Uni makes quick recovery from water damage

Monday, 14 March 2005

The University of Adelaide has been quick to restore essential services and operations, and resume lectures following damage to a fire main last Friday that shut down a large section of the University.

The fire main was damaged during construction works on the North Terrace Campus and the water affected six buildings: Horace Lamb, Barr Smith Library, Hughes, Plaza, Architecture and the University Staff Club. Students and staff were immediately evacuated from these and surrounding buildings. Classes and services in the affected buildings, as well as the Napier, Wills and Mitchell Buildings, were cancelled for the day.

"While there was damage caused to a number of areas, the quick action by University staff and emergency services ensured the damage was not much greater," said Mr Paul Duldig, Executive Director, Finance and Infrastructure, the University of Adelaide.

With the exception of Psychology and Computer Science tutorials, seminars and lab sessions resuming on Friday, all other lectures and classes were held as normal today.

"The University would also like to assure all students that, where the water damage and the recovery process has interrupted coursework and assessment, this would be taken into account as appropriate. Students should contact their individual Schools for more information and to make any special arrangements," Mr Duldig said.

Mr Duldig praised the over 150 staff and contractors who worked on the weekend. "This went like clockwork and thanks to these people, we were pretty close to business as usual this morning," he said.

• The University is posting regular updates on its homepage: www.adelaide.edu.au

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