Water UK has said sorry for not acting quickly enough on sewage spills and vowed to 'put things right', starting with a £10 billion investment.

But it has also said bills will go up to pay to the changes to stop the sewage being pumped into rivers and the sea.

In response to Water UK's apology, Water Minister Rebecca Pow said:

This apology by the water industry is not before time and I welcome it.

The government has put the strictest targets ever on water companies to reduce sewage pollution and demanded that water companies deliver their largest ever infrastructure investment - £56 billion. I am pleased that they are now taking action to deliver on this - but there is still a great deal more to do.

We have asked companies for action plans on every storm overflow to ensure deliverability and expect all overflows to be monitored by the end of this year.

Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

I welcome the commitments today by Water UK and the wider industry as they work to rebuild public trust, particularly on sewage discharges.

It is right that the industry is honest, accountable and shows the tangible steps it is taking to drive the improvements that we all want to see.

Now we want to see action and a clear plan for delivery. The Environment Agency will be working closely with them to ensure this happens.

The industry paid out £1.4bn to shareholders in 2022.

Musician and environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey called it a "half apology" that was another attempt to extract more money from customers.

"What I am actually hearing is no apology for the fact we have paid them for a service we haven't got, they are now suggesting we pay them a second time for a service we haven't had," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We should have an apology for the suggestion they are going to put bills up by £10bn for their incompetence and their greed. This is nothing to celebrate."