Leeds school's £10,000 water bill after pipe leak

Valley View Community Primary School, Bramley, was hit with the unexpected bill - for £10,084, following the leak earlier this year.

Headteacher Sarah Griggs told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “We noticed a pool of water but were unaware it was due to a leak. When we were made aware of it, we had it fixed immediately. Unfortunately, we also received a bill for just over £10,000. This has already come out of our budgets, so we are having to look at our finances.”

The school has 460 children on roll from the ages of three to 11, many of whom have penned heartfelt letters asking for the bill to be reduced or cancelled altogether.

The leaking pipe was actually located under the Children’s Centre, which is adjacent to the main building.

The school’s water bills are collected automatically by the council and so it has had no chance to appeal the amount.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said they were aware of the situation and pledged to work with the school to find a solution.

In a statement, the company said: “We thank Valley View Community Primary School for drawing this matter to our attention.

“We will be contacting the school and will be working with them, the local authority and the wholesaler to come to a satisfactory resolution for all parties.”

Mrs Griggs added: “School budgets are getting smaller all the time and we are always careful to ensure we make the best possible use of every pound. It’s been very worrying for the school to contemplate cutting more than £10,000 that should be used for teaching and learning. We are delighted to hear that Yorkshire Water will work with us to resolve this matter.

“Our children will be thrilled that the persuasive letters they drafted have served a purpose.”