The hole dug in front of the Palo Alto High School library to fix a campus heating problem will be there for at least a couple of weeks, according to Assistant Principal Kimberly Diorio.

“The idea was [that] it was supposed to help repair some of the heating issues we’ve been having,” Diorio said. “Maintenance came out to look at it. They suspected that there is a water line that’s leaking that leads to the HVAC [heating, ventilation, and air conditioning] system. So they dug up that hole to assess the damage and see what needs to be repaired, and the water line is located underneath some other wires and gas lines and other electrical lines, so it’s not as simple a fix as they were originally expecting.”

Due to the complications that arose in the hole, the district will have to hire a private contractor to fix the pipe.

“They have to put the job now out to bid, which means they have to get a subcontractor in who can then do the repair work,” Diorio said. “We’re looking at a couple of weeks before we can get that job done. There’s a good chance that they’ll have to dig up more.”

However, the repair shouldn’t come at a great cost to the school.

“I think the district maintenance department would be absorbing lots of the cost, because it’s kind of that routine wear and tear,” Diorio said.

A plan is in the works to deal with difficulties that may arise due to rain, which accumulates in the area of the hole during storms.

“I’ve raised the issue with the maintenance department about what do we do when it rains,” Diorio said. “Because that’s one of my concerns. Is it going to fill all that in? I’m not sure.”