Snowpocalypse could be costly

Because of bone-chilling weather, UNM kept its doors closed much of last week, but repair expenses and employee overtime will cost the University some cold, hard cash.

Physical Plant Director Mary Vosevich said the University should determine the costs of the freeze early next week. She said PPD is anticipating two more cold nights and possibly more damage.
“We have staff working at night that normally don’t,” she said. “They’re walking the buildings, looking for problems, and trying to take care of those before they really become a disaster for us.”

In response to the emergency, UNM required around-the-clock building patrol and switched its energy converters to run on diesel fuel. The University stopped running on diesel late Friday.

Over the weekend, pipes burst outside Zimmerman Library, damaging staff offices and study spaces. Most of the damage occurred in the basement, where PPD placed fans and dehumidifiers to dry water, according to Zimmerman Library’s webpage.

Library Information Specialist Kathleen Garcia said staff members with basement offices had to be relocated. She said staff will likely be displaced until next week.

“We still haven’t heard how long it take to get everything fixed,” she said.

Redondo residents also had to leave their dorms for about an hour after water pipes broke last Thursday.

“The fire department showed up, and you could see water puddles dripping out,” Redondo resident Romilly Tsinhnahjinnie said.
Vosevich said PPD dealt with pipe breakage in buildings numerous buildings around campus.

The department reported that in addition to damage at Zimmerman and Rodondo, a water line broke in Mesa Vista Hall and a boiler malfunctioned last week. The boiler’s loss led to cooler building temperatures, but Vosevich said damage could not be assessed until the boiler was fixed and heat restored to buildings.

“If you’re the person in Mesa Vista Hall where the line broke, you’re not going to think we fared pretty well,” she said. “But when you think of the amount of space on this campus and the things that have happened, they really were numbers that were not so bad.”

UNM spokesperson Susan McKinsey said PPD employees’ work minimized damage to campus.

“Given the fact that our buildings are old, and the infrastructure is aged, we’re doing pretty well,” she said.
Vosevich said PPD prepares for emergencies and knows where to appropriate funds.

“Sometimes we have to sacrifice in other areas,” she said. “We get through these periods. We know that things are going to happen. It’s the nature of the business.”