Water Main Break Causes More Than $100K in Damage on University of Missouri Floor

Two inches of water engulfed the Hearnes Center, leading to the wood floor's removal.The wood floors of the University of Missouri’s Hearnes Center were destroyed after a water main burst and flooded the sports arena, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, according to a report by the Columbia Tribune. The court is mainly used by the university’s women’s volleyball team.

University officials were alerted to the leak Sept. 22, when thousands of gallons of water gushed from an exterior water line on the west side of the building, leaving 2 inches of standing water on the wood floor, which was installed over Tartan rubber surface flooring in the 1970s. Aside from the wood floors in the arena, the burst also damaged walls and tile surfaces in locker rooms and storage areas in the building.

The university removed the flooded wood floors Sept. 27 and is mulling also removing the rubber substrate and installing the replacement wood flooring over concrete. Officials estimated that installing new wood floors would cost between $50,000–$75,000, according to a later report.

The Tigers volleyball team will relocate their matches to the Mizzou Arena until the new wood floors are installed, according to the Missourian.