Water companies are facing backlash from campaigners after announcing plans to ask customers to pay £96bn for investment in fixing raw sewage leaks, building reservoirs, and reducing leaks. The main water and sewerage companies have requested approval from regulator Ofwat for their spending plans for 2025-30. They argue that this investment will almost double the amount spent on clean water, environmental protection, and future water resources. The companies published their individual strategies on Monday and informed households that they could see an average increase of £156 per year by 2030 to cover the cost of the investment. Some households, such as Southern Water customers, could face even larger increases. Southern Water, which was previously fined £90m for illegal sewage dumping, is trying to raise customer bills by £262 to £674 per year by 2030. Thames Water, which has faced concerns over financial stability, is seeking bill increases of £175 per year to bring household bills to £598 annually by 2030. The water industry body, Water UK, claims that the £96bn investment represents a near doubling of current levels of spending within the privatised water system. According to Water UK, the investment will create 30,000 jobs and 4,000 apprenticeships to deliver improvements. However, campaigners argue that customers should not have to pay for infrastructure that should already be in place to comply with companies’ operational permits. These permits cover areas such as the discharge of raw sewage or the maintenance of treatment works. Becky Malby from the Ilkley clean river campaign raised concerns about customers funding a £71m investment to reduce raw sewage spills into the River Wharfe, an area with bathing water status. Mike Keil from the Consumer Council for Water claimed that if a company has failed to meet existing environmental requirements, it should rectify this at its own cost.
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