WATER users face a possible £10 rise a year for water supplies and sewerage.

Yorkshire Water has announced it is asking Ofwat to approve the rise of 3.6 per cent plus inflation to meet the cost of new European environmental legislation and a rise in Government taxes the company must pay.

The company plans to spend £1.3 billion over five years on improvements to environmental, water and sewerage services for its 4.7m customers. The company says its consumers will be paying among the lowest rates in the UK for their water services.

Managing director Kevin Whiteman said the company's draft business plan squared the need for significant new investment with environmental compliance and customers' willingness to pay.

"We have worked hard to minimise the impact on bills and were it not for taxation charges and new EU legislation, customers' bills in Yorkshire would actually be falling in real terms, despite our pledge to invest nearly £1m per day over five years."

The new investment programme follows months of public consultation.

It should reduce the number of incidents of sewer flooding, improve river and bathing quality and deliver better quality tap water to local homes and businesses."