Record investment in the pipeline

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Households in Greater Manchester will see more than £190m poured into improving their water services over the next 12 months.

Water company United Utilities is spending the money over the coming financial year to deliver vital engineering schemes which will reduce water leaks and sewer flooding, safeguard future water supplies and help protect rivers and bathing waters.

Projects will include an £83m scheme to clean up the streams entering the Manchester Ship Canal through Salford and £20m on work to stop homes flooding with wastewater in Tyldesley near Wigan. Work is also continuing on a £50m scheme aimed at cleaning up watercourses in Rochdale and a major £100m scheme to improve the treatment of sludge at Davyhulme wastewater treatment works in Trafford.

The schemes are part of a record-breaking £3.6 billion investment programme for the North West's water and wastewater network, running between 2010 and 2015.

Average household water bills are set to rise from April 1 to around £406, up £13 on last year, largely due to inflation.

Gary Dixon, United Utilities' customer services director said: "The small increase in prices this year is due largely to the rise in inflation. Even so, customers in the North West will still be paying around £1 per day, about the same as a loaf of bread, for all their water and sewerage services.

"We'll be putting that money to good use, by ensuring the region's water network, treatment works and sewer systems get the investment needed to deliver the service our customers expect."

Between 2010-2015, United Utilities is investing a total of £3.6 billion in the water and sewer network. It is estimated that this investment programme is creating around 9000 construction jobs and pumping around £7 billion into the North West economy.