USD law school bathrooms reopen after clogged pipes cause overflow

As if law school wasn't hard enough, University of South Dakota School of Law students couldn't use the bathroom in their building earlier this week. 

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Students received an alert from the college's facilities management department Thursday, stating two restrooms on the first floor of the law school were closed in order to investigate a plumbing issue. 

As of Friday afternoon, the bathrooms had been reopened, university officials said.

The news comes nearly a year after students said the building did not have enough toilets for women, and more than a week after newly released test scores gave the school a glimmer of hope for its future. 

More:USD law school doesn't have enough toilets for women, students say

The law school has been in a report-back status with the American Bar Association since 2015 after facing financial scrutiny.

Since August, one of the women's bathrooms has had two reports of debris clogging pipes or overflow, said Michelle Cwach, the university spokeswoman, on Friday. In each case, the blockage was cleared, the area cleaned and sanitized, and the restroom was put back into service within several hours, she said.

But after another blockage and overflow was cleared Tuesday, facilities management closed the men’s and women’s restrooms and sent a camera down the line to investigate the sanitary system, she said. 

"Thanks to the camera, we discovered several blockages, including paper towels, that had been flushed down the toilet, beyond the reach of equipment," she said. 

The law school building only has a total of seven toilets for women, and the men's restroom facilities have seven toilets and six urinals. 

It's unclear what alternatives were given to students while the bathrooms remain closed, but the alert encouraged students to reach out to USD's director of operations and maintenance for any questions and concerns. 

But a crappy bathroom situation hasn't been the only issue students have faced so far this year. 

Facilities management also responded to a report of an odor in the law school, caused by groundwater forced up through the foundation of a basement mechanical room by an usually high water table, Cwach said. 

"The smell from this water was picked up by the ventilation system and distributed throughout the building," Cwach said. "As of late August, facilities management has been able to reorient the HVAC system to ventilate the smell to the outside."

A supplemental drain and sump pump will be installed in the mechanical room during the school's upcoming holiday break, she said. 

It's unclear how much the college will have to pay to resolve the issues. 

"We remain dedicated to maintaining a campus that reflects USD’s commitment to excellence," she said.