Water bills will go up across Sussex to pay for improvements to Southern Water's service.

Customers in Sussex will have to pay an average £5 more each year, netting the company an extra £3 million to help cover the cost of 450 projects it has undertaken to improve water quality.

The average bill this year has risen to £249.88 for customers receiving water supply and wastewater services from Southern Water. The increase also takes inflation into account.

The company's 600,000 wastewater customers in Sussex pay an average £158.65 per year.

Many of those customers make up the 390,000 in the county who get their water supply from Southern Water, paying an average £91.23 for the service.

Over the next year the company will spend £190 million on sewage treatment along the coast as part of a five year, £1 billion environmental improvement programme.

A spokeswoman for Southern Water said the price rise was mainly down to inflation but the company's projects had contributed to the increase.

Water regulator Ofwat sets the amount the company can invest each year.

Barrie Delacour, Southern Water's director of corporate strategy said: "Southern Water continues to provide a first-class service for its four million customers at the same time as spending millions of pounds each week to further improve drinking water, river water and the waters off our beaches."