Replacing water mains
Our annual water main replacement program upgrades sections of the state’s water network to ensure we maintain service standards set by our customer and regulators, whilst minimising risk and bill impact to customers.
Our mains network
We manage more than 27,000 kilometres of water mains across the state.
Our water network includes:
- large trunk mains that move water between reservoirs, the River Murray, treatment plants, the Adelaide Desalination Plant and over 540 storage tanks
- smaller reticulation mains on suburban streets that deliver water from the larger trunk mains directly to homes and businesses.
Most water mains have a lifespan of around 100 years. However, some may need to be replaced earlier due to factors such as soil conditions or the type of pipe material used. Others can last much longer — our oldest operating pipe was installed over 160 years ago.
Why water mains break
Water mains can break for several reasons, but the most common cause is ground movement. This is especially prevalent in years with large rainfall variability. Hot dry summer spring and summer periods can cause the soil to shrink and crack, which results in the pipe losing the bedding support that holds it in place. Then when winter rains occur, the soil swells, and pushes against the pipe wall until the pipe breaks.
Data reported by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology shows that Adelaide’s break rates are consistently lower than those in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
Water Main Replacement brochure – translated
Translated resources to help you understand the water mains replacements in your preferred language.
Water main upgrade process
To maintain the state’s complex water systems, our annual water mains replacement program prioritises those that require the most attention.
We prioritise the replacement of our water mains based on several factors including:
- the likelihood of future water main breaks (previous failure history)
- the consequence of water main breaks (customer interruption)
- if the water main is causing a restriction (low supply flow)
- economic efficiency.
We balance our level of service against the expense of replacing the mains. We understand both factors can impact upon our customers.
If the pipes in your street are renewed, we have a clear process to ensure the work is done efficiently, and with minimal disruption to you and your community.
- Planning and design
Your water main is identified for renewal, followed by site visits and design planning to meet community and environmental needs. - Coordination and communication
We align works with local and state government programs and notify customers of the schedule. - Site preparation
Locations are marked, and equipment is safely placed along the street. - Construction and safety
Pipes are laid in sections, trenches are backfilled daily, and traffic management ensures safety. - Connection and completion
Your water meter is connected to the new main, and roads and landscaping are reinstated.
We keep disruption to a minimum
We are committed to keeping disruption to a minimum and work with our contractors to do the same. Although, you may experience:
- noise and dust from construction equipment and vehicles
- increased traffic in and around your local street
- restricted access to properties while digging trenches and laying new pipes
- temporary parking restrictions
- excavation work on roads and footpaths
- temporary interruption to your water supply.
To ensure safety, we will also manage traffic and walkways around the worksite. The excavated trench will be backfilled at the conclusion of each day to ensure safety and to minimise disruptions to traffic or property access.
Hours of work
Most work will be undertaken between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Friday. In high traffic areas - or at locations where water supply is critical - work may occur at night or on the weekend. Advanced notice of construction timeframes will always be provided, unless there are unplanned technical constraints.
Water supply interruptions
Temporary interruptions to your water supply will occur as we transfer connections from the old main to the new main. These are usually scheduled for the middle of the day when water demand is at its lowest. Overnight outages may occur in areas where day works are not practical (for example school zones.)
You will receive a minimum of four days’ notice before your water service is temporarily interrupted.
Finalising the work
Once the pipes are laid, roads and landscaping are reinstated as close as possible to their original condition. Road reinstatement will occur soon after the works completion but opened to traffic as soon as possible after work is finished.
To find out where planned upgrades are taking place across South Australia, visit our works and faults map.
Use our interactive map
This map shows you our water main network, and works undertaken between July 2017 and 2021.
You can zoom in or type in a street address, click on a main and find out more about when it was laid or when works were planned, life expectancy of that pipe and the diameter (DN) of the pipe.
We will keep this updated in coming years as part of our efforts to deliver relevant information.