Steam pipe bursts at Newman Elementary School
As Needham voters prepare to decide on a renovation project at the Newman Elementary School that includes replacing the heating system, a steam heating pipe burst outside the school, ripping a small hole in the sidewalk near the gym. Nobody was hurt.
Newman Assistant Principal Mark McAneny said he is not sure when the pipe burst, but it was discovered yesterday at 3:30 in the afternoon. He described it as a small hole in the sidewalk and said the school is currently working to fix it. The hole itself is not a safety concern, he said, but there is a concern that other steam pipes could burst in the future, given the old heating and ventilation system in the school.
The HVAC system is a key part of a proposed $27.4 million renovation project at the school, which has been approved by Town meeting. The state has agreed to reimburse the town for $8.6 million of the cost. A property tax increase needed to fund the project will go before voters Dec. 8.
Risa Sherman, one of the co-chairs for Together for Needham, a group that supports the override, said she believes yesterday's incident is indicative of the larger problem at hand.
"Many steam pipes in this HV system are on the verge of bursting," Sherman said. "It just underscores the need that we have to get on this thing before someone gets hurt."
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