Toilet Problems At Alltel Stadium Being Flushed Out

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA (Feb 9 2005) -- By Mark Spain, First Coast News

Alltel Stadium

SMG, the company that operates Alltel Stadium, is blaming sediment from a recently opened JEA water main for bathroom troubles during the Super Bowl. "It turned every toilet in the stadium on full tilt, which dropped the pressure down in the stadium," said SMG General Manger Bob Downey.

Downey contends that the new water main was full of sand and rocks that clogged many of the devices that flush the urinals and toilets in the bathrooms. The sediment kept the devices from closing properly and kept water running non-stop. Some fans complained of overflowing toilets. A number of women's bathrooms were closed because of it.

The water problems also created flooding on the lower level floor where a communications room handled 2,500 phone and internet connections for media around the world. "Everybody was trying to get the water out of the room just as fast as they could," said an SMG building maintenance supervisor.

JEA did not have an immediate response to the allegations that it was a water main that led to the troubles inside Alltel. However, a JEA spokesman did tell First Coast News that they are gathering evidence that shows the problems were not related to sand or other debris clogging the lines and actually puts the blame on SMG personnel for failing to maintain pumps and flush valves.

Whoever is responsible for what happened, a few fans left Alltel vowing never to return.