CHRSTINE WEBSTER
CENTRAL Irrigation Trust maintenance staff have repaired an irrigation pipeline in Waikerie that burst in two sections about two weeks ago, causing flooding on Strangman Road and threatening nearby homes.
A section of Strangman Road from Jacobs Street, McCutcheon Street and Don Elliott Drive was still closed yesterday.
The first incident occurred on June 24 at 9.30pm and the second on June 26.
The burst water main was switched off before any homes were flooded and sandbags were not required, as first thought.
The Waikerie CFS and police attended the initial flooding incident, which caused concern to some residents living along Strangman Road.
Central Irrigation Trust CEO, Gavin McMahon, said a rubber ring join holding the pipe together was blown out.
“This required the escape of water and obviously the pipe had to be fixed,” he said.
Mr McMahon said once a pipe bursts, locating where the problem is can take some time.
Following the initial leak, a large hole subsequently developed in Strangman Road.
Mr McMahon said this was caused by the flooding and some of the excavation work being conducted by Central Irrigation Trust (CIT) crews.
He said the irrigation pipes were about a metre in diameter, which meant substantial excavation was needed to access them.
The second leak was discovered on the weekend of June 26-27 and situated about three metres from the original leak.
Mr McMahon said to repair the pipes on the road, CIT had to obtain council approval and use traffic control equipment.
He said SA Water pipes and an NBN cable also had to be considered when repairing the CIT pipelines.
The water supply to some residents in the west of Waikerie had to be turned off intermittently while the repairs were done.
CIT sourced clamps from Mildura to repair the broken joins in the pipe.
Mr McMahon said irrigation pipes sometimes burst during a change in weather.
“It is not an uncommon event,” he said.
“As the weather changes in spring and autumn, we get a number of them and also in winter, when there is less use of the system.
“The pressure is always higher in the system, because there are less people using them.”
Repairs to the irrigation pipelines have been completed and dirt placed back over the road.
Mr McMahon said the District Council of Loxton Waikerie would cover the area with a road base sometime this week.
He said council could delay bituminising the area until the weather was warmer, as winter conditions are unsuitable for this process.