Campaigners have questioned the morality of Anglian Water paying the highest dividends of any water company in England - £4.6bn - when the cash should be spent on improving infrastructure.

Figures from annual company reports show that between 2012 and 2022, the water provider for Suffolk and north Essex shelled out the highest amount to shareholders of the nine major water companies.

The next highest, United Utilities, only paid £2.9bn.

However, Ruth Leach, co-founder of campaign group Save the Deben with Suffolk county councillor Caroline Page, said it was a 'moral thing' and the money should be put back into the business to improve the infrastructure.

Figures from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) revealed that during the last summer season, from June 1 to September 15, Anglian Water discharged sewage into waterways for 235 hours.

Cllr Page said: "20% of our water bills goes toward servicing water companies' debts and paying dividends, instead of actually fixing our water supply and sewage systems.

"This is an abomination. Privatisation has not - as promised - solved our problems. It has loaded us with debt and given us all a worse service."

However, an Anglian Water spokesperson denied shareholders had received £4.6bn, saying they had actually received £555 million, with the rest of the £4.6bn comprising inter-company loans and debt repayments between Anglian Water Services and Anglian Water Group companies.

She added: "Furthermore, shareholders injected £1.17bn of equity into the business in the first half of 2021 in order to further de-gear the company."

"This brings the net dividends taken since 2010 to well below the level expected by our regulator and demonstrates our shareholders’ commitment to the business.   

"Our investment plan for 2020-2025 alone was our biggest ever, at almost £6bn, before this between 2015-2020 was £5bn, and both included £300 million of investment in the last decade, specifically on improving the quality of bathing waters.

"This year all but three of those in our region are rated as good or excellent for bathing water quality.”

The Save the Deben campaigners are due to hear this month if they have succeeded in securing designated bathing water status for two stretches of the Woodbridge and Waldringfield.

The DEFRA certification would mean the river water was safe for swimming.