Classes continue at Prosser High despite water main break

A pipe break at Prosser High School temporarily left the main school building without working bathrooms Tuesday though classes are continuing.

The break happened early in the morning when students and staff discovered water flooding the alley way next to the main building, said Superintendent Ray Tolcacher.

Prosser city workers are excavating the area to determine what type of pipe is broken, whether it’s a city water main or an irrigation pipe. That work required water to the main building, including the gym and its associated locker rooms, be cut off.

The break was repaired by mid-morning and water restored to the main building. City workers will inspect water lines in the coming weeks to make sure there aren’t other issues, a release from the city said.

Bathrooms still worked in other buildings on the school’s campus when the water main was temporarily shut off, allowing classes to continue.

A booster for a potential bond measure for the district to replace the aging Prosser High said the incident highlighted the need for a new facility.

“This is an example of the problems with our school’s infrastructure that we can’t see on the surface,” said Scott Hunt, president of the Prosser Schools Citizen Committee, in a statement to the Herald.

“They can shine up the building for open houses and conferences but the real problem is that the building is old and wasn’t designed to support the number of staff and students that it currently serves,” he said. “The district hasn’t made building improvements in our schools in more than 20 years. This place is falling down around our kids and it’s time that the district do something about it.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Classes continue at Prosser High despite water main break."