A classroom in the new STEM building at BC has a mold problem, according to the Executive Dean of Instruction, Math, Science and Engineering, Stephen Waller.

The mold was reported by “a staff member of M&O who spotted the leak.”

Waller ensured that he “relocated classes without delay to other physics labs to allow for repairs to be made. No classes were held in the impacted physics laboratory after [he] was told there was a water leak, nor were classes held in that room after M&O was aware there was a leak. All classes were relocated to other labs to allow for instruction to continue without interruptions.”

Executive Director of Facilities & Operations, Marcos Rodriguez, explained that the leak was caused by workers striking an “irrigation valve in the outdoor landscape planter area on the exterior side of the STEM Building. The water made its way from the planter into the building and caused the flooding incident.” The valve ended up plugged so the water went the wrong way.

Rodriguez outlined that to repair the leak “all water in the planter is now disconnected leaving the low water using plants to be irrigated during rain incidents as they occur.” They also need to bring an outside ‘remediation contractor’ to run a series of fans for several days.

They also brought another contractor “to check for mold spores in walls that were damaged, as well testing for air quality in the building for precautionary measures.”

After all that they just needed to make sure “the moisture levels reached the threshold (displaying appropriate levels) as needed.”

“The issue has been resolved and the building fully operational,” Marcos Rodriguez said, and “all carpets were replaced, walls repaired, and new rubber top base molding was installed.”

No classes were affected by the leak/mold in the STEM building, and Rodriguez is confident that the leak and mold is resolved.