Eton: Thames Water sewers flood as £46,000-a-year school forced to delay term
Eton College has been forced to re-open after Christmas as toilets are backed up as a result of flooding in sewers operated by Thames Water.
A report in the Guardian details that parents of children who attend the £46,000 per year Berkshire private school received an email from the water provider yesterday.
This is the second day running overflows from Thames Water outlays have been highlighted in the public eye, following the news that several Gloucestershire outflows have been pumping sewage into rivers for over ten days.
A Thames Water spokesperson said: “In this instance, the recent heavy rainfall, along with high groundwater levels and river flooding, caused our local sewer system to overload.
“We are sorry to staff and students who have been impacted. Our teams will be carrying out a clean-up in the coming days once the river levels recede.”
A spokesperson for Eton said: “Following extensive flooding in the region, the Thames Water sewers which serve the town of Eton flooded.
“Therefore boys could not return for the scheduled start of term on 9 January and the college has moved to remote teaching. We are in regular contact with Thames Water as they seek to resolve the situation and we look forward to welcoming boys back as soon as possible.”
The incident marks an embarrassing start to the tenure of new chief executive Chris Weston, who joined the company last month.