Luzerne County Veteran Affairs, magistrate’s office closed due to burst pipe

Luzerne County’s Veteran Affairs Office is temporarily closed until further notice due to a water pipe that froze and burst, officials said Tuesday.

A neighboring magistrate’s office also had to close, but sustained less damage and may reopen this week.

The county announced the closure through an alert on the main page of the county’s website.

Veteran Affairs is located in the county-owned West Side Annex at the Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty Fort.

County Engineer William McIntosh said he responded Monday evening and found flooding inside and outside the property. After water service to the building was shut off, McIntosh said he made arrangements for a damage restoration company to come to the building Tuesday morning to start drying the interior.

County Operational Services Division Head Greg Kurtz said an insurance claim has been submitted.

Kurtz expects pipe repairs will be addressed Wednesday. A small section of drywall at the base of the walls also must be removed and replaced due to water damage, he said.

The annex also houses the office of magisterial District Judge David A. Barilla and some county Transportation Authority workers, Kurtz said. While Veteran Affairs was most impacted, water also infiltrated Barilla’s portion of the building, he said.

County Court Administrator Paul Hindmarsh said Barilla’s office was closed Tuesday and will remain closed Wednesday, although Hindmarsh said he is optimistic it may reopen on Thursday based on the schedule of work he received.

Kurtz said the county prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre also had minor water infiltration due to ice on the roof.

County Road and Bridge crews also worked to address frozen water runoff on county roads, Kurtz said.