The University of Wisconsin-Madison Engineering Centers Building (ECB) is currently closed due to flooding late last night, causing classes and labs in the building to be canceled or moved.
According to the updated news release, a chilled water system pipe burst, leading to 55,000 gallons of water causing damages to all floors of the ECB.
Classes scheduled for Friday have been moved. Students and faculty affected will be emailed with updates and information but have been instructed to not enter the building until further notice, according to a university press release.
UW officials are still attempting to learn the extent of the flooding damage and will provide more communication as they learn more, according to Dean of the UW-Madison College of Engineering Ian Roberston.
“I know many of you are eager to enter the building, particularly those of you who conduct research in ECB,” he said. “I ask for your patience and assure you we will strive to allow you to enter as soon as we can.”
Many students had labs and classes canceled today.
“It definitely ended my day earlier but it’s kind of inconvenient,” UW-Madison engineering student Lileigh Nguyen said. “In order to do any machining or welding I need to already have a red pass and I can’t get it now until the building’s opened.”
Other students received emails this morning informing them that their classes were moved online due to the flooding, according to UW-Madison engineering student Jack Joosten.
“It was an inconvenience having online classes,” Joosten said. “I never feel as productive or focused in them.”
Joosten explained that engineering students were provided with very little information regarding when the building would be reopened and when classes would proceed as normal.
Faculty have been told to wait for further instruction about when it is safe for them to check on their labs, according to the news release.
This is a developing story.
