Figures show SA’s burst water mains were at a six-year high in 2016, with pipes bursting every four hours and 20 minutes
BURST water mains were at a six-year high in Adelaide last year, with gushing water on 2046 occasions, which means pipes burst every four hours and 20 minutes, new SA Water figures show.
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BURST water mains were at a six-year high in Adelaide last year, new SA Water figures show.
City streets were inundated with gushing water on 2046 occasions, which means pipes burst every four hours and 20 minutes.
It’s the highest result since 2010, when just over 2200 pipes burst in the city.
The government-owned utility is pinning its hopes on a $4 million smart technology trial in the CBD and an $80 million plan to replace 274km of water pipes to arrest the rising trend.
Water main failures in country areas totalled 3991 for 2016, 20 fewer than in 2015 but still the second highest in the last six years.
SA Water attributed the high figures to an extremely wet winter and spring, as well as a dry start to the year.
“When weather conditions are extreme, as they have been in the previous two years, we tend to see an increase in water main incidents due to Adelaide’s highly reactive clay soils,” an SA Water spokesman said.
“In particular, South Australia has received extremely heavy rainfall over the past few months.
Many locations across the metropolitan area and the Hills region had record-breaking rainfalls. As a result, this has impacted on the number of water main failures during the second half of 2016.”
Opposition infrastructure spokesman David Pisoni said the figures were “totally unacceptable” and highlighted the inadequacy of SA Water’s replacement program.
“SA Water hauled in a massive $300 million profit last year but is spending just $20 million a year on pipe replacement,” Mr Pisoni said.
“South Australians have the most expensive water in Australia. They don’t want excuses for burst water mains; they want a secure supply at a reasonable price.
“With 2046 ruptures in Adelaide alone, it’s little wonder motorists and homeowners are fed up with the delays and damage burst water mains bring.”
The SA Water spokesman said the water main failure rate had been “quite stable” over the last 15 years.
“We do experience seasonal variations over the years but, on average, the failure rate has been reasonably consistent,” the spokesman said.
Last month, Water Minister Ian Hunter announced that the new hi-tech water main technology would allow SA Water to inspect pipes before they burst and was designed to identify faulty pipes in real-time,
Mr Hunter declined to comment on the latest figures but told The Advertiser last month the 12-month trial would “deliver real benefits to SA Water customers and the wider community”.
Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor Gary Johanson said burst water mains were a major concern for ratepayers and called for all three tiers of government to work together to find a solution.
“Bursts happen too often here but we have 70 per cent of the state’s transport industry use our area, so the roads are under pressure,” he said.
“It feels like pipes burst on Grand Junction Rd every month, so areas like that with ageing infrastructure will need priority.
“We need a total review of our water system and all resources such as stormwater systems and electricity, because obviously the demand is getting greater all the time.”