Burst pipe school in Water Orton faces £26k water bill
A school is considering cutting its staff to fund a £26,000 water bill caused by a burst pipe.
Water Orton Primary in Warwickshire noticed the underground leak just before Christmas when the carpet in a classroom was wet. Head teacher Carl Lewis said the bill will mean he has to make some "difficult decisions" and make redundancies to meet the costs. Severn Trent Water still charges as the leak occurred on private property. Mr Lewis said he "can't see any other way", and the £26,000 bill costs about the same as a newly qualified teacher or two teaching assistants. The school, which is about 140 years old, "has many challenges", he said, adding that it "does not have the capacity to take away a teacher". "Children have the right to a teaching assistant in the classroom. Parents would expect that, and why should the children's learning suffer?" Water Plus, which billed the school, said the leak had been running "for a number of months" but has now been repaired. A spokesperson for the company said it had put the school's account "on hold" while the bill was reviewed by the wholesaler - Severn Trent - which it said "still charges for consumption". A spokesperson for Severn Trent said it was a "horrible situation" for the school and said customers can apply for a "leakage allowance" which may lead to a reduction in the bill. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone.