Shock £24,000 water bill after leak forces Bishop’s Stortford primary school Thorn Grove to launch fundraising appeal

Budgets at a Bishop’s Stortford primary school are under “significant strain” after a water company’s demand for £24,000.

The huge bill at Thorn Grove relates to a water leak in 2020. The situation has come to a head after four years of “futile” discussions with Castle Water over the cause of, and responsibility for, the discharge.

Head Peter Luck said: “Despite repeated attempts to resolve the situation, Castle Water has now demanded full payment of the £24,000 bill over a very short time period, showing a complete lack of concern for the impact this has on our one-form-entry primary school and the wellbeing of the wider community.

“Their lack of consideration for the strain placed on our limited resources is both frustrating and disheartening.

“We have agreed a payment plan that ensures we can continue to deliver for our students, but vital budgets are now being put under significant strain as a result of this decision.”

The primary, rated good by Ofsted, has around 230 students aged three to 11.

The head of governors, Anne Hummersone, has set up a GoFundMe appeal on behalf of Thorn Grove’s parent-teacher association to try to raise funds.

She said: “The governing board is supporting Mr Luck in looking at creative ways to cut costs but there is no magic solution. This is a huge distraction and concern for the school.”

To support the school see https://gofund.me/2a2c45c8.

Castle Water claims to be the UK’s largest independent business water retailer, with 250,000 customers.

Its website says: “We are wholly independent, able to challenge network owner decisions and work proactively with them to give you the right service, at the right price.”

A spokesperson told the Indie: “Castle Water and Thorn Grove agreed a settlement following mediation. As the terms of the settlement are confidential, Castle Water is unable to comment further.”