BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Transportation Department discovered a burst water pipe in their office headquarters on Sunday. The pipe was part of the industrial HVAC unit on the top of their building in Boise.
The HVAC unit is old, according to ITD Senior Public Information Officer Aubrie Spence. The ITD maintenance crew estimates it could be from the 1960s.
"We believe it had several pipes that leaked and failed," Spence said.
HVAC systems have a strong lifespan of 10-15 years, according to Capital City Heating and Cooling General Manager Michael Murphysweet. Over time, water will draw the walls on copper pipes thinner and thinner, and the system must be replaced, he said.
It is unclear how long the pipe has been leaking, but restoration specialists are assessing damage to the building. The burst pipe damaged all three floors of the building with the third floor receiving about 50% floor damage, the second floor approximately 30% damage, and the first floor with 10% to 20% damage, according to ITD.
"We have restoration crews and professions onsite today. We also had them yesterday - Monday - onsite. And they're working around the clock to work on estimates, let us know what we're dealing with," Spence said.
It's too early to tell how much the damage will cost or establish a timeline for when it will be fixed. Repair costs will be covered by the state's insurance policy, according to Spence.
With more than 300 people working in the building, up to 90% of the people are now working remotely and the rest have been relocated.
ITD stated that there have not been any delays to service, with the public still able to access their resources online or over the phone at (208) 334-8000.
For people needing in-person assistance, they can access customer service at their temporary location at 3293 W. Jordan Street. This location is on the same campus as the main State Street building.
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