TOMS RIVER – Water in a sprinkler pipe froze, causing it to burst and flood portions of the Ocean County Justice Complex, officials said.
The building was evacuated when the fire alarms went off, detecting the pipe breaking. The building was closed to the public on Jan. 8 while the flood was cleaned up, Ocean County Administrator Carl W. Block said. However, he said that the building should be open today.
In the cold weather, pipes exposed to the cold are more susceptible to freezing. This particular pipe is located in the outside overhang.
This is not connected to a pipe leak last year, when an inmate in the jail flushed items down the toilet that caused a sewer pipe to break open.
Anyone who is scheduled for any court function in the Justice Complex at 120 Hooper Avenue should contact the Administrative Office of the Courts at 732-929-2042.
