Spalding householder’s warning over hike in water bills

A Spalding householder hit by rocketing Anglian Water bills due to an underground water leak has been told by his insurance company that it was due to “faulty workmanship”.

Now Justin Grimshaw, of Pinchbeck Road, wants to warn other customers about the possible cause of bills like his which went from £500 per year to £1,300.

He says an Anglian Water contractor replaced lead pipes under his drive with polyurethane ones about nine years ago. It’s believed the cause of the longstanding leak, which led to water percolating through the drive and soil under his property being washed away, was pipework being incorrectly connected.

Mr Grimshaw, who runs town firm Pendragon Antiques, said: “It was like the fountain of youth in my drive and the water underground wore down all the soil, turning it to mush. It was like a sinkhole.
“I’m interested to hear if other Anglian Water customers have had similar issues. I might only be a small person but I will take on the biggest in the class if necessary. If faulty workmanship is done in Anglian Water’s name they they should be held to account.”

One of John Hayes’ last acts as MP before Parliament was dissolved was to write to Anglian Water’s chief executive to establish more about Mr Grimshaw’s case.

Anglian Water has offered to reimburse Mr Grimshaw’s £200 insurance excess.

An Anglian Water spokesperson said: “As Mr Grimshaw has instructed his insurance company to undertake the repairs to his property, they are responsible for completing all aspects of the work.

“If a customer suspects they may have a leak to their property, they should contact us on 0845 145145 and we will be able to provide them with advice. In the majority of cases a pipe within the boundaries of the property is the responsibility of the property owner. We can provide them with a list of approved contractors to repair the pipe and will apply a leakage credit to their account if they receive a measured bill.”