An increase in water prices will not help tackle the problems of sewage overflow into the River Thames that blighted parts of the borough over the summer.

The average Thames Water bill is set to rise by about £37 by 2010 to £248, an average of three per cent a year.

The proposed increases, currently being considered by Thames Water and regulators OfWat, follow embarrassing discharges that poured into the river killing thousands of fish between Richmond and Hammersmith.

Customers will be paying for a huge programme of improvements that will include work on the 57 sewage overflow pipes that line the Thames.

Twickenham MP Vincent Cable has written to the secretary of state, Margaret Beckett, to protest at the lack of action regarding domestic sewage flooding.

"We have a whole set of problems locally related to inadequate standards for sewage: the Mogden smells; overflows into the Thames, and domestic flooding. Some of these problems can be blamed on Thames Water because of lack of past long-term investment. But the regulator is also stopping necessary investment."

There are an estimated 26 properties in the Twickenham area out of 600 in the UK that suffer flooding.

Despite the proposed price rises there is unlikely to be money for a proposed £1.5billion super-sewer that would help tackle the problem.

In the meantime, the full extent of this summer's Thames pollution crises has been revealed with government figures revealing oxygen levels in the river sank to their lowest on record in August.

Levels of dissolved oxygen should remain at 40 per cent for at least 80 per cent of the time, according to the Environment Agency. This gives fish and other wildlife enough oxygen to live. Environment Agency scientists say current levels in the Thames are about 50 per cent.

Thames Water said they are waiting for a government response to their plans for a sewage tunnel and are currently consulting with OfWat over the final price increases and expect to reach a conclusion in December.