NORTHUMBRIAN Water says it is pouring over £2bn of investment into the region as charges increase.

The water company has recently announced new charges for 2017-18.

It says average charges for water and waste water services have increased by 3p per day from last year.

This puts the average charge up to approximately £1 a day, and around £390 per year – an increase of £12.

Northumbrian Water says that despite the increases, the charges are still below the national average.

And it says that from 2015-2020, it will invest £2.24bn in the region.

It will invest £180m in essential work, including renewing 75km of pipework across the region.

Three major treatment works, at Horsley, Whittle Dene and Warkworth, will be updated.

And ongoing maintenance of water and waste water treatment works and pumping stations will continue.

Northumbrian Water says it is also investigating protecting homes from flooding by looking into ways to slow the amount of water flowing into pipes during heavy rainfall and using new approaches to sustainable drainage.

Northumbrian Water’s chief executive officer Heidi Mottram said: “Our household customers will continue to pay about £1 per day for all their drinking water and sewerage services, which represents great value for money.

“We will continue to invest in schemes to provide clean, clear tap water that tastes good and to protect homes from flooding.

“We are also proud to be the only water company in the world that features on the Ethisphere Institute’s list of the world’s most ethical companies.

“We do understand that some people can face difficulties paying their bills and we are keen to help them. We offer many ways to assist people and also work closely with the debt charity StepChange. Anyone worried about paying their bill should get in touch with us as soon as possible.”

Customers who face difficulty paying their bill can find more information at www.nwl.co.uk/your-home/your-account/Difficulty-paying.aspx.