Eleven years of water leaks
The Department of Musicology at the University of Oslo has been struck by several destructive water leaks during the last eleven years. Still nothing gets done, claim employees at the department.
– This time the Techincal Department has asked me to cover my books in plastic and wait for the snow to melt. Erling Gulbrandsen, professor of musicology.
– Look at this! These are totally irreplaceable, says devastated professor of musicology Erling Guldbrandsen, while showing a destroyed original document from 1930.
His office is covered in plastic to limit the damages after the water leak last Friday morning. In the hall outside the office there are hundreds of documents being dried by discouraged scholars holding hairdryers.
Repeated leaks
– Leaks have happened here many times, and nothing happens, no matter how often we ask the Technical Department for help, says Guldbrandsen, discouraged.
On their way to their offices Friday morning, Guldbrandsen and fellow professor Hallgjerd Aksnes were met by bulging ceiling sheets dripping with water. Their personal documents and belongings were soaking wet. The reason is supposed to be that the building failed to hold back the large amount of water that had gathered on the roof. Many books were lost during the night, concluding in a loss that according to Aksnes cannot be measured in money.
– There are documents here that represent hundreds of working hours. There are pieces and notes written by hand that are useless now. The situation is completely unacceptable, and it has been for years, says Aksnes.
She is surprised by the size of last Friday´s leak.
– Even though this has happened before it is still unexpected, she says.
– Cover it with plastic and wait for the snow to melt
According to professor Guldbrandsen, the first leaks started around 1999 and through the years they have caused damage worth tens of thousand Norwegian kroner. The first time a leak struck a professor specializing in Russian music, and a large part of his rare Sovjet document collection was destroyed. Since then smaller leaks have happened regularly, destroying amongst other things a kitchen and a fuse box.
– It does not seem as if anyone really knows what´s going on. This time the Technical Department mostly asked me to cover my books with plastic and wait for the snow to melt, but that can be after Easter. Until then I am going to have my work base at home, says Guldbrandsen, who also says he has developed allergies due to poor air quality and working environment.
Technical responsible by the department Kyrre Larsen says, however, that this is the first time he has heard about any water leaks.
– I don´t know about this problem, but we will by all means do something about it. We do have several opinions considering what the reason can be, and we will fix the situation. But I doubt that any allergies have occurred because of a water leak, says Larsen.
Wants solution
Universitas published an article last Wednesday about the Faculty of Medicine, where large amounts of research material were destroyed because of a freezer breakdown. This lead to loss of human tissue samples, and it has also hindered research for the faculty´s students and staff.
Professor Guldbransen hopes that the Technical Department this time will find a solution that will last.
– Wiping up water or repainting walls won´t help when the water keeps returning, time and time again. This time I hope the Technical Department actually finds out where, when and how this water comes in.
Vacationing leader for the Technical Department Frode Meinich will not comment upon the situation, and says he has not been aware of the leaks.
