Fatcat water firm bosses are accused of fleecing households with eye-watering bill hikes to subsidise the broken industry

Fat cat water bosses were last night accused of fleecing households with eye-watering bill hikes to subsidise the broken industry – as they enjoyed bumper bonuses for failure. Mark this day, for it is the day you became angry.’ Singer turned water campaigner Feargal Sharkey said that Ofwat is making people pay 'for decades of criminal activity' Aerial view of discharge flowing into the River Thames at Crossness sewage treatment works The water watchdog Ofwat sparked fury after caving in to demands to hammer homeowners with increases as high as 53 per cent over the next five years River Action’s chairman and founder Charles Watson added: ‘With customers now being forced to foot the bill to repair and upgrade the water industry’s crumbling infrastructure, the very people who have already benefited for years from huge dividend payments will see the value of their assets increase.’ And Surfers Against Sewage chief executive Giles Bristow said a third of every pound a customer paid was lost to industry debt and dividends. Matt Staniek, who campaigns to clean up Windermere, said: ‘You are paying twice for a service that has never been fully provided,’ adding, ‘Ofwat is allowing water companies, which have exploited the public since privatisation, to increase your bills despite the fact that you’ve already paid for these companies to properly maintain and treat everything in the sewage network.’ Ofwat yesterday revealed water bills will rise by an average of 36 per cent over the next five years. Giles Bristow, of Surfers Against Sewage, said: ‘The Government must act to end the era of inadequate water-quality testing.’ But Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Tim Farron said water regulator Ofwat should be scrapped. ‘It is outrageous that water companies have got away scot-free, polluting British waters with gallons of sewage and failing to invest in fixing leaky infrastructure, whilst company executives are stuffing their pockets with bonuses.’ Mike Keil, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water said that two out of five households would struggle to pay the bills, adding: ‘These bill rises may be less than what water companies wanted but they are still more than what many people can afford.