PARISH councils in Colden Common and Otterbourne are working with a number of agencies in a bid to prevent sewer flooding throughout Kiln Lane.

Southern Water has been working alongside the Environment Agency and Natural England to deal with the company’s wastewater pumping station, which deals with wastewater from about 4,200 local properties.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: “Large amounts of groundwater and surface water run-off, particularly during wet weather, have been getting into the sewers which feed into the pumping station. This infiltration, via joints between sections of pipe, for example, means the flows into the station have, at times, been around 40 per cent greater than its maximum pumping capacity.

“Regrettably, this had led to a limited amount of flooding via a manhole on land next to the pumping station, as well as via a further manhole in the road near Brambridge Garden Centre.”