Scottish Water has unveiled its new capital investment plans for the next six years.

The plans, which would cover the firm's business plans for the years 2015 to 2021, would amount to a total of £3.5bn.

It is thought the investment involves spending more than £340m on improving and protecting drinking water quality, as well as £114.9m to improve the sewer network and £98.9m to increase the reliability of drinking water quality.

The figures, which were outlined in the company's business plan, will cost around £8bn to be delivered, with the cost being met by customer charges (£7bn), and net new government borrowing (£720m).

Elsewhere, over the six-year period, Scottish Water expects to connect around 113,000 new household and business properties to the water and drainage systems. It will also invest in solving the problem of waste water discharges, including spending £174.4m to complete work on reducing the impact of 61 storm overflow discharges to the River Clyde and its tributaries. A further £46.5m will be set aside to reduce discharges to the River Clyde and Water of Leith catchments, while £65.8m has been earmarked to reduce the impact of discharges from two large waste water treatment works in Glasgow, which serve more than 500,000 customers.

-- Advertisement --

The utility provider has also said it will implement a fixed nominal annual price increase of 1.6% for the years 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18.

Commenting on the business plan, Scottish Water said: "We expect that our future capital investment requirements will remain around £500 million per annum (in 2012/13 prices) as a result of increasing capital maintenance requirements and ongoing investment to improve services to meet customers' expectations in areas of water supply resilience and prevention of flooding from sewers.

"Implementing these strategic plans will support achievement of our vision to become Scotland's most valued and trusted business.

"Our vision recognises customers' fundamental trust that we will always deliver valuable services that are essential to their lives and businesses."

(JP)