WATER customers in Bury and throughout the North West face price increases averaging £15 this year.
And WaterVoice North West warns that the rise, the equivalent of seven per cent, will be repeated in 2004-05.
As water bills hit customers' mats, the local water watchdog is highlighting the steep rise in bills and, in particular, the potential impact for less affluent customers.
WaterVoice says that when current price limits were set in 1999, the Government decided that environmental and drinking water quality improvements costing £3 billion were needed for the region.
Although bills fell initially from April, 2000, they are now rising again to cover the cost of this investment. The average household has risen by £15 this year, from £235 to £250. Some business customers will see their charges rise by as much as 13 per cent.
The process to set price limits from 2005 to 2010 is now under way and WaterVoice North West is challenging the need for improvements to continue at their current pace.
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