Troubled State Building Now Dealing With Corroded Pipes

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A state building has already been plagued with problems, and it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel looking through some of its badly corroded pipes.

"Um, it's kinda gross," one Board of Equalization worker said as she was shown pictures of the pipes on Monday.

But this isn't the first sign the place may be falling apart. Employees have dealt with mold, traces of toxic substances and even their windows falling from the sky.

And now, after a pipe burst last month on the fifth floor, inspectors found corroded pipes on the seventh, 14th and 21st floors of the building at 4th and N streets in downtown Sacramento.

"People feel unsafe here," employee Alvin Batista said. "We just want to work in a safe place."

The Department of General Services runs the building. Officials aren't sure why the pipes are corroding faster than normal, but they tell CBS13 everyone inside is safe.

"These are waste lines that go from the sinks in the break rooms," department spokesperson Eric Lamoureaux said. "They are not tied to the sewage systems. Drinking water does not flow through these lines. I'd feel safe working there. Our results always come back that conditions are as safe in the building as they are outside."

Meanwhile, employees aren't so sure.

"Are you confident things are getting fixed?" CBS13's Anjali Hemphill asked one staffer.

"No. Because one thing after another keeps happening," she said.

"If I had other jobs lined up maybe [he' d leave]," another employee said. "It's my job so that's what it's got to be."