A rusted, half-inch steel valve under an old bathroom sink was the cause of a minor flooding Thursday night inside the Manhattan Beach’s Creative Arts Center, City Manager Dave Carmany said.
The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. when a burst pipe under a bathroom sink leaked water throughout the greater exhibit area and south-located rooms, Carmany said.
Three janitorial employees present at the time initially discovered the flooding and shut down the main water supply line, then “frantically” directed the water away from artworks waiting to be hung and out through the exit doors, Carmany said.
The janitorial staff’s quick reaction confined the water damages to office space, where the carpet has since been dried, Public Works Director Jim Arndt said.
“Other than that, there was no damage to any other floor or walls that we can tell,” Arndt said, adding that no artwork was damaged. “We may have dodged a bullet here.”
The city’s public works staff determined in a follow-up inspection that this valve was the only steel angle stop in use and that it was an isolated incident.
The Creative Arts Center, located at 1560 Manhattan Beach Blvd., showcases exhibitions featuring works by locally, nationally and internationally renowned artists. Currently, the Pastel Society of Southern California’s fourth annual exhibition is on display.
