Video: Watch SA Water announcing news of latest water mains burst on social media
SA Water may be struggling with its old and crumbling infrastructure but they have burst into the modern age to broadcast its latest disaster movie. SEE THE ANNOUNCEMENT
SA Water may be having trouble with its old and crumbling infrastructure but on Wednesday they burst into the modern age to broadcast its latest disaster movie.
While the city’s motorists came to a complete standstill during morning and afternoon peak hour because of another burst water pipe, SA Water’s general manager of customer delivery Kerry Rowlands issued an amateurish video on social media.
“We do apologise to the commuters who are inconvenienced today,’’ she said in it.
SA Water said the video was made, using a $58 microphone and a smart phone, as “it would help reach our customers’’ on Facebook and Twitter.
Water Minister Ian Hunter also said sorry, but did not turn up at the scene. The Advertiser has mounted an extensive campaign highlighting the impact of burst water mains for more than a year, prompting Mr Hunter to spend $55 million to fix the state’s leaky mains.
“I apologise to all of the commuters who were delayed today as a result of the unfortunate incident on Hindley Street,’’ Mr Hunter said. “SA Water were quickly on the scene to control the leak.’’
Wednesday’s chaos was caused by a broken pipe at the intersection of Hindley St and Morphett St in the city.
An SA Water spokesman said on Wednesday’s pipe burst and another at Hectorville on Tuesday may be caused by this week’s rain after a long dry spell. He also said more breaks were possible.
An excavator was brought in to help repair the Hindley St bust water main that caused peak-hour traffic jams in the morning and again in the evening as commuters tried to go home
The pipe ruptured at the corner of Morphett and Hindley streets about 6.10am, causing major traffic delays at the busy intersection. Water gushed down Morphett St for nearly two hours until the water supply was switched off just before 8am.
It meant all north and southbound lanes on Morphett St were closed between Currie St and War Memorial Drive, shutting down one of the city’s main traffic arteries.
The spokesman confirmed no customers were without water as a result of the leak.
Liberal spokesman David Pisoni said the government was looking for excuses and not spending enough on maintenance.
“They blame the weather when its hot, they blame the weather when its cold,’' he said.
“The thing to blame is the maintenance budget and motorists are paying the price.’’
Wednesday’s leak came after thousands of litres of water was sprayed on to a home for almost an hour after a pipe burst in Adelaide’s east on Tuesday. A main in Robson Rd, Hectorville ruptured about 4.45pm, flooding the yard of a nearby property, and was not isolated until about 6pm.
SA Water has now begun laying 217m of new water pipe in Robson Rd to replace the 51-year-old main that broke. Work is expected to be completed next month. The spokesman said the weather may have played a part in two bursts.
“The movement of clay soils around Adelaide is a common cause of water main incidents,” he said.
“After a dry spell, recent rains have saturated soils and increased this movement, adding weight on our water mains, and increasing the potential for breaks and leaks.”
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