WATER bills for households in the North West are to rise by 7.8 per cent each year over a five year period, it has been revealed.

Under new plans revealed by United Utilities, the supplier of water and wastewater services to seven million people in the North West, average household bills in the region would rise from £255 this year to £356 in 2009/10.

That is an increase from just over 70p per day to 97p per day by 2010.

The news comes as part of the company's £3.2 billion investment programme which aims to maintain and improve services and meet environmental and drinking water quality requirements in the years between 2005 and 2010.

This increase has been reduced by over a third from that first anticipated in the company's draft plan, published in August.

John Roberts, United Utilities chief executive, said: "This plan will meet tougher drinking water quality and environmental obligations and deal with issues our customers say matter most to them.

"We understand our customers don't like higher prices. However, by 2010 customers will still be paying less than £1 per day."