WORK is about to start on an £8m project to reduce storm overflows from a wastewater treatment plant in the New Forest.
The site at Ashlett Creek, Fawley, will be equipped with a new storm tank that will increase its storage capacity by 2.3 million litres.
Southern Water says the scheme will enable the stored sewage to be fully treated before it is discharged.
Project manager Jorge Rodriguez said: "We know how important it is to improve water quality and protect the precious environment across the areas we serve.
"This exciting project will make a real difference and will also help us with the challenge of more frequent heavier rainfall events and storms due to climate change.
"These works are a great example of our ongoing £2bn investment to improve our performance and our assets."
READ MORE: Water bosses spending millions on scheme to safeguard rivers
It follows widespread controversy about the amount of raw sewage being pumped into rivers and coastal waters.
Most of the UK has a combined sewerage system, which means rainwater and wastewater are transported to sewage treatment works in the same pipes.
Water bosses are allowed to use storm overflows only in exceptional circumstances, such as heavy rain, to prevent the system from being overloaded.
But new figures show that sewage was released into England's waterways more than 300,000 times last year.
The Ashlett Creek work is being carried out by GTb, a joint venture between Galliford Try Environment and Binnies UK Ltd.
Stuart Whisby, project manager for GTb, said: "We are pleased to be working collaboratively with Southern Water on this project.
"By making these improvements and upgrading some of the existing equipment, Southern Water will be able to meet new targets.
"This work will involve increased vehicle movements to the site. We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience our work may cause to those people living in the area."
READ MORE: Southern Water stench - 180 residents sign open letter
Southern Water is carrying out several projects in the Southampton Water area in a bid to comply with new Environment Agency limits on storm overflows.
These include a £13m upgrade to the Woolston Wastewater Treatment Works.
As reported in the Daily Echo, a Southern Water facility at West Wellow is being equipped with three new storage tanks, increasing the amount of wastewater it can treat before discharging it into the River Blackwater.
Wessex Water is about to embark on a similar project at Ringwood in a move that aims to safeguard the River Avon.
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