Burst water main on Prospect Rd at Prospect claims an excavator that fell into gaping hole
ANOTHER day, another burst water main (and an excavator that itself needed to be excavated from a collapsed road). In response, Water Minister Ian Hunter has identified at least one area where SA Water needs to improve — but it’s not fixing leaks.
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SA Water needs to improve customer relations but its efforts at renewing and maintaining Adelaide’s ageing mains pipes were commendable, Water Minister Ian Hunter said today.
But he also said the company had added three contract maintenance teams so SA Water would be “more responsive’’ in tackling the recent spate of ruptured water mains in Adelaide, which have damaged roads and sometimes private property and caused traffic disruptions.
The latest burst came at Prospect Rd, near Regency Rd, early on Friday — and efforts to repair the damage became farcical when a repairer’s excavator fell into the hole created by escaping high-pressure water.
The burst cut supply to about 40 customers, caused minor flooding to at least one business and disrupted peak hour traffic on Prospect Rd.
SA Water supplied bottled water to customers and will discuss compensation with individual customers.
Speaking after the incident — which he did not attend despite increasing criticism that he is out of touch with community concerns on the issue — Mr Hunter claimed the run of ruptures was “seasonal’’ and caused by reactive clay soil in many areas around Adelaide.
He claimed that would change as the soil settled and the public would soon lose interest in burst water mains.
This week, The Advertiser has been taking a “Substitute Ian Hunter” cardboard cutout of the Minister to every burst water main in Adelaide, to highlight the minister’s refusal to engage with residents and business owners affected by the situation.
“I’ve never said that SA Water is perfect, of course there is room where we need to improve, customer relations are one of them,’’ Mr Hunter said.
“But in terms of the burst water pipes, in terms of the $300 million a year asset and infrastructure refurbishment, they (SA Water) are doing a good job.
“I’m not a water technician, I’m not an engineer. I think my job is to ensure SA Water responds quickly and efficiently and also maintains its maintenance program which drives down the number of breaks, that’s where I can be most useful, not doing media grabs.
“It’s of media interest for a while with these bursts increase with the fall of rain and the reactive soils expand and then it will settle down within a couple of weeks’ time.
“Then it will start up again at the end of the year as these soils dry out. These are the peaks.’’
The Minister again claimed that SA’s number of burst water mains was “one of the lowest’’ in the country, and said he constantly pressed SA Water technicians to improve detection of potential ruptures.
“I have driven them to actually get the lowest number of bursts in the country ... we’re up there with the top three or four utilities compared with another 13 or so,’’ he said.
“They are using quite remarkable technology. They are using balls to send down pipelines, smart technology to check the (pipe) structure.”
Crews responded to the Prospect Rd burst about 2.30am but the digger deployed fell into the hole during the repair job.
The driver was uninjured but the incident disrupted traffic and water supply in the area.
Speed was restricted to 25km/h each way on Prospect Rd.
Water had to be switched off in the area following the burst and was restored about 11am.
A crane had to be called in to hoist the excavator out of the hole and then to hold up a Stobie pole that was threatening to topple.
A fitness centre due to open next week was flooded with water, leaving a covering of silt on a new staffroom floor.
Another burst water main, this time in Prospect, but where's Ian? pic.twitter.com/q66iPP4cga
— Naomi Jellicoe (@NJellicoe) May 19, 2016
Pushing Performance Health & Fitness director Simon Lucas said he hoped the business would still be able to open next week.
“We have all the equipment arriving next week,” he said.
“The staffroom is affected but there’s also a bit of water in the reception area.
“I’ve moved my office in here so we have no phone, no internet.”
Mr Lucas said he hoped insurance would be able to cover any repairs and that he was in contact with his landlord.
As a small-business owner, Mr Lucas said he had “zero influence” over Mr Hunter’s schedule.
“There are burst water mains everywhere, what can (Mr Hunter) do,” he said.
Prospect Rd resident Blake O’Brien said his water and internet were cut off from 1.30am on Friday.
“No one has explained to me what happened and when it’s going to be back on,” he said.
“I can get access to water somewhere but I have no internet, I need my internet to play games.”
Now the punters are lining up for a pic pic.twitter.com/6vCQzZpNnl
— Matthew Pantelis (@MatthewPantelis) May 19, 2016
Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said he was unable to have a shower before heading to work.
Opposition spokesman David Pisoni said he was on Prospect Rd inspecting the burst main just before 6.30am.
“It’s got to a stage where Minister Ian Hunter needs to see first-hand how (burst mains) have affected South Australians,” he said.
“We’re seeing more burst water mains happening in the most established suburbs which have older pipes.”
He urged Mr Hunter to hand over the maintenance program reports from recent years.
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