About 160,000 gallons of water flooded Riker Hall on Saturday after a sprinkler pipe was broken on the third floor, according to a statement released by Riker Hall staff.
Uri Ramirez, a UF sophomore who lives on the third floor, said he was working on his computer when he heard some guys playing with what sounded like a Nerf ball in the corridor outside his room.
"It was pretty loud actually. And my hypothesis is that they hit one of the sprinklers, and suddenly, I heard a splash of water," Ramirez said.
Ramirez said the surge of the water was loud. He opened his door and saw a flood of water coming down the hall.
The flood happened at about 5:30 p.m. Everyone was evacuated from the building.
Josh Perry, who was working at the front desk of the Tolbert Area Office, said the alarm system went off, saying something was wrong with the pipes that belong to the emergency water flow.
He said he believes that young men who were playing football in the corridor may have hit a sprinkler with the ball causing the pipe to break.
"From what I heard, the second and third floors of the building got most of the water because of the elevator shaft located in the middle of building," Perry said. "The stairwell that connects both Riker and North halls also got flooded."
Students were directed to wait in the Weaver Hall basement and the Tolbert 1906 Club, which are common areas where students can study.
All residential assistants were contacted to come in to help monitor the building so no one would get in, Perry said. Emergency cleanup crew also responded to the situation.
No one was allowed in until 7 or 8 p.m., Perry said. Students could only get valuables and clothing, but anyone that had water on his or her floor of the dorm was not allowed to stay the night.
Many students were encouraged to spend the night elsewhere.
Perry said most students were allowed to get in their dorm by midnight.
Assessing the cost and damages will be hard due to the loss of personal items like clothes and electronics, Perry said.
Anyone who wants to make a claim can do so through UF's Department of Housing and Residence Education by Beaty Towers, Perry said.
Perry said it has been a challenge dealing with students who were out of town during the incident.
Patrick Anderson, a UF sophomore who lives on the third floor, said he lost a calculator and textbooks, but the biggest hassle has been the cleanup.
According to a statement released by the Riker Hall staff, "building services and the staff opened every door and used a truck mounted shop vacuum to dry the floors, and all wet items were placed in plastic bags."
The incident is still under investigation, but Perry said if no one steps up and takes responsibility, it's likely that all third floor residents will be charged.
