We’re at our most vulnerable when we’re taking care of business in the bathroom. But the feeling of safety provided by a closed stall can sometimes be false. A woman who works at the General Services Administration Building in Washington, D.C. suffered the sum of all fears when her toilet exploded on her, sending her to the hospital with serious injuries.

WUSA 9 reports the GSA sent the women’s colleagues this memo:

“DO NOT flush toilets or use any domestic water. Due to a mechanical failure, there is high air pressure in the domestic water system that resulted in damage to toilets. The engineering staff is working to correct the issue. There has been damage to flushed toilets that has resulted in injuries. We will announce when the issue is resolved.”

Someone at the Huffington Post asked a plumber about the likelihood of spontaneously exploding toilets, and was told that such incidents are not unheard of.

“If you’re not careful about how you release pressure, the contents of that bowl will come up like old faithful,” he said.

Exploding Toilet Sends Woman To Hospital [WUSA 9 via Huffington Post]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.