A HAMPSHIRE MP, civic chiefs and parish councillors recently challenged Southern Water over its investment and storm overflow reduction plans.

This comes after a protest at the water company's Fullerton plant.

The group spent the morning of April 2 in Thruxton to learn about the results of the Pathfinder project, a pilot initiated following the publication of DEFRA’s storm overflow reduction plan.

For the last three years, the project has been tackling overflows, the constant village disruption of tankers pumping water and the overpumping of sewage into the Pill Hill Brook. Public sewers as well as private laterals of more than 500 homes in Kimpton, Thruxton and East Cholderton have now been relined.

READ MORE: Hundreds of residents protest against Southern Water's discharges into River Test

Andover Advertiser: Caroline Nokes talking to Southern Water management

Over the three-year period, the Pan Parish Forum, in collaboration with Southern Water, achieved a reduction of tankers from 38 to just three, with no further overpumping into the Pill Hill Brook this year despite a 30 year high in ground water levels.

Following the morning’s discussions, the group including Caroline Nokes, county councillors David Drew and Chris Donnelly and borough councillors Maureen Flood and Susanne Hasselmann saw a swale garden at Kimpton, Thruxton and Fyfield Church of England Primary School.

SEE ALSO: Southern Water pledges quick action on storm overflows with £10m funding

In the afternoon the group visited Fullerton Wastewater Treatment works to have a tour of the plant, as well as discussions with Southern Water management about their future investment plans to add capacity to the works. The group also challenged Southern Water about pumping sewage into the river and its actions to alleviate the situation.

Ms Nokes said: “Security of water supply, wastewater disposal and preserving our beautiful chalk rivers is of paramount importance. That is why I have been very active in parliament, voicing my constituents’ concerns and actively pushing for greater transparency and legislative interventions. It is a complex area that requires everyone to engage, from Southern Water to the Environment Agency, Ofwat and Government, as well as local communities and councils.

“As a result of the Environment Act 2021 wastewater treatment plants are required to continuously monitor water quality upstream and downstream of their assets. We reminded Southern Water that this data should be promptly published and be easily accessible. We extensively talked about river pollution and Southern Water’s action plan. They have pushed their capacity to 25 per cent above their maximum limit in the short term and have plans to invest in capacity expansion over the next five years. We will keep in close contact with them and follow their progress.”

Cllr Hasselmann said: “We have learnt from the pilot project that parish councils have a vital role to play. By collaborating with each other and being focused on one or two outcomes. In the case of the Pill Hill Brook this was the reduction of tankers in villages and overpumping into the river - a pan parish group has the ability to bring Southern Water to the table and work on specific local issues. They are the link to the local communities which is essential in guiding the water companies, identifying local solutions and smoothing the path. The last three years of the pilot project have been extremely disruptive to the local communities but the results now speak for themselves.”