Brand-new buildings next to old ones

The land that held Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in north Aurora now holds the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, major hospitals and a growing research and business district. Over the last two decades, mid-rise apartments, student and workforce housing, medical office buildings and clinics have gone up around it, next to older motels, apartments and storefronts along East Colfax Avenue.

Water losses here fall into two groups. In the newer buildings, the leak usually starts at a sprinkler line, unit plumbing, rooftop equipment or a condensate drain, and it moves through concrete, steel or podium construction differently than it would through a wood-framed house. In the older buildings nearby, aging pipes and deferred maintenance cause more of the trouble.

Area notes

ZIP code
80045 covers the campus. Surrounding blocks fall in 80010 and 80011
Building types
Mid-rise apartments, medical offices, labs and older buildings along Colfax
Typical sources
Sprinkler lines, unit supply lines, rooftop units, condensate drains
Sensitive contents
Medical equipment, records, lab materials, electronics
Occupants
Many renters, including students and hospital staff who work shifts

Newer mid-rise versus older Colfax buildings

Newer mid-rise

  • Water can run along a concrete slab to a pipe penetration before it shows up
  • Fire sprinklers throughout, with risers and control rooms
  • Management companies with on-site maintenance and written procedures
  • Vinyl plank floors that hide water down at the slab

Older Colfax-area buildings

  • Wood framing that lets water run along the joists
  • Older supply and drain piping that fails more often
  • Smaller owners who may need help coordinating the job
  • Older materials that may need hazardous-materials testing before removal

For clinic and lab managers in the area

  • Know which equipment and samples get moved or protected first
  • Mark which rooms have infection-control or contamination rules, and tell the contractor before work starts
  • Ask how containment will keep dust away from patient and lab areas
  • Confirm who in the building controls the sprinkler valves and rooftop equipment
  • Keep a record of everything thrown out, with lot numbers where they apply

Questions for renters near the campus

  1. If the water came from the unit above or a sprinkler line, did management document it under my unit?
  2. Will drying equipment run while I'm on a night shift or sleeping during the day?
  3. Has my renter's insurer been told, and do I need temporary housing?
  4. Who do I call if the equipment stops or a breaker trips?
Map of Fitzsimons / Anschutz Medical Campus area. It shows an area, not an office or a job site.

General information for Aurora, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.