A clogged pipe caused flooding that closed the NNHS Learning Commons Thursday, school officials said.

The problem occurred late Wednesday night, as dirty water from an automatic floor machine was poured into an upstairs custodial closet next to the Learning Commons, which then fed into the clogged pipe. When water started bubbling into the Learning Commons, Principal Stephanie Posey said the area was closed.

Facilities Manager Lisa Corrigan said that the smell in the hallways was fumes from drain cleaner the custodial staff had used to try and break up the clog. Unfortunately, the custodial staff was unable to clear the blockage with their machinery or cleaners. A plumber was called in and the drain has since been cleared.

The water that leaked into the Learning Commons was used to clean the floors, not sewage as many students speculated. Neither the water or the cleaning fumes possessed any danger or health hazards to students or staff in the building.

“It was dirty water, but it was dirty water out of a machine. It wasn’t like it was a toilet backing up or anything like that,” said Corrigan.

Students in the building were curious about the smell and disappointed at the loss of a popular lunch and study space. However, Senior Gabby Champion had some complaints about the smell but overall wasn’t affected by the incident.

“[The custodial staff] seem to have been cleaning it up right away, so I think it’ll all be fine,” said Champion.