A water engineer who has helped raise thousands of pounds for charity is visiting Bangladesh to see how his work has transformed lives by improving access to safe water and sanitation.

Jeremy Heath, who works for Sutton and East Surrey Water has been a supporter of the charity WaterAid for many years, and has organised a number of fundraising initiatives and events which have helped raise money towards improving lives in Bangladesh.

Now Mr Heath has been invited by the charity to go to Bangladesh and see the projects his money has helped to get off the ground. He will join fundraisers from 11 other water industry companies visiting residents in urban slums and rural villages.

He said: “It is easy to take clean water for granted when it comes at the turn of a tap, but 884 million people do not have this basic necessity.”

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with a population of more than 150 million. Diseases are common throughout the country due to contaminated drinking water sources and poor sanitation, with just 36 per cent of Bangladeshis having access to adequate sanitation.

WaterAid has been working in Bangladesh for nearly 25 years and between 2003 and 2009 reached 1.8 million people with safe water and 5.6 million people with sanitation through various projects.

WaterAid's development manager, Nikki Skipper, added: “The money raised by Sutton and East Surrey Water and fundraisers like Jeremy helps WaterAid change the lives of some of the world's poorest people, bringing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.”