The reel on the second floor came loose on Saturday, after which a large amount of water flowed down the stairwell to the ground floor, says facilities manager Maria Kalyvas when asked. There, it pooled in the only room without a threshold, that of the Archives, Documentation and Post (ADP) department. The water level rose to a few centimetres there.
The water pooled in the room of the Archives, Documentation and Post department | Photo: Finance department
The water caused a fault in the fire alarm system. A company called in to deal with the situation pumped it up with a water vacuum cleaner on Saturday evening. Large dehumidifiers have also been installed in the building. These appear to be effective: with the exception of the ADP room, the building will be accessible again on Tuesday.
An inspection revealed that there was no damage to equipment or documents, says Deputy Director of Finance Hanneke Ramakers. “Only a few power strips that were on the floor need to be replaced.” New carpeting is also required in the ADP area and on the stairwell. A silver lining: “That was already on the agenda anyway.”