Last Friday, a pipe carrying waste from the Main Meal broke leaking food waste into the Cave. Officials closed the Cave through the weekend and reopened it Tuesday.
The Cave was closed again Wednesday in the wake of a foul odor that besieged students and workers.
Much of the smell was caused by chemicals used to clean the spill. According to Culp Center staff, most of the day shift and a member of the night shift crew that worked in the Cave have reported to doctors for upper respiratory problems.
The suspected health hazard was the undiluted bleach used by workers to clean and sanitize in the Cave, according to Charlie Wittman, assistant director of food services.
Wittman added that all the workers are fine, and will be paid for their missed time. He also stated that the Cave would be closed tomorrow to allow the room to air out and to give sick workers time to rest.
This time around ETSU has hired a professional to do the clean up. A company named Service Master came in Wednesday night and cleaned and deodorized the Cave.
Fortunately there was no serious damage to the actual structure. According to Andre Stevensen, a physical plant plumber, the roof has been repaired and most of the remaining damage is cosmetic. A four-inch piece of pipe was replaced after it gave way, leaking diluted chemicals and food waste.
The break occurred over the Freshen’s yogurt stand. The leak plunged onto the roof saturating the false tiles.
Wittmann said that no contaminated food was served to students. “Any uncovered food,” he said, “was immediately disposed of. I know because I supervised it. Our first concern was to the customer,” he said.
This is not the first break in that pipe. According to Jeff Reyvolkmann, custodian, Tony Warner, Assistant Vice President for the University Center and ID Services and Andre Stevensen, physical plant employee, all confirmed that indeed there have been at least three, perhaps four, occurences of similar problems with the faulty pipe.
Stevensen said that it would be “relatively dangerous” to change the entire pipe. He added that it could be replaced in summer.
Part of the reason the pipe would not be replaced immediately was because the Main Meal would have to be shut down.
This same pipe has broken at least three times since 1992, according to Reyvolkmann.
The pipes are 27 years old, and slowly but surely, falling apart.
Warner said that indeed the pipe could be replaced as early as next summer. And according to Wittmann, the Cave had been cleaned several times with bleach and “bleach water.”
He added there were no more “food wastes” which could be a contaminant danger to customers.
According to Warner, the reasoning behind the closing is simple. “There were some lingering odor issues with the Cave and we decided to close things down to get it right for the customers.

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