News
Primary School Hit With £26k Bill After Water Leak
A primary school in North Warwickshire could have to let members of staff go after being hit with a £26,000 bill after water leak detection found a problem below ground just before Christmas.
Headteacher of the school, Carl Lewis, explained that two teaching assistants will have to be made redundant if he is forced to pay the bill by water retailer Water Plus, the Birmingham Mail reports.
According to the retailer, the school arranged for its own repairs to be carried out because the leak was found in private pipework on site, with a spokesperson saying that they’re now talking to the school to help them with their bill.
The representative went on to add that allowances can be made in some cases so the retailer has got in touch with supplier Severn Trent to see what can be done… but customers were reminded to monitor their water meters closely so as to spot any unusual water consumption or steep hikes in the water being used, which may be an indication that there is a leak.
Mr Lewis told the news source: “Without using social media to publicise your circumstances, you are left to fight it alone, like a normal member of the public. If I have to pay it, somehow or another I really have no other way other than to look at staffing.
“I find it hard to believe that such a huge amount of water was allegedly lost with such little evidence of flood of damage. It was such a small leak. I can only conclude that the school is floating on a huge underground lake, or there must be a problem with the meter of some kind.”
Unfortunately, because the vast majority of water leaks take place hidden away well below ground, they can be incredibly difficult to find and then repair. If leaks are identified immediately, the damage to your site can be minimal, which means that your repair bills will be significantly lower than if your leak trickles away unnoticed for months… which can happen.
Leaks can cause serious problems to buildings because the majority of pipes are inside the walls or under your flooring. Water that seeps into your surrounding materials can result in mould or even structural damage, which will prove costly to repair.
It’s also worth remembering that many leaks aren’t spotted until significant damage has already taken place and it can also be difficult to access the pipes, increasing the costs astronomically. This is why it’s so important to keep an eye on your water bills as big spikes in usage can be indicative of a problem elsewhere.
If you’d like any further help or advice relating to the detection and repair of water leaks, give us a call here at H2O Building Services today.