HAMPSHIRE is continuing to battle against rising water levels as the bills for floods and damage across the county begins to soar.

Residents in many communities are still mopping up swamped homes, while pot-holes are creating an added risk to drivers.

More than 40 roads are closed to ensure the safety of the public, most of them submerged under rising groundwater levels.

But for every thousand gallons of water being pumped out, another thousand gallons rises up from the water table.

Hampshire County Council has already spent more than £1 million trying to cope with immediate flooding problems.

The bill at the end of the day is expected to be much higher, because massive repairs will have to be carried out to dozens of flood damaged roads.

In some parts of the county, council workers have cut through roads in an attempt to create canals to relieve overwhelmed culverts - but the water continues to rise.

Highway bosses have stressed that the only reliable routes across Hampshire are the trunk road and motorway networks.

Chairman of the planning and transportation committee, Dudley Keep, said: "The information from the Environment Agency is that groundwater levels are higher than ever and showing no signs of falling, so the floods are going to be with us for months."

Over the next few days, the Environment Agency will be sending out letters and flood fact sheets to around 5,000 householders in the Itchen and Test Valley areas.

"Even if we don't get another drop of rain for the rest of the winter, which is highly unlikely, flooding is still going to occur," said spokesman for the agency, Ray Kemp.

"The volume of water under the chalk downs now is enormous and we want to warn people that springs could pop up anyway - in gardens or in homes.

"These springs suddenly start gushing and they fill up a home to a risky depth within just two hours. We are obviously gravely concerned and it is not the sort of message we want to send out to people at Christmas. But we want to warn people so they can be prepared."

In the New Forest, some minor roads are still blocked, but the only major one is the A338 at Fordingbridge.

Fishlake Meadows, near Romsey, which links the Romsey to Stockbridge Road with Cupernham Lane, also remains blocked.

New Forest District Council has so far delivered 20,000 sand bags to householders and businesses, and is watching the situation closely in case rising water affects new areas.

"Water levels have receded, but in the houses where it was very deep, they have still got some water in," said assistant housing director, Dave Brown.

"Fordingbridge had about 40 properties flooded and a number of people did leave to stay with friends and relatives."

In Winchester district, more than 30 town and village communities have been affected and last weekend, the Navy was called in to help and support beleaguered residents at Hambledon - now suffering their fifth week of flooding.

At Bishops Waltham, both North and South Ponds are overflowing and putting properties at risk.

At Twyford, the county council is pumping water from one side of the B3335 to the other. The village crossroads is close to traffic and although no homes are flooded, a number are at risk.

In Eastleigh, council workers are still keeping an eye on flood water under Allbrook Arch, while flooding is still affecting Shop Lane, at Netley, although no homes are under threat