AN ANDOVER councillor has urged for action to be taken after sewage tankers have been emptying an overflowing network through the winter.

For several years from early winter to late spring, there have been a number of tankers visiting the villages around Andover on an hourly basis to remove foul water from storage points.

In the last couple of years, the system has escalated with bigger tankers queuing in narrow lanes waiting for their turns to fill for alternative disposal, with the disposal of the foul water taking place on commercial industrial estates around Andover.

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The drainage system also takes all the wastewater from the existing houses in Andover, as well as Tidworth and Ludgershall's water, with all this wastewater going to the treatment works at Fullerton, which is struggling under the demand.

At an Andover Town Council meeting held on Wednesday, February 21, Cllr Ted Reynolds discussed the issues faced in the area.

Cllr Reynolds said: "This is going to be an annual, ongoing problem with the amount of rain we have had. The infrastructure can't cope, and I think this is something that is going to get worse.

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"We have this being looked at by our colleagues in the south of the borough and we are just reinforcing what they are trying to do.

"What we can do in the long term is lobby Hampshire County Council, which is responsible for roads, and until we can get rid of the flooding it is adding to a bigger problem. I think it's one of those things that needs to be discussed as to what attribution or pressure we can put on the various organisations involved."

Cllr Robin Hughes added: "I know from Test Valley's point of view the overview and scrutiny committee is trying to get Southern Water to attend one of their meetings to be questioned on various items but although we can ask them we can't compel them to come to a meeting."