SA Water is replacing around 747m of water main along the Port Wakefield Highway, between Hart and Richardson Road, in Korunye as part of its ongoing $137 million program to replace around 375km of water mains across South Australia.
SA Water’s General Manager of Asset Operations and Delivery Mark Gobbie said this section of pipe was prioritised for replacement after breaks in the past 12 months.
“Water main incidents are typically triggered by environmental factors like weather and soil movement, so we can’t completely stop them from happening, but we’re fully committed to reducing their incidence and impact on our customers,” Mr Gobbie said.
“The new pipes will be made of PVC and PE, which are flexible and more resistant to the movement caused by the area’s reactive soils than existing, rigid cast iron and fibro-cement pipes.”
Both the old and new water mains have an expected lifespan of 100 years. More than half of SA Water’s 27,000km network of pipes are under 50 years old, which is relatively young by urban water industry standards.
“In this instance, the new pipe will be laid using a combination of traditional trenching techniques and directional drilling to reduce the impact on those travelling along the nearby Port Wakefield Highway,” Mr Gobbie said.
“Please be alert to changed traffic conditions in the area, which will be in place during part of these works for the safety of road users, pedestrians and our workers.
“Local property owners should also keep an eye on their letterbox for advance notice of any temporary water supply outages that will be needed when the old and new pipes are cut over.”
