Charging consumers for sewerage upgrades the only sustainable way, says Water UK

Billpayers face rising costs for decades as they repay the entire £10 billion investment that has been promised.

Consumers will have to repay the £10 billion investment through increases to their bills, Water UK said (Dominic Lipinski/PA) (PA Archive)

Charging consumers for sewerage improvement works is “the only sustainable way” of providing funding, Water UK has said.

The trade body apologised on behalf of English water companies on Thursday for sewage discharged into rivers and coastal areas.

It said investors will front £10 billion to pay for improvements to storm overflows, aiming to cut the number of spills by up to 140,000 each year by 2030, compared with the level in 2020.