But this was one complaint we had to take on - for ourselves.

For the bill from North West Water which landed on our doormat on Monday was for a whopping £669.11.

Our neighbours in the Toft Road council-owned building fared little better.

While an architect with one small upstairs office has to pay £127, the borough council tourist information office was landed with a bill of tidal-wave proportions.

The office - with three permanent staff - must pay £1,300 this year.

Altogether the bill for the entire building tops £3,000 and the only facilities are a ladies and gents toilet, a disabled toilet and one kitchen sink.

Here in the Guardian office we even have our supply of drinking water.

Yet a house - with a washing machine, dishwasher and bath - could expect to pay 10 times less.

An apologetic North West Water spokesman said that the system for estimating business water bills were based on the old rateable values for premises - and didn't take into account how much water was used.

He said it was possible for a pub without a meter, for example, to be sent a bigger bill than a launderette.

"The only way round the problem is to consider a meter," he said.

WHAT do you think is a fair charge for water? North West Water say the average person uses 123 litres of water a day.

A toilet flush uses 9 litres of water.

A bath averages 90 litres.

A washing machine cycle can go through 123 litres of water.

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