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Clearwater’s main library remains closed
Kailey Tracy reports
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The rule of keeping quiet in the library is on hold at Clearwater Main Library for at least the next month or so.
Tens of thousands of gallons of water flooded the building on Sept. 6, and it’s closed while repairs are made. City officials said a connection in a fire sprinkler pipe failed and caused the flood.
The water came from a pipe in the third-floor ceiling, Joelle Castelli, the City of Clearwater’s spokesperson, said.
"The first thing that we do is worry about the safety of the people, so we got the people out of the building. Then we got the water and the electrical turned off," she said.
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"That water travels to the path of least resistance and it can cause a lot of damage," she said.
Luckily, city staff salvaged about 90 percent of the library’s materials, including the art pieces on display on the first floor, Castelli said.
SERVPRO of Largo is drying out the library and its materials and going through an extensive cleaning process.
"I know what it's like in your home when you have a leak in your hot water heater or dishwasher and then the water goes under the tile and that can be a massive cleanup for the homeowner. This was a commercial property with thousands and thousands of books and computers and technology, and it could be devastating. So, we're very glad that SERVPRO was able to get out right away, get the books offsite, get them dried out," Castelli said.
Several subcontractors are helping SERVPRO assess and repair the elevator, electrical, HVAC and fire suppression systems.
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About 10,000 books and library materials were moved to an offsite facility for a six-to-seven-week drying process that involves dehumidification.
Crews also removed windows on the second and third floors to accommodate drying equipment. Castelli said it took eight days to bring the building's moisture content back to within a normal range.
The affected drywall in the library has been removed and new drywall is being installed. The affected areas will get repainted.
The carpet and tile will also be cleaned.
"This is an extremely large-scale water loss that no one should have to go through and for it to be a public library, a safe place for any age, from kids to elderly, to anybody, getting this back in action quickly is our number one goal," Stephanie George, Operations Manager for SERVPRO of Largo, said.
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SERVEPRO is also making sure the air quality is back to normal through a filtration system. Before the library reopens, an air quality and environmentalist assessment will be done.
The building suffered five million dollars worth of damage, which the city has submitted to its insurance company.
Castelli said they’re investigating how the pipe failed to ensure it won’t happen again.
Storytime will be held in the park, and other library programs are either canceled or moved to other branches while Clearwater Main Library is closed.
City Council also meets in the library and will now have its meetings in a county building in Clearwater. Librarians have shifted to other branches to work and administration staff has also moved buildings.
The library is expected to reopen at the beginning of November.