Construction at the site of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact slowed Wednesday afternoon as the millrace breached its bank and water flowed into the area where crews were digging.​

The water will need to be pumped into large filters before it can be removed from the site, and experts are assessing the situation to determine if any additional remediation is needed.

“Crews were in the midst of environmental remediation,” said Michael Harwood, associate vice president for campus planning and facilities management. “We will need to take care with respect to potential contaminants before we determine the best method of disposal.”

While this incident was unplanned, the millrace was already scheduled to be temporarily diverted between Riverfront Parkway and Onyx Street for improvements during the project. Those improvements are slated for completion summer 2019. While the bypass is installed, the area between Riverfront Parkway and Onyx Street will be dry and remain that way until the project is complete. Water levels in the other portions of the millrace will be lower, but will return to normal after the bypass is installed.

“We greatly appreciate the speed with Hoffman Construction’s crew members identified and responded to the issue,” said Harwood. “We anticipate things will be back on schedule in the very near future.”