The staff on the athletic office had to move after the steam leak produced an unpleasant odor.

The cross country locker room is not known for emitting the most pleasant smells, but in November, there was a stench that was extra potent.

There was no known start date for this stench, but on the weekend of November 15, the smell was first noticed, and could be detected from the nurse’s office to the swimming and physical education facilities at the end of the hall. It was not until about that time that the source of the smell was identified: the steam pipe.

Libertyville High School assistant principal Mr. Eric Maroscher described the process of containing the odor. “First, there was an attempt to isolate the location of the leak and that included using thermo imaging technology to isolate hot spots in the ground,” he explained. “Also, there were checks on the pressure within the system to try and get a read on how large the leak or leaks was or were.”

Mr. Maroscher discussed how there was even an investigation to find the likely culprit: condensate, a cold, low-density mixture which could have produced the steam as a result of hitting the hot steam pipes.

The impact of the event goes beyond the extent of its odor: the staff of the athletic office had to relocate to a conference room, and both the write place and the library were temporarily closed. It is unknown as to when the athletic office staff is expected to return.

While the scent is not harmful when inhaled, it is serious enough to merit the installation of a generator. According to the Daily Herald, the district approved to install a generator as a way to substitute the heating system.

While the emergency repair work is scheduled to occur over winter break, the generator could be installed and in operation by as soon as the week of the December 16, according to the Daily Herald. The cost of the generator installation and repair was undisclosed.