Water leak causes minor damage in Whatcom sheriff’s office

A seal broke on a valve in the Whatcom County Jail over the weekend, causing water to leak into the Whatcom County Sheriff’s offices below.

A few ceiling tiles were saturated with water and at least one broke and fell to the floor, allowing water to leak onto desks in the major crimes detectives’ office, according to Doug Chadwick, chief criminal deputy in the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.

No permanent damage happened to electronics or case files, though some pictures in a cold case file needed to be dried out, Chadwick said.

“Things had to be mopped up, which obviously interrupted what the detectives would normally be working on,” Chadwick said. “It’s not the first time it’s happened.”

Craig Cummings, a lead supervisor for county facilities management, said the leak came from a fresh-water source that feeds sinks and toilets in the booking area of the jail. He estimated the cost to replace the ceiling tiles was less than $100.

This story was originally published October 20, 2015 at 12:47 PM with the headline "Water leak causes minor damage in Whatcom sheriff’s office."