Burst sprinkler damages two Orono businesses

ORONO – A broken sprinkler valve at the Orono Pharmacy on Monday night caused extensive damage to the store’s back office area, according to the owner.

Burby and Bates, a wine and beer store, located below the pharmacy, also had water damage to its redemption area, an employee said Tuesday.

Damage estimates to both properties had not been determined, but insurance adjusters were expected to visit both sites Tuesday.

Low temperatures likely contributed to the pipe break, according to what repair crews told pharmacy owner Ali Aghamoosa.

The owner was sitting at his desk shortly after 7:30 p.m. Monday when he heard what sounded like a “burst” above his head, he said.

“Water and debris hit my head first,” Aghamoosa said Tuesday. “That was my alarm.”

Aghamoosa tried to locate the valve to shut it off, but was unsuccessful. He then called the Orono Fire Department.

Before the valve could be turned off, water gushed from the 1-inch pipe for about 45 minutes, the owner said.

Water flowed down the basement steps of the pharmacy to Burby and Bates, resulting in ankle-deep water in the redemption area of the store below.

Aghamoosa stayed at the store until almost midnight Monday fixing the pipe and cleaning up the mess.

“There was extensive damage in the back office area,” Aghamoosa said. The business computers, furniture and office documents were ruined. The owner said he does have backup files, so the damage didn’t equal a total loss.

The biggest problem to business Tuesday was that the store’s phone lines were down, but employees still could fill prescriptions, Aghamoosa said.

“We’re hoping we can get the phone lines alive again sometime this afternoon,” he said Tuesday. “But we are capable of filling prescriptions. We may just have to do it the old-fashioned way.”