WAILUKU - Staff from Maui County's Parks and Recreation Planning and Development office spent Friday packing up office supplies and other essential items after their offices and parts of the War Memorial Gym were flooded late Thursday night.
The flooding occurred after an old water main burst underneath the gym.
Around 18 employees, including Parks Director Glenn Correa, were affected by the flooding. The water did not touch the gym's basketball court, but it flooded hallways and offices.
Article Photos
An old water main burst underneath War Memorial Gym late Thursday night, flooding gym offices and hallways and cutting off water to surrounding sports facilities. Some county offices had to be closed. Water service was restored by Friday afternoon. County work crews said the water main break was caused by someone hitting a fire hydrant in the Maui Lani subdivision earlier in the day.
KEITH REGAN photo
The water was swept out of the affected areas by Friday afternoon, although some areas remained damp, county officials said.
Residents may still reach the Parks Permitting Office at 270-7389. That office at the front of the gym was open Friday.
County spokesman Rod Antone said Friday afternoon that the county was looking for a trailer to house affected employees as well as seeking estimates to repair the flood damage.
He did not know how long it would take to repair damage, preliminarily estimated at $200,000. The estimate does not take into account water-damaged equipment.
On Thursday night and into part of Friday, there was no water service to most of the War Memorial sports complex. But by Friday afternoon water service was restored.
The only remaining areas without water Friday were the gym locker and shower rooms and two office restrooms. The restrooms in front of the gym and also at the surrounding sports fields were back in service.
Antone said he was not aware of any sports or other events being canceled because of the water problem. No events were scheduled at the gym this weekend, he added.
County work crews said the water main break was caused by someone hitting a fire hydrant near Liberty Dialysis on Maui Lani Parkway around 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
No details were available about the crash, but it blew out a water regulator that sent high-pressure water through the system, overwhelming the aging pipes beneath the gym sometime before 11:30 p.m. Thursday.
The water burst through the floor in one of the gym offices. County workers at the scene overnight said there was enough water flooding hallways and offices to fill an Olympic-sized pool.
