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A broken pipe at Paulsboro High School caused the school's computer network to go down and an emergency asbestos cleanup to be ordered, according to school administration.

A hot water pipe broke in the computer network room at the school Tuesday night, leaving a few inches of water on the ground and turning the room into a "steam bath," Superintendent Walter Quint said, possibly destroying the resources there.

Commercial dehumidifiers have been placed in the room to potentially salvage the computers.

A bigger problem, however, is that the floor tiles, which are 50 years old and made of asbestos, began popping off the floor.

"This evening we are going to do a legal removal of the floor tile," Quint said Wednesday evening. "It should all be done before the students arrive tomorrow."

Contractors will be removing all of the potentially dangerous product and monitoring the air throughout the night Wednesday to ensure no danger is there for students.

"It is safe. We are doing everything the right way. We would never put anybody in jeopardy," Quint added.

In the meantime, the high school's entire computer network is down until its resources are dried out and evaluated.

Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@southjerseymedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.