A WATER company is investing £1m to upgrade the sewer network in a Hampshire town.

Southern Water is upgrading infrastructure in Fareham, helping to “safeguard the town’s wastewater services in the future”.

About 600 metres of pipeline along Talbot Road in the town is being reinforced.

The upgrade will help reduce the risk of flooding and will also ensure the sewer network can meet the demand of future new housing in Fareham.

Project manager Lee Hooper, pictured, said: “The newly-upgraded pipeline will help protect the environment by reducing the risk of flooding, and will also ensure the sewer network can cope with population growth.

“This dual benefit will safeguard wastewater services in the town for many years.

“While the underground nature of the sewer network means there has been some disruption, we’ve worked hard to keep this to a minimum, including using no-dig construction methods and keeping road closures to night-time hours.”

Councillor Sean Woodward, leader of Fareham Borough Council, said: “It is critically important that we invest in our infrastructure, particularly water, as more development is on the way.”

The investment in Fareham is the group’s largest scheme as part of a wider £10 million investment programme to upgrade thousands of kilometres of pipeline across Kent, Sussex and Hampshire over the next three years.

The news comes after water regulator Ofwat named and shamed the business for lagging behind peers for “shortcomings” in the way it handles data, saying customers may not be able to trust the safety of information they share with the company.