‘Rotting out’ pipes flood the Nebraska State Penitentiary with water, 2 feet of mud

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A burst pipe was the cause of a water leak at the Nebraska State Penitentiary on Wednesday, officials say.

Over 130 men were moved to a gymnasium before a majority of them were taken to a new housing unit at the Reception and Treatment Center on Thursday.

Nate Bornemeier, the engineering administrator at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, said crews found the breach in a buried pipe.

“The pipes are made of cast iron and they are rotting out on the bottom. These are the same types of leaks that we’ve had over the years,” Bornemeier said in a press release.

Bornemeier said the water leak could leave the entire housing unit unusable for up to two years.

“That’s how long it could take to go through all the steps to make the building suitable for occupation again,” he said.

The leak caused flooding in the housing unit’s mechanical room, which operates the building’s heating and cooling systems.

Officials say the leak also carried a “considerable” amount of mud into the mechanical room and housing unit.

“Water reached nine feet in the mechanical room itself,” Bornemeier said. “The mud left behind is at least two and a half feet high.”

Bornemeier said crews are working to clean the mess up, but now they worry that the leak could have caused foundation problems.

The penitentiary is expected to resume normal operations on Friday, according to officials.  But inmate visits will be canceled through the weekend.

Officials said staff members are working to address the needs of displaced inmates.

“That includes getting their personal property to them and ensuring that those who need medications and other accommodations are assisted,” said Robert Madsen, deputy director of prisons.

SEE ALSO: Water leak closes housing unit at Nebraska State Penitentiary