‘Significant damage’ caused at Faurot Field after pipe burst on Christmas Eve

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Water pipes that burst over the weekend caused “significant damage” at Faurot Field, according to a University of Missouri spokesman.

MU spokesman Christian Basi told ABC 17 News that the pipe that burst occurred on the sixth floor of the west tower at the stadium. Basi said the damage was significant, but a dollar amount to fix it has not been determined. Cost assessment is still taking place.

Ice formed on the building near the suite level of the building. The burst occurred Saturday due to the cold temperatures that affected Mid-Missouri.

Basi told ABC 17 that “several” other buildings on MU’s campus also experienced bursts, but a list of buildings affected was not available.

Basi said preparations were taken to try to prevent a pipe burst, but having fewer people in the building played a factor.

The problems from the deep freeze Mid-Missouri experienced over the weekend weren't isolated to MU. Columbia firefighters were sent to 81 calls of water flowing inside a structure, indicating burst pipes. Most were from sprinkler systems, a Columbia Fire Department spokesperson said.

CFD was also called to nine water main breaks.

Michele Presley with ServPro said a good way to prevent pipes from bursting is to turn faucets on to a trickle and to thaw frozen pipes slowly to prevent breaking. If people leave for a few days during extreme cold they should consider shutting off their water, she said.