The residents in Chandler's Ford often see their gardens flooded

But the residents in Chandler's Ford have been told they could wait years before the problem is solved.

Southern Water bosses say the area is just one of 160 priority problems it hopes to deal with by 2010.

But in nearby Eastleigh, residents facing flooding in their homes during heavy rain have been told their problems are not a priority.

About 40 homes are affected in Consort Road

About 40 homes in Consort Road are affected by the problems of rising sewage waters.

Mick Tomkins said: "When we get heavy rain the water backfills up the pipes and it comes up into the bath and the bath water won't run away.

"And with the toilets, it comes up pass the rim and you can't flush, it just comes straight up."

Meanwhile about a dozen homes in Chandler's Ford are affected by overflowing drains.

'Extremely unpleasant'

Resident Lona Mehta said: "It can be up to two-foot high coming out of the manhole and just floods from the streets and pours into every garden.

"It's extremely unpleasant. There's the smell of sewage and of course there's the hygiene thing as well."

But while Southern Water, which looks after 21,000 km of sewers across the region, is spending �17m at the moment on "sewer renewal", its bosses say that Consort Road is not one of their priorities.