Scottish Water bills set to rise 9.9% in April

Met Office rainfall data showed autumn 2024 was the fifth driest in 100 years.

That followed a summer which was the wettest on record for parts of the country.

A new report covering the winter period will be released later this year.

Mr Plant said a lack of “increased investment” in the wake of environmental challenges risked “reductions in service quality”.

He said: “People in Scotland are rightly proud of our water and maintaining our high standards means we need long-term sustainable investment.

“We’ve all seen – including in the last few days – how weather conditions in Scotland are becoming more extreme, and we are seeing more frequent periods of both drought and intense rainfall.

“This puts our current infrastructure under significant pressure, and, without increased investment, we risk reductions in service quality in the future.

Mr Plant added: “This announcement will enable us to continue to provide essential high-quality services to millions of people today, while also investing prudently for the future, and ensuring that costs are shared fairly between current and future generations.”

The maximum amount that can be charged by Scottish Water for the 2021-7 period is set out by the regulator, Wics. , external The annual increase is then set by the board of Scottish Water.