SA Water upgrading Wilmington-area mains

A project to upgrade a significant portion of a water main is one of a number of upgrade services underway by SA Water to improve services for regions.

More than 1500 metres of water main in Wilmington is set to be replaced over the next several weeks as part of efforts by SA Water to continually improve water services for regional South Australia.

The new pipe will be installed along the Horrocks Highway, as part of around 30,000 metres of main being renewed throughout the state’s regions in 2020-21.

SA Water’s General Manager Sustainable Infrastructure Amanda Lewry said PVC pipes are used for the majority of its water main replacement program, which are known for their better flexibility and resistance to movement, compared to fibro-cement.

“While it’s difficult to completely stop water main leaks and breaks from occurring due to soil movement, weather and a variety of other environmental factors, we are committed to proactively limiting their frequency and any potential impact on our customers,” she said.

“With the new pipes having an approximate lifespan of up to 100 years, this project ensures we can keep providing our customers in the Wilmington area with trusted water services for years to come, as well as limit the potential for water main breaks and leaks on a busy regional road.”

The project is one of many water main replacements SA Water is undertaking as part of its four year, state-wide $155 million water main management program.

Major towns including Crystal Brook, Kadina, Kingscote and Murray Bridge have been earmarked to receive new water mains, which are set for installation this year.

The program also includes the installation of an additional 250 network valves in regional areas to help minimise the number of customers affected when parts of the network are isolated for repairs.

Between September and December of 2020, more than 4500 metres of new water mains were laid in the towns of Two Wells, Lewiston and Ward Belt, connecting to the local distribution network.

The state also has more than $12 million worth of water main upgrades across the Northern Adelaide Plains and upgrades of the Glenelg Wastewater Treatment Plant and Myponga Water Treatment Plant in the pipeline.