Work underway on new water main in Prospect

SA Water is replacing a 421 metre section of water main under Boyle Street, between Churchill and Braund Road, in Prospect, to reduce the impact of water main breaks on local customers and commuters.

The upgrade is part of an ongoing program that will see $137 million invested to replace around 375,000 metres of water mains across South Australia between 2016 and 2020.

SA Water's General Manager of Asset Operations and Delivery Mark Gobbie said the section of pipe on Boyle Street was prioritised for replacement after recent breaks and leaks.

“We can't completely stop breaks and leaks from happening, because they’re often triggered by weather or soil movements, but we're fully committed to reducing their incidence and impact on our customers,” Mark said.

“The new pipes will be made of PVC, which is flexible and more resistant to the movement caused by the area’s reactive clay soils compared to the existing, rigid cast iron and fibro-cement pipes.”

Both PVC and non-PVC water mains have an expected lifespan of 100 years. More than half of SA Water’s 27,000 kilometre network of pipes are under 50 years old, which is relatively young by urban water industry standards.

Work to install the new water main will typically occur during the day between 7 am and 7 pm, from Monday to Saturday, and take around five weeks to complete.  

“Please be alert to changed traffic conditions on Churchill Road, which will be in place for the safety of road users, pedestrians and our workers,” Mark said.

“We’ve been working closely with local businesses and schools ahead of the replacement works starting, to minimise any construction impacts.

“We’ll also be giving residents advance notice of the temporary water supply outage required when we cut over the old and new pipes and have timed this for Sunday 3 June, so it doesn’t affect Prospect Primary School.”

For more information on when and where water mains are being renewed across the state, as well as details on existing pipes, take a look at the interactive map available at sawater.com.au.

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