Wessex Water customers across Somerset will see their bills rise by £17 next year — pushing the average household charge to £695 from April 2026.

Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke has slammed the increase as "absolutely disgraceful", accusing water companies of making residents "pay through the nose for failure".

The Liberal Democrat MP said: "Small tweaks will not fix a broken system. What is needed is a fundamental overhaul of how water companies operate, so money is invested locally rather than drained away in dividends."

Wessex Water was responsible for more than 400,000 hours of sewage discharges in 2024. Despite this, the company has confirmed further price hikes for both metered and unmetered customers.

Wessex Water: 'We're investing £3bn to improve services'

In a statement, Wessex Water said: "We know that price rises aren't always welcome, so we can help with your water bill if you are struggling to pay.

"We are investing more than £3 billion across the region between 2025 and 2030 to improve our water and sewerage services, reduce pollution and protect the environment.

"These improvements include cutting leakage by 20%, reducing the operation of over 100 storm overflows and using nature-based solutions such as wetlands, as well as real-time water quality monitoring for bathing waters."

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The firm said some increases were due to new obligations and tougher targets being set by regulators.

MP: 'Still far too much sewage being spilled'

Ms Dyke, who also serves as the Lib Dem rural affairs spokesperson, welcomed new technology but said it must be backed by enforcement.

"While I appreciate the work Wessex Water has done on reducing phosphates, there is still far too much sewage being spilled," she said. "Making customers pick up the bill for fines and costs is simply unacceptable."

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