flooded and the water has become “charged” therefore barring access to flooded areas.

Brian Zink, associate director with Purdue’s News Service, said the following buildings on campus have been secured and are closed until further notice due to the water main break and resulting power outages:

  • Purdue Memorial Union
  • Stewart Center
  • Grissom Hall
  • Heavilon Hall
  • Brown Laboratory of Chemistry
  • Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry
  • Hicks Undergraduate Library

People staying at the Union Hotel are affected. Officials are working on moving all guests to other locations.