The opening of the outside restrooms at the Big River Saddle Club in Dittmer was temporarily stalled due to property damage.
Tim Pigg, Jefferson County director of Parks and Recreation, said crews worked to fix leaking pipes from damage that occurred in mid-March, when the issue was discovered, until March 26, when the restrooms were re-opened for public use.
According to a recent Parks and Recreation Facebook post, all other outside restrooms in the county’s parks opened on schedule on March 22. The outside restrooms are winterized and closed to the public for months when temperatures dip below freezing.
The Big River Saddle Club, 10350 Joe Buck Road, is a 10-acre facility with a fenced horse arena, pavilion, nature area, open field and restrooms, according to the Jefferson County website. Equestrian events are usually scheduled in the park from March to October.
Pigg said the department discovered the electric box under the pavilion at the Big River Saddle Club had been broken into and the breakers switched on. He said the electric system is more than 40 years old and will most likely be replaced next year.
“We had the box locked and everything, and we had it winterized,” Pigg said. “Somebody decided they wanted the well on, so they unscrewed my electric box panel, got into, and flipped the breakers on. When they did that, it put water into the system. It was kind of a cascade failure.”
Pigg said when temperatures dipped below freezing, the water in the restroom’s pipes froze, causing the pipes to expand and leak. He said the restroom’s septic tank also flooded due to the influx of water.
“The electric controls all of our restrooms out there and our water well,” Pigg said. “When it froze again, (the pipes) froze in a couple of spots, creating leaks.”
He said the restrooms will cost $1,000 to $1,500 to repair.
Pigg said the next event at the park on April 13 will not be affected by the damaged restrooms. He said crews will need to drain the septic tank due to the flooding, but he said the tank is regularly drained anyway as part of cycle maintenance.
Pigg said he will not be filing a police report with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for this incident. He said whoever broke into the electric box most likely wanted to take advantage of the fleeting warm weather and did not have bad intentions.
“People are always pulling some weird stuff,” he said. “They get a couple of nice days and they get anxious. It’s crazy but people damage the parks all the time; they need to find a new hobby.”
Pigg said the people who use Big River Saddle Club are usually very conscientious. This is the first incident of its kind he could recall.
“Most people don’t mess around there too much,” he said. “They were probably up there riding and wanted to water their horses. But it was shut down for a reason, and they ended up causing damage.
“We would (file a report) but it would be almost impossible to track this one down. It is damaged but it’s not like somebody kicked the door open and really did something bad.”