Leak Causes Damage At Courthouse
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A massive effort to remove water and moisture from the courthouse in Water Valley started last Friday and will continue all week. Holes were cut in the first-floor ceiling (above) and in the courtroom floor to help dry out the building as heaters, fans and dehumidifiers are running around the clock.
WATER VALLEY – A second floor water line in the Water Valley courthouse detached from a fitting late Thursday or early Friday morning, dumping thousands of gallons of water into the historic building. County officials estimate that the repairs and cleanup cost will tally upwards of a quarter-million dollars and some services for the public including purchasing or renewing vehicle license tags will not be available until Monday, July 15.
Board of Supervisors President Cayce Washington was first to survey the damage Friday morning after a dispatcher at the county’s 911 dispatch center called him to report a lady went to the courthouse to renew her license tag and observed water flowing out of the building. Ironically
Washington was already headed to the courthouse after dealing with another small leak in a different area of the courthouse a day earlier.
Washington said when he entered the building, there was almost three inches of water in the first floor hall.
“It looked like a rain forest with water coming down everywhere,” Washington said.
The majority of damage is in the second floor courtroom and the southwest portions of the building on both the first and second floors including the tax office where almost everything inside was destroyed. Washington said carpet was floating in the second floor courtroom, century-old doors in the building are warped, ornate trim in some areas of the building is also warped and twisted and the air conditioner is not working in the building.
Washington said electricity and the main water line to the building were turned off Friday after the leak was discovered as the immediate concern was the threat of a fire or electrical problems as outlets and electrical conduits were immersed in water in some areas of the building. The clean-up effort started around noon Friday as Tupelo-based Absolute Cleaning & Restoration responded and started sucking water out of the building. Fans, heaters and dehumidifiers were brought in Saturday morning and remained running on generator power throughout the weekend and continued to run at presstime. Holes were cut in the first floor ceiling and in the floor of the second floor to provide access to waterlogged areas.
By mid-morning Monday the Water Valley courthouse was opened for limited business in some departments. Tax Assessor/Collector Michael Walton reported the tax offices in both the Water Valley and Coffeeville courthouses are down and license tags cannot be purchased or renewed. He explained that the computers serving the offices at both courthouses are linked, causing problems in the Coffeeville office.
Walton has not been able to access the Water Valley office that sustained the most damage to see what can be salvaged, as work continues to remove the moisture in the walls and ceiling.
The courthouse hall was isolated as plastic was placed over the opening to the stairway as heaters and dehumidifiers are used to help dry the building. Similar equipment is also located in the tax office, courtroom and judge’s chambers.
Chancery Clerk Donald Gray reported his office in the Water Valley courthouse is open and it is business as usual except for the heat.
“It got up to 92 degrees in the office Monday, and is 83 degrees today and that is with a window unit running,” Gray said.
Gray also said that Chancery Court scheduled in the Water Valley courthouse Monday, July 15, will be moved to the board room in the Water Valley City Hall.
“Judge (Vicki) Daniels asked if we could move it to the city building,” Gray said.
Circuit Clerk Daryl Burney reported his Water Valley office is open and is accessible through the door on the north side of the courthouse.
Washington said a claim adjuster was scheduled to examine the damage Tuesday afternoon and the county’s insurance provider, the Mississippi Association of Supervisors Insurance Trust (MASIT), will cover the damages.
“This is a covered event,” Washington said about the policy.
Washington also said that the first water leak discovered Thursday, July 4, in the vicinity of the vault of the Chancery Clerk’s office did not appear to be connected to the leak that caused the damage. Attorney Daniel Martin was working on the holiday and noticed water in the floor of the vault. Gray and Washington were able to turn off the water at that area Thursday afternoon.
The water line that detached and caused the damage is located in the judge’s chambers behind the second floor courtroom.
“We are doing everything we can to get everything operational, but it will take some time,” Washington noted.
