Tailem Bend to Keith pipeline future-proofed for SA’s regions

SA Water has successfully completed a major upgrade of the 132-kilometre Tailem Bend to Keith pipeline, reinforcing ongoing water reliability for more than 3,000 homes and businesses across the Lower Murray, Mallee and Upper South East regions.

Water delivered through the 52-year-old mostly above-ground pipeline is sourced from the River Murray, before being treated at the Tailem Bend Water Treatment Plant, and then transported through a further 800 kilometres of smaller connected water mains.

SA Water’s General Manager of Sustainable Infrastructure Peter Seltsikas said the $5.8 million project recently reached its final milestone, following the installation of a seventh 3.5-tonne valve at Tintinara.

“Water valves play a crucial role in helping us control the flow of water and enable localised water isolations during any maintenance or unplanned works, helping reduce the number of affected customers.

“This project involved refurbishing 3 existing valves dating back to 1973, fabricated by our predecessors from the Engineering & Water Supply Department.

“Our crews removed the valves from their underground chambers and safely reinstalled them once the refurbishments were complete. By refurbishing the original valves, we have prioritised sustainability, reducing waste and overall project costs.

“We also installed 4 new valves, with sizes ranging from 525 millimetres to 750 millimetres in diameter– among the largest used by SA Water. To accommodate the new valves, we constructed 3 3-metre-deep underground chambers, providing strong housing for the valves to be securely placed.”

To ensure uninterrupted water supply during construction, SA Water installed additional bypass pipework at key locations, which also enables reduced supply interruptions during any future maintenance of the pipeline.

The new and improved valves will reduce service disruptions during outages, benefiting approximately 688 properties in Coonalpyn, Culburra and Tintinara.

“Commencing in September 2023, this project was a significant undertaking made possible by the strong partnership between SA Water and our construction partner Fleurieu Civil, with dedicated teams working tirelessly to ensure our regional areas can continue to rely on this pipeline delivering safe, clean drinking water for many years to come,” Peter said.

At full capacity, the pipeline can move up to 44 million litres of drinking water each day.

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