Heat should be back today for Linn County Courthouse, Jail

CEDAR RAPIDS - Officials say boiler and pipe repairs should be completed today at the Linn County District Courthouse and Jail, allowing the heating system to be restored and fully operational for both buildings, after a burst pipe Tuesday night damaged the first floor of the courthouse and led to a heating failure for the courthouse and jail.

Heat was restored to the jail late Wednesday with two boilers functioning, but two other boilers are still not working, so the courthouse remains without heat.

Jim Houser, a Linn County supervisor, said pipe repairs should be completed today on the first floor of the courthouse, and the boilers should come back on line this afternoon. In the meantime, a diesel powered heater provided by the county remains at the back door of the courthouse and is blowing heat into the first floor and the second floor rotunda area, which serves as the main lobby.

The rotunda area is warming, but the clerk's offices, located on the second floor, are still chilly. Most of the staff is still wearing coats and gloves, and using limited space heaters.

Houser said Wednesday a large pipe on the first floor burst Tuesday night, spilling a mixture of water and a non-toxic antifreeze into courtrooms and judges' chambers. And then a header on the boiler system at the jail on May's Island broke Wednesday morning, causing a joint pipe to burst and dumping about 500 gallons of the watery mixture into the back area of the jail.

The problems started last Friday, when the pipe that broke Tuesday started leaking fluid and caused the heating system to fail, said Carroll Edmondson, 6th Judicial District Court administrator.

Courthouse staff said when they came in Monday morning, the temperature was around 40 degrees in the building.  

Houser said the warmer temperatures and sunshine helped keep both buildings warmer on Wednesday than earlier in the week. He said his main concern continues to be finding out what caused the problem, because the old heating system was replaced in 2010 following the 2008 flood damage to the first floor.

The county has hired an architect to assess the damage to the first floor, Houser said. On Wednesday, the Board of Supervisors authorized $10,000 to assess the initial problem and will likely approve additional funds at Monday's meeting.