School reopens following closure due to sewage leak at Cookham playing fields

A sewage leak from a manhole at playing fields in Cookham forced the one-day closure of a nearby primary school this week.

Puddles of water were seen at the Alfred Major playing fields on Monday and Tuesday after a sewage leak from a manhole cover on the field.

Cookham Rise Primary School, based on High Road nearby to the fields, was closed on Tuesday after the leak caused its drains to become blocked, the school confirmed. 

It reopened today (Wednesday).

The issue was reported on Fix My Street on Monday and was also directly reported to Thames Water.

However, by early afternoon on Tuesday the issue was yet to be resolved and Cookham ward councillor Mark Howard criticised Thames Water, stating that the company has ‘not treated the issue as a priority’.

The school, together with Cookham Parish Council and Cookham Library have been working together, calling Thames Water to ‘stress the urgency’ of the issue, a Cookham Parish Council spokesperson, said.  

The spokesperson said that the ‘leak was stopped’ on Tuesday afternoon, but they understand there is ‘further work to fix it’.

Thames Water has been contacted for comment.