Thames Water is to spend almost £1bn tackling leaks in an attempt to avoid a repeat of last summer's costly water shortages.
The company expects to spend £900m next year improving and replacing its ageing Victorian pipe network. Last year, infrastructure spending rose 41pc to £779m.
The increased spending follows the uproar last year after Thames revealed that it was losing 894m litres of water a day, enough to fill 344 Olympic-sized swimming pools. At the time, it had imposed an unpopular hosepipe ban and posted an 31pc rise in full-year profits.
Industry watchdog Ofwat, criticised by MPs for not being tough enough, demanded Thames spend an extra £40 per customer on reducing leakage over the next three years.
Source The Telegraph
