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Busted Restroom Pipe Floods Pasadena Courthouse

PASADENA (CBS) — A broken water pipe in a second-floor restroom flooded sections of the Pasadena courthouse Monday and could end up costing as much as $500,000 in damages.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports one official said the 2-inch diameter pipe may have started leaking as early as last week.

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Eric Cohen, senior administrator for Superior Courts Northeast District, said the leak may have started back on Friday afternoon and continued spewing water throughout the weekend.

Offices belonging to the district attorney, county probation, and the waiting area for juvenile traffic court were all damaged in the flooding, Cohen said.

"Ceiling tiles, possibly files and possibly computers," he said. "We haven't done a damage assessment yet."

The problem was first discovered when a fire alarm was set off about 5:30 a.m. in the building at 300 E. Walnut St., said Lisa Derderian of the Pasadena Fire Department.

The courthouse opened as scheduled, but the damaged area was cordoned off, Derderian said.

Authorities were unsure how long the flooding had been taking place before it was discovered.

People with probation matters normally dealt with in Pasadena are being directed to the ELA Area office at 4849 Civic Center Way until further notice.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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