'Freak leaks' hit Smallwood Plaza

Junior Robin Robinson was drawn to Smallwood Plaza because of its location, underground parking and gym, but she never anticipated waking up to a flood in her apartment.\nThree hot water pipes burst open in Smallwood Plaza apartments late Thursday night and Friday morning, causing damage to several apartments.\nRobinson was listening to music in her apartment when the fire alarm started to go off. While she was leaving she saw what she believed to be smoke coming from her roommate's bedroom. She opened the door to find thick steam coming from her roommate's bathroom. \nDue to the steam caused by the pipe rupture, Robinson's apartment was soaked with water.\n"I couldn't see my hand in front of my face," said Robinson.\nBloomington Fire Department responded to the call just before 7 a.m. Friday.\nThey were "respond(ing) to an alarm going off," said BFD Battalion Chief Chuck Welch. \nWhen firefighters arrived hot water was leaking from the third floor of the apartments. \n"The apartment below (also) had damage," said Welch, referring to the leak coming from Robinson's apartment.\nNo one was injured in the incidents.\nThe fire department was also called at approximately 11:30 p.m. Thursday night to respond to a fire alarm in the building. There was a third incident at Smallwood but the fire department was not called.\nSmallwood Plaza developer John Jacobs called the incidents "freak failures" and "unique."\nThe incidents were caused by two separate hot water pipes that burst in the bathrooms of two different apartments. The third incident was caused by a pipe breaking underneath a dishwasher in another apartment.\nJacobs said the "freak" accidents caused varying damage throughout the building.\n"It is unfortunate that it happened and that it happened in a couple places," Jacobs said. "Four to five apartments had different levels of water damage."\nJacobs said he does not know the approximate cost of damage. \n"We're not going to know until a week from now," he said.\nThe tenants of Smallwood who were affected by the water damage were moved to different apartments in Smallwood by their choice. \nIf they needed to be moved, "(Smallwood employees) moved them to their new place," Jacobs said.\nJacobs said that despite the damage and interruptions, the tenants were being very cooperative. \n"The people that were affected understand accidents happen," said Jacobs.\nJacobs said anyone's whose items were damaged from the incidents will be compensated or have their items replaced.\n"(Smallwood) will take care of it" Jacobs said, referring to the damages. \nJacobs said Smallwood is currently in the process of investigating the cause of the incidents to the one-year-old building.\nThe Smallwood apartments began construction one year ago as part of the growing housing scene in downtown Bloomington. \n"I understand that Smallwood Plaza is a new facility and therefore some kinks need to be worked out," said Robinson.\nRobinson said she is concerned about similar incidents occurring during the rest of the year.\n"There is no guarantee (my) apartment won't be flooded again," she said. "(But) I feel that Smallwood Plaza is taking the steps to ensure it won't happen again."\n-- Contact staff writer Chelsea McDonnough at cmcdonno@indiana.edu .