Southern Water has begun a £3.5m programme to reline and seal sewers in the Hampshire villages of Penton Mewsey and Appleshaw.

More than 15.5km of pipework will be sealed to help reduce storm overflows and improve the resilience of the wastewater network near Andover.

The company said the sewers have been affected by groundwater infiltration, increasing flows in the system. The works aim to eliminate the need for tankers and lower the strain on local treatment works.

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Work is under way and is scheduled for completion by autumn 2026. To minimise disruption, the scheme will be delivered in small sections. In parallel, private lateral sewers at customers' properties are also being sealed to further reduce infiltration and pressure on the network.

Chairman of the Upper Anton Parishes Flood Forum, Nigel Blackmore said: "We're really pleased to see this major investment that will benefit our community get underway.

"Our community like others in this area of Hampshire is impacted by groundwater flooding which results in tankers throughout the year, we're pleased to see Southern Water taking action to protect our community from flooding and reduce the likelihood of tankers being used in future."