Customers in Suffolk and north Essex could be forced to pay higher water bills to fund Anglian Water's plans to spend £1bn improving sewage insfrastructure.
Nine water and sewage companies across the UK- represented by industry body Water UK (WUK)- have apologised for sewage releases into rivers and seas and have pledged to invest £10bn in sewer system upgrades.
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However, Anglian Water, one of the nine companies, is planning to use part of the hike in water bills- equivalent to £12 more a year- to fund the 'river water quality programme,' which includes the upgrades.
The firm's business plan for 2025-2030, which is yet to be approved by industry regulator Ofwat, envisages an increase of 25p a day in bills, of which 12% will go towards the river quality programme.
An Anglian Water spokesperson said: “We estimate that the total ambition of our entire 2025-2030 business plan might require a bill increase of up to 25p a day.
"The proportion which is likely to go towards funding our river water quality programme is around 12%, which would be the equivalent of a £12 a year bill increase by 2030.
"All of these proposals ultimately need to be approved by the industry regulators.”
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In April, the water company was fined more than £2.6m after releasing millions of litres of untreated sewage into the sea at Jaywick.
In the same month, the EADT reported data from the Anglian Water website, which showed there had been 150 'storm overflows' in Suffolk in 2022.
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Among these were five sewage releases in Southwold, including a storm tank on The Common that poured foul waste into the River Blyth on 13 occasions for more than 26 hours.
An interactive Environment Agency map has also revealed other locations in Suffolk where there were major sewage releases in 2022, including in Stowmarket Road between Stonham Aspal and Earl Stonham on 44 occasions for 658 hours- or 27 days non-stop.
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In Ipswich, a sewer close to the river Orwell released filthy waste on 53 occasions for the equivalent of 10 days non-stop.
The Anglian Water spokesperson added: “We fully support WUK’s apology on behalf of the wider industry. We know we all need to act faster to address storm overflows.
“To our customers, we’re sorry. We share your aspirations that our rivers should be beautiful places, rich in nature, that can be enjoyed and we are determined to play our role in making that a reality.”
Campaign group Save the Deben has been seeking to clean up the river Deben and has successfully applied for designated bathing water status from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for a section of the river at Waldringfield.
This certification that the Waldringfield site is safe for swimming means that the Environment Agency has to put plans in place to monitor and protect the bathing water.
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Save the Deben has also re-submitted a designated bathing water application for a site at Woodbridge after an initial bid was refused by DEFRA. The result should be known in October.
Ruth Leach, the group's co-founder with Suffolk county councillor Caroline Page, welcomed the apology by WUK, but said the £10bn should not be passed on to the customer through higher bills.
"It is ridiculous that we have to run the risk of bills going up just for them to be able to provide a service that is safe for the environment," she said.
She also questioned whether it would be enough and wanted to know how it was going to be invested- would the money be spent on waste treatment plants and sewage drainage systems?
East Suffolk Green Party councillor and river campaigner Toby Hammond was also concerned about any increase in customers' bills.
Mr Hammond, who represents Bungay and Wainford, was among 11 new Green councillors who took seats on the council as the Tories were swept out of power at the recent local elections.
He added: “We welcome any pledges to invest in fixing the ancient sewage infrastructure which causes so much pollution to our rivers.
"However, adding the £10bn cost of this to customer bills is like asking residents to pay twice for work that should have been done decades ago."
READ MORE: Suffolk: second bid for bathing water status for river Deben
Environment Agency chair Alan Lovell welcomed the water companies' committment.
He said: “It is right that the industry is honest, accountable and shows the tangible steps it is taking to drive the improvements that we all want to see.
“Now we want to see action and a clear plan for delivery. The Environment Agency will be working closely with them to ensure this happens.”
Water Minister Rebecca Pow said: “This apology by the water industry is not before time and I welcome it.
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“The government has put the strictest targets ever on water companies to reduce sewage pollution and demanded that water companies deliver their largest ever infrastructure investment - £56 billion.
"I am pleased that they are now taking action to deliver on this - but there is still a great deal more to do.
“We have asked companies for action plans on every storm overflow to ensure deliverability and expect all overflows to be monitored by the end of this year.”
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