“This investment is essential to maintain the highest-quality drinking water for a growing population, ensure the security of our water supply in the future and significantly reduce the amount of sewage entering rivers and seas,” said Water UK, which represents the sector.

The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee recently warned that continued underinvestment would have serious consequences for the environment and the security of water supplies.

It also found that Ofwat needed to go further to hold water companies to account for environmental pollution as well as ensure that companies invest sufficiently in infrastructure.

Water UK said that under its proposed £96bn investment regime, for the 2025-30 funding period, the number of households receiving support with bills would more than double to 3.2 million. But campaigners for clean water said billpayers should not be paying for infrastructure investment companies should already have carried out.

If approved by Ofwat, the plans would see the construction of 10 new reservoirs as well as efforts to cut leakages by over a quarter by 2030 compared with the start of the decade.

Meanwhile, £11bn will be used to reduce overflow spills – more than triple the current rate – and spills are forecast to reduce by more than 140,000 each year by the end of the decade.

The firms also want to install advanced technology at sewage works to improve the removal of phosphorus from rivers.

In August, six water companies in England were investigated over claims they had abused their market dominance to consistently under-report the number of times they cause pollution incidents.

Under the increases proposed by Water UK, the average bill in England is expected to rise by an additional £7 per month by 2025. This is expected to increase to £13 per month in 2030.

Water UK chief executive David Henderson said: “These record-breaking investment proposals will secure our water supply as we deal with a changing climate and a growing population. 

“While increasing bills is never welcome, this investment in our country’s infrastructure is essential to ensure the security of our water supply. Water companies are seeking regulatory approval to reduce overflow spills into rivers and seas as fast as possible and to doubling the number of households receiving support to pay their bills.

“Ofwat now needs to back these plans that are both ambitious and vital. Approving the plans is necessary so that we can provide the highest-quality drinking water for a growing population, ensure the security of our water supply in the future and reduce the use of storm overflows as much as possible.” 

An E+T investigation last year found that self-monitoring efforts by water companies were 100 times less likely to find breaches than Environment Agency testing of private wastewater treatment plants.

“This investment is essential to maintain the highest-quality drinking water for a growing population, ensure the security of our water supply in the future and significantly reduce the amount of sewage entering rivers and seas,” said Water UK, which represents the sector.

The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee recently warned that continued underinvestment would have serious consequences for the environment and the security of water supplies.

It also found that Ofwat needed to go further to hold water companies to account for environmental pollution as well as ensure that companies invest sufficiently in infrastructure.

Water UK said that under its proposed £96bn investment regime, for the 2025-30 funding period, the number of households receiving support with bills would more than double to 3.2 million. But campaigners for clean water said billpayers should not be paying for infrastructure investment companies should already have carried out.

If approved by Ofwat, the plans would see the construction of 10 new reservoirs as well as efforts to cut leakages by over a quarter by 2030 compared with the start of the decade.

Meanwhile, £11bn will be used to reduce overflow spills – more than triple the current rate – and spills are forecast to reduce by more than 140,000 each year by the end of the decade.

The firms also want to install advanced technology at sewage works to improve the removal of phosphorus from rivers.

In August, six water companies in England were investigated over claims they had abused their market dominance to consistently under-report the number of times they cause pollution incidents.

Under the increases proposed by Water UK, the average bill in England is expected to rise by an additional £7 per month by 2025. This is expected to increase to £13 per month in 2030.

Water UK chief executive David Henderson said: “These record-breaking investment proposals will secure our water supply as we deal with a changing climate and a growing population. 

“While increasing bills is never welcome, this investment in our country’s infrastructure is essential to ensure the security of our water supply. Water companies are seeking regulatory approval to reduce overflow spills into rivers and seas as fast as possible and to doubling the number of households receiving support to pay their bills.

“Ofwat now needs to back these plans that are both ambitious and vital. Approving the plans is necessary so that we can provide the highest-quality drinking water for a growing population, ensure the security of our water supply in the future and reduce the use of storm overflows as much as possible.” 

An E+T investigation last year found that self-monitoring efforts by water companies were 100 times less likely to find breaches than Environment Agency testing of private wastewater treatment plants.