Water regulator Ofwat has revealed that water bills in England and Wales will rise by an average £94 over the next five years.
The typical £19 a year increase is a third less than the increase requested by water firms.
The rise is intended to fund improvements such as replacing leaking pipes and reducing sewage discharges into rivers and seas.
It comes as suppliers face increasing scrutiny over their environmental and financial performance over a number of years.
The figure varies by region with Thames customers seeing an increase of £99 or 23%, Anglian £66 or 13% and Southern Water £183, an increase of 44%.
Ofwat’s proposed rise can be challenged by the water firms, with a final determination due at the end of the year.
Labour has pledged a crackdown on the industry, promising consumers higher compensation for sewage failures and the power to hold water executives to account.
The government has revealed plans to introduce new measures to ensure that money earmarked for investment and improvements are ringfenced and cannot be diverted to pay salaries or dividends.
Customer panels will have powers to hold directors and executives to account while compensation for customers for failures to hit required standards could be more than doubled.
