Household water charges in Scotland are expected to remain among the lowest in Great Britain.
Scottish Water today confirmed that an increase in household charges is again being limited to 1.6% across all council tax bands – around £6 a year for the average household.
It means the average Scottish Water household charge in 2018/19 will be £363 – less than £1 a day. With the charges for 2018/19 in England and Wales also announced today, the current average household charge of £405 is £42 higher than in Scotland.
Between 2015 and 2021, Scottish Water is investing over £3.5 billion in projects the length and breadth of Scotland.
The six-year investment will be made in water treatment works, pipes and networks – providing customers with improved service, enhancing the environment and supporting jobs in the Scottish economy. This is around £1,370 for every connected property. Ongoing projects include:
Douglas Millican, Chief Executive, said:
“We continue to deliver one of the best value water and waste water services anywhere in the UK for our customers, who are at the heart of what we do.
“We want to continue to be trusted by our customers and we remain firmly focused on meeting their expectations of us. We are focused in a very positive way on ensuring customer service is the best it can be whilst providing value for money, stability and certainty in charge levels.”
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.