Broken pipe floods the Fresno County South Annex Jail
Roughly 450-500 inmates are impacted as well as several dozen sheriff's administration staff members.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno County Sheriff's Office is trying to fix a major water problem affecting the South Annex Jail, courthouse, and sheriff's administration building. Around 10:00 Thursday morning a pipe broke.
Roughly 450-500 inmates are impacted as well as several dozen sheriff's administration staff members. The sheriff's office moved 60 high level inmates into the North Annex Jail, while water was being brought in for the remaining prisoners.
The sheriff's office says they are able to turn water on intermittently so inmates can use the restrooms. It's believed the cold weather played a role in bursting the pipe which let out quite a bit of water.
Correctional Lieutenant Ned Barton with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said, "We have two levels of underground parking under this building and from what I understand it was a pretty severe flood on those parking levels down there."
Workers tried to install a temporary fix Thursday night but were not successful. A plumbing contractor will be out around 5 or 6am Friday morning to try and fix the pipe in time for the courthouse to reopen.
