Experts are investigating the sewerage network in the St Mary Bourne area of Hampshire in a bid to reduce the risk of sewer flooding.

Southern Water and its contractors 4Delivery have completed an extensive survey of the sewers in the Hampshire village using CCTV.

During November, 8.2 kilometres of sewers were jetted and cleaned between St Mary Bourne Wastewater Pumping Station and Hurstbourne Tarrant.

The survey revealed a need to repair some leaky joints and manholes. Evidence was also found that some private sewers are poorly connected to the public network. Poor connections will either be resolved lining works or digging down and re-making the connection. The sewers will receive a liner, while any leaking manholes will be sealed using a form of resin injected into joints in the brickwork. Some lengths of sewer that have deformed are to be replaced with stronger pipes.

Groundwater levels in the area rise almost to ground level in very wet weather, resulting in water making its way into sewers, overloading the system and causing flooding.
Southern Water has spent more than £100,000 investigating the flooding and the company is now in the process of identifying and designing a scheme to provide a long-term solution to reduce the risk of flooding, which it hopes to have in place by 2010.

View more information on St Mary Bourne.