Coliseum facilities overhauled in wake of sewage issue

OAKLAND -- Amid the A's stadium saga and discussion over whether and where the team could switch locations, the Coliseum received a much-needed Band-Aid last week during a seven-game road trip against the American League West.

The Coliseum's grounds crew responded to the sewage problem that forced both the A's and Mariners to shower in area usually designated for the Raiders, who share the stadium with the A's, by repairing all the areas affected.

"Anything that could've been contaminated, we removed," said David Rinetti, A's vice president of stadium operations.

That includes new carpeting and flooring to both the A's and visitor's clubhouses, visitor's trainings room, the umpire's room and manager's office. New tile in the laundry room and rubber flooring in the hallway between the showers and the restroom in the clubhouses have also been installed.

"We basically stepped back and let the facility do the work to repair everything that had to be repaired," Rinetti said, adding that the renovations came only after a hazardous materials company tested and evaluated the damage.

Rinetti said a hazardous materials company first tested and evaluated the area on Wednesday night and repairs followed Thursday morning, with workers on the job "pretty much all day and all night to get it done." The provisions were finalized in time for the arrival of the Reds' equipment in Oakland on Sunday night.

The source of the problem is still unknown, labeled by Rinetti as an "unidentifiable mass."

A report was sent to the Players' Association and Umpires' Association, and pipes in other areas of the stadium were inspected and cleared where issues have arisen in the past. Plans to periodically review the pipes have been instated in response to the issue.