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Public works committee hears Copper Top Theater leak could cost up to $5,000
Summary
Committee members were briefed on a water leak above the Copper Top Theater music room. Staff reported a $700 valve replacement completed, an estimated $3,000 pump replacement plus installation, and additional costs for a corroded cast-iron drain. Committee directed staff to obtain firm quotes and return with cost and lead-time details.
The Richland County Public Works Committee was told a leak in the Copper Top Theater is now stopped after a $700 valve replacement but still requires further work that could total about $5,000.
Committee staff reported the leak was traced to pumps and a drain in the boiler room above the theater’s music room and that a new valve was installed the day of the meeting. Staff said the pump is “shot” and estimated $3,000 for a replacement plus installation; the cast-iron drain is heavily corroded and will need separate replacement, adding to the cost.
The committee was told the valve replacement halted the immediate leak but that the seal on the existing pump had failed and the pump “was blowing out through the seal,” which is why water was appearing in the music-room ceiling. Staff emphasized delivery lead times for parts are uncertain — possibly two weeks to a month — and said they will not order additional parts until firm prices and availability are obtained.
Members discussed temporary, low-cost mitigations. One staff member recommended opening the door on Air Handler 11 to draw heat from the upstairs as a short-term measure if colder weather returned, noting the pump in question serves Air Handler 11 and that adjacent pumps serve other areas. The committee chair said if the full repair came in under $10,000, he would not see a reason to delay ordering given lead times; otherwise the board would convene again to approve larger expenditures.
Next steps: staff (Randy and other maintenance personnel) were asked to collect written cost estimates, lead times and delivery information and return the numbers to the committee for approval. No formal appropriation was approved at the meeting.
The committee also discussed that the building is part of broader campus maintenance planning and that any work may be charged to campus maintenance funds and reallocated internally as needed.
