University officials have reopened the Recreation Center, which was temporarily closed for unscheduled maintenance because of a problem with one of the city’s sewage lines.

The drainpipe problems left no way for wastewater to exit the building, and it was closed for the safety and well-being of the patrons, said Troy Vaughn, director of the SIU Recreation Center.

“In the best interest of everybody involved, we made the decision at about 4 a.m. to close the building,” he said.

Plumbers were inspecting a leak when they discovered the drainage issue, Vaughn said. The City of Carbondale notified inspectors about 1 a.m. that an outflow pipe north of the building was not working properly.

The Recreation Center is the only building on that line and the only one that was affected, Vaughn said.

Bill Lukitsch can be reached at [email protected] or 618-536-3329.