Water Line Breaks At Briar
Briar Middle School was closed on Thursday, January 23, 2025, due to a ruptured water line inside the school.
A 4-inch pipe in the rear of the building ruptured due to an equipment malfunction caused by a build up of rust and sediment sometime before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 22. Shortly before 11 p.m., a neighbor along Matthes Avenue noticed the water coming from the rear of the building and notified Perkins Police, who then contacted administrators at Perkins Local Schools.
Perkins Schools maintenance crews responded and immediately turned off the water line to the building. Water flowed from the water line, located in the rear of the band room, through the band and choir rooms, into the rear hallway, gymnasium, art room, technology room, and mathematics lab.
The Erie County Sewer and Water Authority determined that approximately 80,000 gallons of water streamed into the school. (For reference, the pool at Perkins High School holds 186,000 gallons of water.)
Perkins maintenance staff worked throughout the night and day to remove the water and dry the classrooms, hallway, and gymnasium. As of 2 p.m. today, Thursday, January 23, most of the floors and carpeting were dried out. However, flooring was damaged as a result of the flooding.
Classes at Briar will be in session on Friday, January 24.