Frome households can expect their water bills to go up next year after the industry regular said that the companies that supply the town DID meet pollution targets.

Eleven water companies will be made to cut £150m from bills after missing pollution targets, according to Ofwat. But this will not be applied to local suppliers Bristol Water or Wessex Water.

Water companies have come under scrutiny by environment campaigners include the former singer Feargal Sharkey, who last week told the Labour Party conference that no river in England meets the required health standards.

He told the conference that during the last two years English water companies spent six million hours pumping sewage into English seas and rivers.

Penalties to be paid by water companies

Affinity Water £0.8m; Anglian Water £8.5m; Dr Cymru £8m; Hafren Dyfrdwy £0.4m; Northumbrian Water £20.3m; SES Water £0.3m; South East Water £3.2m; South West Water £13.3m; Southern Water £28.3m Thames Water £51.0m; Yorkshire Water £15.2m

Bill increases allowed for companies that met targets

Bristol Water £0.6m; Portsmouth Water £0.8m; Severn Trent Water £62.9m; South Staffs Water £3.0m; United Utilities £24.1m; Wessex Water £4.4m

Ofwat explains on its web site: "The current levels of storm overflow discharges into rivers cannot continue, and the water sector must tackle this. Customers and the public rightly expect water companies to take this role extremely seriously, and there has been widespread, understandable frustration and anger. "

Read more about storm overflows and why they are used.