POLLUTING water companies were slammed today after announcing a £156 a year rise in bills as part of a £96 billion five-year investment plan.

Water UK said that 30,000 new jobs and 4,000 apprenticeships will be created to help deliver the plan, representing a 50 per cent increase in the workforce.

But the sector has come under heavy criticism in recent months for its performance, with water quality and sewage overflows becoming a hot political issue.

GMB national officer Gary Carter said: “Consumers shouldn’t have to foot the bills when water companies have paid out billions in dividends, dumped millions of gallons of sewage in rivers and seas and failed to invest for decades. 

“Ofwat and the government must not allow water companies to hike bills. It’s an insult as sky-high energy bills heap more financial pain on consumers. 

“Water privatisation has failed — consumers shouldn’t have to pay for this failure.”

Shadow environment secretary Steve Reed said: “It is shocking that during a cost-of-living crisis, consumers are now being expected to pay the price, while water chief executives are pocketing millions in bonuses.    

“We will force the water companies to clean up their filth through severe fines and make bosses responsible for their negligence.”

Pennon, which owns South West Water, said it would create 2,000 jobs and invest around £2.8 billion over the second half of the decade in water quality and resilience.

United Utilities also put forward a total spending plan of £13.7bn for the five-year period, including a promise to create 7,000 new jobs across the north-west.

Yorkshire Water added that it would invest £7.8bn and Welsh Water promised £3.5bn in the programme.

Last Friday, Severn Trent pledged to look to raise £1bn to help support a transformation plan that is set to create 7,000 jobs across the Midlands.

Ofwat has said that water companies would have to pay out £114 million to bill-payers after failing to meet key targets on reducing pollution, leakage and supply interruptions.

Financial instability at Thames Water, due to return the most at more than £101m, has driven calls for political intervention and nationalisation of the sector amid questions over the financing of the industry.