A NEW sewer in Hereford should "significantly reduce environmental impact", according to the water company behind the upgrade.

Welsh Water said it had invested almost £307,000 in the project which should have improved the sewerage network in the Three Elms area. 

Until now, some properties in the area had not been able to connect to the main sewerage network and instead had to rely on septic tanks which a company spokesperson said regularly failed.

"This in turn posed a pollution risk to the surrounding environment," they said.

"The failures of the tanks also breached the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) general binding rules which govern how septic tanks should operate.

To address the situation, the company designed and installed a new sewer system to replace a septic tank system.

The new sewer system will enable the properties to connect to the main sewerage network which in turn should benefit the local environment.

Chris Jones, head of wastewater programme delivery at Welsh Water, said: “We’re very proud to have been able to complete this project on schedule to protect the environment during the challenging circumstances surrounding the pandemic.

"The construction team managed to adhere to all of the government social distance guidelines and received some excellent written feedback from residents in the area.

"We appreciate that our work can be inconvenient, so we really did appreciate the cooperation shown to us by the local residents while we worked in their community.”

The company also partnered with Herefordshire Community Foundation as part of its increased support to local communities during the pandemic.

Welsh Water increased its community fund threefold to £300,000, and has given more than £100,000 to foodbanks since the pandemic started.