Деревня Оукфилд требует от школьного округа возмещения ущерба в 891 964 долларов за утечку воды

The village of Oakfield seeks damages of at least $$891,964 from the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District and the Oakfield-Alabama Board of Education, alleging the district owes the village for lost water provided to the district. In the lawsuit, filed July 27 with the Genesee County Clerk's Office, the village says the district still hasn't paid the village for the lost water, forcing village taxpayers to shoulder the cost. Refusal to pay is a breach of the water rules, the village says. As a ratepayer for village water, the district is governed by the water rules, the village noted in the lawsuit. If the village can't recover the cost of water provided to a ratepayer, the village taxpayers ultimately become responsible for it. The cost of water typically depends on water meter readings, but there are times when readings don't accurately reflect the amount of water supplied to a ratepayer, due to an undetected water leak. That is what lost water is, the village said in the lawsuit. The village notes the school district engaged in construction activities on its property from 2021 through 2023. Construction took place near the infrastructure the village uses to supply water to the district. It included excavating and removing a parking lot and changing it into a green space field. Around the same time, the village began to experience about 200,000 gallons a day in lost water. The village searched for the lost water and eventually hired an expert leak detection services firm to study the integrity of all its water infrastructure. The firm searched for the source of the leak for almost a year. In early August 2023, the firm told the village it believed the source was on district property, on a field in front of the school. On Aug. 9, 2023, the village excavated the area around the suspected leak. The excavation confirmed the source of the leak and the village repaired the leak. It invoiced the district in May 2024 for the lost water, which the district has refused to pay. The district has always owed the village the duty to safeguard and not damage water delivery infrastructure that could result in lost water. The district allegedly violated this duty, resulting on the leak that the village could not have become aware of before Aug. 9, 2023, according to the lawsuit. "The leak was caused solely by the District's negligence and failure to treat the water delivery infrastructure with ordinary care," the village stated in the suit. "Prompt detection of the leak was the sole responsibility of the District. By reason of the District's failure to fulfill its duties, the Village and its taxpayers have been damaged in an amount to be determined at trial, but not less than $891,964. The Village of Oakfield respectfully requests that this Court find in the Village's favor on all causes of action and award to the Village: damages of at least $891,964, with interest; such other and further relief as the Court deems just and appropriate."