HAMPSHIRE villagers will this evening quiz Southern Water chiefs over continuing frustration with a pumping station. 

Durley Parish Council is hosting the public meeting at 7pm at Durley Memorial Hall, almost one year on from the previous one.

Durley residents have been frustrated with the issues at Heathen Street Pumping Station. At a public meeting in April last year, Southern Water chiefs told residents that the main issue is groundwater incursion to the sewage network.

Their solution was to seek £90,000 to line the inside of the pipes where they thought most of the groundwater was entering the network.

Southern Water also informed the public that they were increasing the efficiency of the pumping station to be able to handle the increased volume when groundwater levels were high. 

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They also addressed the issue of the rising main which transports the sewage at pressure onto the next pumping station, that had unfortunately burst spilling sewage over farmland and increasing the need for more tankers.

Cllr Jonathan Williams, whose city council ward includes Durley, told the Chronicle that frustration is growing. He said: “Following that public meeting in April, in June I received correspondence from Southern Water confirming that they had secured £60,000 from themselves to start this work but needed a further £30,000.

“Since further communication in September that they would be organising the pipe lining works around the weather. Unfortunately, and with immense frustration, myself and Durley Parish Council have not received any reply to several emails sent to Southern Water employees or generic Southern Water enquiry email addresses up until I put in a complaint last month. It is following this complaint that we now have a date for another public meeting organised by Durley Parish Council. 

“This is by far one of the biggest issues in the area I represent, and with the frustrations over a lack of communication to any of the works that are being carried out, sudden road closures without residents knowing why, increased tanker movements including at night, and sewage backing up into residents' homes and the local pub, I am hoping Southern Water at this public meeting can finally answer some questions.”