Replacing and upgrading your water mains

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Our annual water main replacement program delivers proactive maintenance of Adelaide’s water distribution network. Regular annual and proactive reviews ensure their integrity and determine when they need to be renewed.

Pipes

We own, operate and maintain more than 27,000 kilometres of water mains across the state. Our water network consists of large trunk mains that transfer high volumes of water between our reservoirs, the River Murray, water treatment plants, the Adelaide Desalination Plant and more than 540 storage tanks. Smaller reticulation mains connect to the trunk mains and run along most suburban streets to provide water to your home.

Water mains are generally very reliable and have an asset life of approximately 100 years. Some mains may last longer and others may need to be replaced sooner, depending upon ground conditions and the type of material used.

View our extensive water main network on our interactive map(External link). 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 are planned, as well as the life expectancy of the pipe.

Why main breaks happen

Water mains can break for a number of reasons, but the most common cause is ground movement. For example, during years of low rainfall, we have a higher rate of main breaks. Low rainfall causes soil shrinkage and hardening, making pipes more prone to failure.

Data reported by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology shows that Adelaide’s break rates are consistently lower than those in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Discover more about our water mains replacement(External link).

Our annual water main replacement program delivers proactive maintenance of Adelaide’s water distribution network. Regular annual and proactive reviews ensure their integrity and determine when they need to be renewed.

Pipes

We own, operate and maintain more than 27,000 kilometres of water mains across the state. Our water network consists of large trunk mains that transfer high volumes of water between our reservoirs, the River Murray, water treatment plants, the Adelaide Desalination Plant and more than 540 storage tanks. Smaller reticulation mains connect to the trunk mains and run along most suburban streets to provide water to your home.

Water mains are generally very reliable and have an asset life of approximately 100 years. Some mains may last longer and others may need to be replaced sooner, depending upon ground conditions and the type of material used.

View our extensive water main network on our interactive map(External link). 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 are planned, as well as the life expectancy of the pipe.

Why main breaks happen

Water mains can break for a number of reasons, but the most common cause is ground movement. For example, during years of low rainfall, we have a higher rate of main breaks. Low rainfall causes soil shrinkage and hardening, making pipes more prone to failure.

Data reported by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology shows that Adelaide’s break rates are consistently lower than those in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Discover more about our water mains replacement(External link).

  • What to expect when we upgrade your water main

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    We keep disruption to a minimum

    We are committed to keeping disruption to a minimum and work with our contractors to do the same. However, 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 work site. The excavated trench will be backfilled at the conclusion of each day to ensure safety and to minimise disruptions to traffic or property access.

    The excavated trench will be backfilled at the conclusion of each day to ensure safety and to minimise disruptions to traffic or property access.

    Working hours

    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 happen at night or on the weekend. Advance notice of construction timeframes will always be provided, unless there are unplanned technical constraints.

    Laying pipes

    Most pipes are made of PVC and laid in 6 to 9 metre segments to accommodate easy transportation. Pipe trenches are dug around 1.2m deep, but may be deeper due to the terrain, to accommodate larger pipes or to avoid underground services such as telecommunications.

    Interruptions to your water supply

    Temporary interruptions to your water supply will be required as we transfer connections from the old main to the new main. These are usually scheduled during the middle of the day when demand for water is at its lowest. Overnight outages may occur in areas where day works are not practical, for example in school zones.

    You will receive a minimum of four days’ notice before your water service is temporarily interrupted, to enable you to prepare.

    Finalising the work

    Once the pipes are laid, roads and landscaping are reinstated to the original condition as close as practical. Road reinstatement will occur soon after completion of the works, but opened to traffic as soon as possible after the work is finished.

  • Where we’re working

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    Planned water main upgrades - June 2025


    Metropolitan areas
    Location Length
    Morphett Street, Adelaide 141 meters
    Marion Road, Ascot Park 501 meters
    Onkaparinga Valley Road, Balhannah 150 meters
    Main North Road, Brahma Lodge 254 meters
    Kibby Avenue/ Gosse Avenue/ Goldsworthy Crescent, Glenelg North 928 meters
    OG Road, Marden 307 meters
    Kelsey Avenue, Mitchell Park 123 meters





    Location Length
    Canberra Street, Mount Barker 75 meters
    Witter Street, Whyalla 353 meters
    Krollig Road, Woolpunda 7420 meters









Page last updated: 17 Jun 2025, 03:41 PM