Here is a suggestion from what we do at Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and recommend to others: 
 
We have "catch trays," essentially rain gutters, underneath overhead drain pipes in our basement storage area.  These channel dripping water away from the records.  They also have water sensors in them to alert us of leaks.  If a water line under pressure develops a leak, however, it will probably spray, and the gutter wouldn't do much good by itself.  
 
We recommend, as others have said, is to keep all records at least 6" off the floor.  Generally leak-related water events aren't going to flood much deeper than that.  Now, if you have an area flood, that's another matter, but you usually have advance warning of that, and can move the records to higher ground.  

Earl, I can send you a couple of photos of our catch trays.  I can't attach them to Listserv posts.  

Tim Barnard
[log in to unmask] 

List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance
To unsubscribe from this list, click the below link. If not already present, place UNSUBSCRIBE RECMGMT-L or UNSUB RECMGMT-L in the body of the message.
mailto:[log in to unmask]