The frigid winter temperatures caused a pipe associated with a sprinkler system at UPMC Hamot to break early Wednesday, resulting in a few patients being moved to other units because of standing water in the hospital’s west wing. The break did not affect hospital operations.
UPMC Hamot spokeswoman Caroline Manino said the majority of the water was contained to the west wing of the north tower’s 5th and 6th floors. The Intermediate Care Unit on the hospital’s 5th floor was the only patient-care area impacted. The break happened at 5:22 a.m.
“The hospital is open and operations are normal,” Manino said. “UPMC Hamot facility crews worked quickly to resolve the situation.”
The weather system known as a polar vortex caused subzero temperatures throughout western Pennsylvania this week. Since the cold front moved in late Monday night, officials with the UPMC Emergency Department said they treated five patients for frostbite and two for hypothermia in Pittsburgh. Elsewhere, UPMC Bedford treated one patient who fractured a bone after falling on the ice.
