Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey has provided reassurances that taxpayers will not have to foot the bill for water companies fined for releasing sewage into rivers and waterways.

The environment secretary was speaking after Anglian Water announced it would be spending £1bn improving sewage infrastructure, but the cost could be passed on to customers in Suffolk and north Essex through higher water bills.

READ MORE: Anglian Water customers face bill rise for sewer upgrades

The rise to fund the 'river water quality programme' would be equivalent to £12 more annually for customers.

But when quizzed during an interview on a national broadcaster about whether customers should be paying more in their bills for water companies' past mistakes, Ms Coffey said: "What I'm saying to you is, the fines and penalties will not be coming from taxpayers money".

She added there had been 'record amounts of investment' in the UK's sewage network, while the Government had set out a £60 billion storm overflow reduction plan to reduce the number of times sewage was released.

READ MORE: New water plan could tackle Suffolk's 150 sewage releases

She said: "There has been record amounts of investment into our sewer network, in particular over the last 25 years since privatisation, that's what that unlocked as well as what is supposed to be a more efficient way of doing these sorts of projects.

"We set out last year a storm overflow reduction plan to nearly £60 billion and what I want to make crystal clear is that people aren't going to be paying for the penalties or the fine, that has to come from the companies themselves.

She added the investment was helping to modernise infrastructure, which would reduce future sewge releases.

READ MORE: Suffolk news

"For example, not far from here we've got the Thames tideway super-sewer, that's a multi-billion pound project which has taken about a decade and is being paid for through bills over that length of time but that will eradicate the need for overflows themselves."

A Defra spokesperson said: “We have been very clear to water companies that we expect them to deliver more and regulators will be looking closely at their business plans to make sure they are meeting our targets without unduly impacting on customers’ bills.

“Our Plan for Water sets out increased investment, tougher enforcement and tighter regulation to tackle every source of river and sea pollution.

"We also recently consulted on giving regulators more powers to impose unlimited penalties to ensure polluters pay – and these fines are not allowed to be paid for through customers’ bills."

Nine water and sewage companies across the UK - represented by industry body Water UK (WUK) - including Anglian Water, have apologised for sewage releases into rivers and seas and have pledged to invest £10bn in sewer system upgrades.