The San Francisco Public Library restrooms were vandalized, forcing an emergency closure and damaging several floors of the facility.
A library spokesman said plumbing damage affected three levels of the main office.
Foreign objects were thrown into the library’s fourth-floor toilets on Friday, affecting the library on Saturday.
“The problem was caused by a person flushing foreign objects into a toilet, which caused an overflow,” the spokesman said. “Fortunately, our team, with public works support, responded quickly and rectified the issue, allowing us to reopen on Saturday midday. [after] just two hours late.”
The spill happened on the third floor and caused damage to all floors below, the former employee said.
Urban Alchemy employees monitor the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library on August 26, 2022. | Camille Cohen/The Standard
The cost of toilet emergencies is not yet known to the library and building authority. Public Works was contacted to clarify which objects were involved and for more information.
The library has had three incidents of foreign object vandalism in the toilets – in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
And it’s not the first time downtown San Francisco has had toilet problems. In November last year, a Whole Foods store near Market Street closed its toilets after syringes and drug tubes were found inside.
And a luxury apartment building saw more than its toilets overflow when its infrastructure was allegedly destroyed by a resident in October 2021.
