Plan To Pay For Capitol Repairs Still Up In The Air
Oklahoma Capitol building has sewer smells, electrical issues and falling limestone, but funding for fix remains elusive
by Rick Green
Smelly water is seeping from the floor near Douglas Kellogg’s office in the basement of the state Capitol.
Kellogg, the building manager, thinks a clogged pipe is forcing water to back up through an old drain now covered by flooring.
A power drain cleaner should take care of the problem, but, like so many issues with this 96-year-old building, there is a catch. The original cast iron pipes below the building are so fragile that the cleaner, called a “K50,” could easily punch a hole through the side of the pipe and cause an even bigger problem.
“I’m going to have to run a K50 I guess, but I’m scared to,” Kellogg said.
Nothing is easy in a building where major maintenance has been deferred for years. Barricades have been set up to protect people from falling chunks of the limestone facade. Old cloth-covered electrical wires present another potential hazard. Broken pipes sometimes send a sewage odor through parts of the building.