Water leak caused the TSA PreCheck lane to shift temporarily at KCI. Here’s what happened
A water leak shortly before the peak morning flight times at Kansas City International Airport forced officials to temporarily relocate the TSA PreCheck area early Wednesday, a Kansas City spokeswoman said.
A water pipe above the Made in Kansas City store started leaking around 6 a.m. causing water to flow and pool into the area just outside where passengers exit the TSA PreCheck area in concourse A, said Sherae Honeycutt, city spokeswoman.
Officials relocated the PreCheck area for the safety of passengers and to allow crews to clean up the water. TSA PreCheck returned to its standard location by 8 a.m., Honeycutt said.
The Made in Kansas City store, located to the left as passengers exit the security checkpoint, was temporarily closed, and it is unknown when it will reopen. Honeycutt said the hope is to reopen at least part of the store later in the day.
The water damaged some of the products sold at the store. Additionally, there are ceiling tiles that need to be replaced, Honeycutt said. Beyond that, there are basic water cleanup measures, such as steam-cleaning the carpet in a first-floor office space.
The separation of two pipe pieces caused the leak. The cause of that separation is under investigation, but officials do not believe it indicates a larger problem, Honeycutt said. Repairs were underway and were expected to be completed by the end of the day.
The water is not shut off to any of the terminal facilities. The chilled water to the air conditioning unit in the south part of concourse A was initially shut off, but is now back in operation. The temperature in that part of the terminal stayed at the desired temperature during the interim period.
