WATER customers in Kent are facing bill increases of more than £23 per year to pay for rising demand.

Mid Kent Water and Southern Water have both put forward proposals to hike up prices over the next five years to pay for new programmes.

They say the extra money is needed to prepare for thousands more people moving to Kent in the coming decades and meet the rising demand of existing customers.

Mid Kent Water, which supplies homes with clean water, wants to put up prices by an average of £5.80 per year. Southern Water, which looks after drainage and waste water treatment, has proposed bill increases averaging £17.60 per year.

The companies have submitted their draft plans to the regulator OFWAT and the Environment Agency for consultation. A final decision on prices will be made by OFWAT in November 2004.