Water Leak in the Louvre Damages Hundreds of Works, Museum Says
London-UK, December 8, 2025
The world’s most-visited museum, the Louvre in Paris, has confirmed that a recent water leak severely damaged hundreds of works stored in its Egyptian Antiquities department.
The incident, which affected a large collection of archival documents and journals, has raised fresh alarm over the museum’s ageing infrastructure and its ability to safeguard its priceless collections, coming only weeks after a brazen and high-value jewel heist rocked the institution.
The leak, which was discovered on November 26, was caused by the accidental opening of a valve in the museum’s heating and ventilation system.
This caused water to seep through the ceiling of the Mollien wing, where the library and scientific documentation for the Egyptian department were stored.
According to the museum’s deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, between 300 and 400 works were affected, consisting mainly of “Egyptology journals” and “scientific documentation” used by researchers.
While these damaged items—dating primarily from the late 19th and early 20th centuries—are described as “extremely useful” for research, the museum was quick to stress that “no heritage artefacts have been affected” and that there have been no “irreparable and definitive losses.”
Key Headline Points
• Damage Confirmed: A water leak in the Louvre’s Mollien wing damaged 300 to 400 items in the Egyptian Antiquities department, including journals and scientific documentation.
• Cause of Leak: The incident was traced to the accidental opening of an obsolete valve in the museum’s heating and ventilation system.
• No Priceless Art Lost: The Louvre confirmed that no unique “heritage artefacts” or artworks were irreparably damaged, with the affected materials primarily being archival and reference documents.
• Infrastructure Under Scrutiny: The leak follows a high-profile $102 million jewel heist in October, putting the spotlight on the need for urgent upgrades to the museum’s “completely obsolete” infrastructure.
• Restoration Planned: The affected books and archival materials will undergo a process of drying and restoration by bookbinders before being returned to the shelves.
A System of Risk
The museum leak has compounded existing public and governmental scrutiny following a major security failure weeks earlier.
In October, a four-person gang successfully raided the museum in broad daylight, stealing jewellery worth an estimated $102 million in just seven minutes, exposing critical lapses in security protocols and infrastructure.
The revelation that the water leak was caused by a fault in the heating and ventilation system further underscores the operational risks facing the institution.
Museum officials acknowledged that the heating system responsible for the leak is “completely obsolete,” has been shut down for months, and is not scheduled to be replaced until a major renovation project begins in September 2026.
This means the iconic museum, which houses some of the world’s most precious artistic and historical treasures, is currently operating with infrastructure that is known to be dangerously outdated.
The water damage incident is “extremely regrettable,” according to the Louvre’s administration, and an internal investigation has been launched to determine exactly how the valve was accidentally opened.
Safeguarding the Collections
Fortunately, the prompt discovery of the leak and the nature of the damaged items have prevented a loss of priceless cultural heritage. The focus now shifts to the meticulous process of salvaging the water-logged documents.
The Louvre has a dedicated conservation team, and the affected materials will first be carefully dried.
They will then be sent to professional bookbinders to be restored before they can be safely shelved and made available to researchers once again.
While the museum maintains that the loss is not irreparable, the cost of the extensive restoration work and the interruption to scholarly research adds to the growing list of consequences stemming from the museum’s infrastructure challenges.
In response to the mounting pressure, the Louvre has announced that it will implement reinforced safety protocols. Furthermore, the museum is increasing its ticket prices for non-EU visitors by 45%—a price hike aimed, in part, at boosting annual revenues to fund necessary improvements to its security, maintenance, and infrastructure.
The dual incidents of the heist and the leak serve as a wake-up call, demonstrating that an institution with the unparalleled cultural importance of the Louvre requires a continuous and massive investment to ensure its long-term preservation against both criminal and infrastructural risks.
