Jake Johnson of Octagon Cleaning & Restoration in Windham tears up carpet in the General Assistance director’s office in Lewiston City Hall on Monday afternoon. A frozen water pipe on the third floor burst over the weekend, flooding offices on the floors below. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

LEWISTON — Cleanup crews were soaking up water and tearing up carpets Monday at City Hall after a water pipe burst on the third floor over the weekend, but officials said they won’t know the true extent of the damage until later in the week.

The pipe, discovered Sunday afternoon by an employee, likely froze due to subzero temperatures Saturday night or early Sunday, Lewiston Fire Department Capt. Paul Fournier said. He told the Sun Journal on Sunday that as temperatures grew warmer, water began flowing into the lower floors of the building at Park and Pine streets.

Deputy City Administrator Denis D’Auteuil said Monday that a cleanup crew from Octagon Cleaning & Restoration had been on site all day, and officials were still assessing the damage. Once the true extent of the water damage is known, the city will put together cost estimates and likely contract out repairs, he said.

Jake Johnson of Octagon Cleaning & Restoration in Windham tears up carpet in the General Services office in Lewiston City Hall on Monday afternoon. A frozen water pipe on the third floor burst over the weekend, flooding offices below. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

Most of the water damage was in two second-floor offices, he said.

“It was just pouring down in there,” he said.

While it’s fairly easy to see where water entered the offices, he said it’s impossible to know where else the water traveled without a closer look between the second and third floors. That effort could take a few days.

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On Monday afternoon, there were at least a dozen dehumidifiers and dryers in the basement Octagon used to soak up water that was left after fire department personnel vacuumed what they could.

D’Auteuil said due to the damage, the Human Resources office was closed for the day, and the General Assistance director was displaced. The General Assistance office, located next door, was not affected and remained open Monday.

Lewiston facilities manager Louie Turcotte said when they came in Sunday, there was water cascading down the stairwell and dripping from ceilings.

The cleanup crew had already removed damaged ceiling tiles Monday afternoon and was tearing up carpet  in the two offices damaged by water.

D’Auteuil said an employee happened to stop by their office Sunday afternoon and heard the water leak.

“If it had run all night, we’d obviously be looking at much more significant damage,” he said. “They were at least able to stop it last night and now we’re in cleanup mode. And we’ll find out how bad this is.”

Staff photographer Russ Dillingham contributed to this report. 

Lewiston Facilities Manager Louie Turcotte shines a light on the water pipe that burst in Lewiston City Hall over the weekend, damaging several offices below. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo


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