COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – What is being called a major water leak has caused some problems at the Branch County Jail this holiday weekend.
Sheriff John Pollack said in a statement released by the Sheriff’s Office Saturday that they have been trying to find the leak under the floors of the jail. The Sheriff stated that this has been a big concern for many years since floors have to be torn up in order to get to the pipes.
In addition, due to the age of the building, there are no reliable schematics that show the location of many of the pipes.
The leak started in one cells and as of mid afternoon on Saturday had progressed to five cells which has forced a shut down of about half of the medium security area. This prompted Pollack to start developing contingency plans to possibly move about 30 inmates to other area jails.
As of midnight on Friday, the jail population was 136.
Pollack said Saturday the water is leaking at such a high rate it has formed a crack in one cell floor with water bubbling up out of it. The water was also seeping up the walls and was squirting out onto the floors.
The Sheriff’s Department says the County Building Manager and local contractors have failed to locate the source of the water and all efforts have failed to slow down the amount of water leaking into the facility.
