Mall shops flooded as line breaks

A main waterline at the University Mall broke Sunday afternoon and flooded a major hallway and about 50 stores with thousands of gallons of water.

The flood started with a hissing sound, then water began spurting up through tiles on the mall's east side, officials said.

A 24-hour custodial worker was at the mall, which was closed at the time. He immediately called for emergency help, and representatives from Orem's three fire stations arrived.

They found 3 to 4 inches of flooding throughout the east side of the mall, said Orem Police Lt. Doug Edwards. The Mervyn's department store was among the damaged stores, said mall general manager Rob Kallas.

The mall will open at its regular time today, but some stores or perhaps a wing of the mall could be roped off, Kallas said.

Edwards said in a Sunday evening press release that stores along the mall's west side appeared to be free from damage.

Nordstrom and Sports Authority were not damaged, and will be open for business as usual.

The break occurred near Deseret Book, Edwards said. There, the mall's pipe system takes over from the city's water system, Kallas explained.

"This is just one of those quirks," he said. "There may be a break in the joint or something down there."

Kallas said the mall was built in 1973 but was renovated in 2002 and 2003. The building's water system is relatively new, he said.

Damage to the structure of the mall was minimal, Kallas said. Only the tiles uprooted by the flooding will need to be repaired. However, damages to merchandise and inventory will be significant.

Officials with Questar and Rocky Mountain Power arrived at the scene of the flood while firefighters worked to get the water out of the building. They shut down gas and electricity as quickly as they could.

No one was hurt during the incident, Kallas said.

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E-mail: rpalmer@desnews.com