Water bills for households in England and Wales to rise by £31 a year

Regulator agrees to increase amount firms can charge over next five years so they can fund fixing leaky pipes and cut pollution

Households in England and Wales will see their water bills rise by an average of £31 a year, as suppliers pay to fix leaky pipes and cut pollution.

The industry regulator Ofwat said on Thursday it would allow companies to raise average bills will rise by £157 over five years to an average of £597 by 2030 to help pay for investment.