Watch where you sit at Government Center, corroded pipes could burst

When city maintenance employees responded to a leak in the east wing of the Government Center two weeks ago, they found a corroded pipe with water heated at 160 degrees.

City officials showed the pipe to members of the Mayor’s Commission on New Government and Judicial Building on Tuesday as an example of the Government Center’s deterioration. Later, the group toured the aging building to assess its condition.

City Manager Isaiah Hugley said the level of corrosion raised concerns about other pipes throughout the building, as well as the safety of employees and citizens. He said he asked staff to place tape on ceiling tiles so employees would be aware of where pipes are located. The city is assessing how pervasive the problem is and looking for space in case there’s an emergency evacuation.

“It’s above the ceiling tile in places where people are obviously sitting at their desks, or in a conference room at a conference table,” Hugley said. “So, obviously, if this ruptures, or there’s a severe break in it and it comes through the ceiling tile, on to an employee, or on to a visiting citizen here in the building, it’s not going to turn out good.”

One Wednesday, Hugley sent an email from City Inspection and Codes Director John Hudgison, stating that most of the piping insulation had been tested for asbestos and came back negative. But the city is still awaiting results from another area, it read.

“We met with a mechanical contractor this morning who has dealt with this type of project,” Hudgison wrote in the email. “We are working out a plan with the contractor and a mechanical engineer to provide a cost per box, which includes price for replacing all piping and valves around the box and a unit price for any additional work if the corrosion continues further in either direction.

“To be clear, this repair only extends the life of the existing system,” he continued. “There may be other deficiencies, but we eliminate the potential of the heated water injuring citizens or employees. We do not know the timeline on the boiler because it is also past its reasonable life, and I have asked the contractor to price a modulated boiler system that is more energy efficient and small enough to be installed in the penthouse.”

Hugley said employees discovered the corrosion after Mayor Teresa Tomlinson convened the commission, which has been exploring the possibility of replacing the Government Center. He said the mayor and city councilors all agreed that the issue should be addressed immediately. The pipe was replaced and the water lowered to 140 degrees.

Tomlinson and Public Works Director Pat Biegler also expressed concern about the corrosion.

“It’s pervasive, obviously, throughout,” the mayor said. “I think this kind of adds to the weight of what we were talking about before. This fix would require a parallel system to be put in along side the existing system. At the time they made this building, apparently, they weren’t planning on things being redone or replaced because a lot of this stuff is set in concrete.”

On Tuesday, Hudgison said the leak was repaired on Feb. 8 at a heating terminal unit on the second floor of the east wing.

“On reviewing the exiting plans of the facility, we estimate there are over 600 heating terminals currently operational in the tower and both wings,” he wrote in a document provided to commission members. “We have one boiler and two hot water distribution pumps that service the entire system and are original to the Government Center.

“Facilities (maintenance) have made various upgrades and repairs to this system since 2003,” he continued. “The concern is that with the pressure and temperature of the water flowing through these pipes the corrosion that has taken place could burst in a vulnerable spot and injure employees or citizens in the building.”

He said the long-term solution is complicated and expensive.

“... With having a separate heating and cooling system in the Government Center, there is no efficient way to combine them without incurring major cost or over-taxing the the exiting electrical system,” he wrote. “Based off estimates in 2013, the total cost to overhaul the boiler, replacement of all hot water riser piping and lateral piping to the terminals, will cost at least $1.7 million.”

This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Watch where you sit at Government Center, corroded pipes could burst."