IT NEVER rains but it pours. That's what people are likely to be feeling today as they face paying even higher water bills.

It's worth remembering all that rain, especially in York. Having to pay higher and higher water rates can seem tough in a city where there is sometimes far too much water to go round.

Of course, it is more complicated than that and a city prone to flooding still has to manage its water supply - and that is a costly business. The Yorkshire droughts of a few years ago were, in part, blamed on water being wasted through inefficient and damaged pipes, and putting that right has cost a fortune.

But the fact remains that the average resident, faced with ever-increasing council tax - tied in with paying more for the police - will greet this latest rise with a heavy heart. And these are big rises: 29 per cent during the next five years. To people struggling to balance their budget, such a sharp increase will make a big difference.

This is doubly so for some because the announced increase comes on the same day as yet another interest rates decision.

All these extra bills to pay and, in many cases, no more money in the kitty to fund them.

OFWAT, the Office Of Water Services, which looks after the consumers' interests, says it has scrutinised the plans put forward by Yorkshire Water. It believes the suggested rises "strike a fair balance" and will allow the company to deliver efficient services, while also cleaning up rivers, estuaries and dealing with sewer flooding.

All of which is certainly important. The clean, safe delivery of water is part of a civilised society. But why does everything have to cost so much these days?

Updated: 11:11 Thursday, August 05, 2004