The University of Louisville School of Dentistry’s Preston Street clinic was reported closed Monday after a burst pipe flooded parts of the building. The flooding happened sometime between Friday night and Sunday morning, according to WLKY. Water reached clinical areas, offices and basement workspaces before staff shut it off.
The pipe failed in the attic area above the third floor, according to School of Dentistry Dean Margaret Hill, as reported by WLKY. From there, water came through the ceiling directly into the graduate prosthodontics and periodontics clinical area, one of the school's specialized treatment spaces. School officials believe the culprit was a large, pressurized water pipe, though the exact cause has not been further detailed.
Water Traveled Through Crawl Spaces to Lower Floors
Water also reached clinics on the second and first floors after traveling through crawl spaces, WLKY reported. The flooding affected other parts of the building as well, including clinical areas, offices and some faculty offices in the basement.
Hill told WLKY the water was not sewage-contaminated. Staff shut off the water after discovering the flooding; the extent of the damage and the work needed to dry affected areas were still being assessed.
Fans and Plastic Sheeting Expected as Crews Assess Damage
As reported by WLKY, crews plan to spend the rest of the weekend assessing the extent of the damage before beginning the cleanup and drying process. Students, faculty and staff have been told to expect large fans and plastic coverings in the areas hit by water.
WLKY reported that the Preston Street clinic would be closed Monday. The report did not say how many appointments the closure would affect.
Patient care and reopening context
The University of Louisville School of Dentistry reports more than 50,000 patient visits a year; that figure describes the school’s overall activity, not the number of appointments affected by this closure. UofL Dental Care says it offers general dentistry in student clinics and specialty care from faculty. CDC guidance for hospitals closed after extensive water and wind damage calls for an evaluation before reopening. That guidance does not establish what UofL must do or whether its clinic is unsafe, and the report’s account that the water was not sewage-contaminated does not by itself determine when patient care can resume.
