STORM BILL WARNING

HOUSEHOLDS face a 4.2 per cent increase in water charges as Scottish Water looks to invest in upgrading assets which it says were “never designed” for extreme weather we now see.

In the organisation’s annual report for 2021-22, chief executive Douglas Millican said it would be “wrong” to treat last year’s extreme weather such as Storm Arwen as “exceptional”.

Millican said weather events that used to happen once every 30 or 50 years are happening “much more frequently”.

He added: “If we are to replace our ageing assets and keep pace with the impacts of climate change, higher levels of investment in our water and waste water assets are vital.”