WATER bosses have given the green light to a programme of improvements to water quality costing about £750m across the region.

The programme, which is due to take place over the next five years, will upgrade bathing water and river water quality, as well as improve tap water to bring water standards up to European Union requirements.

The programme, which includes Kent and Sussex, as well as Hanpshire and the Isle of Wight will see:

widespread improvements to sewage works to upgrade the quality of water released into rivers and the sea

an upgrade of water supply works to improve the quality of tap water

schemes to help safeguard water supplies

a major programme costing £80m to help protect homes from flooding from sewers

projects to control smells from treatment works

schemes to provide mains drainage to some areas currently without public sewers

work to start addressing government plans for new housebuilding in the south.

Southern Water Asset Director Martin Baggs said: "The scale of this work is enormous and forms an even bigger programme of environmental and service improvements we will be carrying out over the next five years.

"In total, this runs to £1.8 billion, a sum equivalent to £900 for every property in our region and the largest capital investment in Southern Water's 15-year history."

A consortium comprising United Utilities, Costain and Montgomery Watson Harza will carry out the £750m investment programme.

Dubbed "4D" - it will project manage, design and deliver the necessary schemes. Mr Baggs added: "The contract we have awarded to 4D is an exciting new way of working and enables us to deliver a whole range of schemes across the south east of England.

"They will build on investment, which, over the last 15 years, has dramatically upgraded the way we treat and recycle waste water, transforming the quality of water off our coastline and in our rivers.

"This programme has also enabled us to supply drinking water, the quality of which rivals the best in Europe, and I am delighted that 4D will be playing a major part in ensuring these improvements continue over the next five years."