The first of the new 1200-millimetre-diameter pipes – which are the largest SA Water has installed in more than a decade – are now being laid across Adelaide's northern suburbs.
Already more than 3,500 metres of new trunk water main has been installed across four locations in the northern suburbs.
Work is now underway to install 2,400 metres of giant 1200-millimetre-diameter trunk water main beneath Petherton Road in Davoren Park, with crews working east towards Elizabeth North, to increase the local water network's capacity and enable more homes to be built at one of the state's largest residential developments – Riverlea.
A second crew has also begun installing pipes along Woodford Road in Elizabeth North towards Whiteparish Road as part of the upgrade.
Each crew is starting at either end of the pipe alignment and will work concurrently until they meet in the middle at the Gawler rail line at Broadmeadows Station.
A specialist pipe laying method known as horizontal directional drilling will be used to install the section of trunk main under the rail line without any interruption to train services.
This work will involve operating a horizontal directional drill to install a 36-metre-long sleeve under the track for the pipe to be pushed through to a retrieval trench on the other side.
Given the rail track's importance and to provide more protection, these pipes will also be encased in a slightly larger pipe to help prevent any damage to the track in the event of a leak.
These new trunk mains – which will duplicate existing pipes throughout Adelaide's north – are critical to supplying more water into Riverlea to unlock capacity for new homes, while maintaining reliable water pressure to existing SA Water customers.
Once complete, the $3 billion Riverlea housing development by Walker Corporation will have approximately 12,000 new dwellings and be home to 40,000 people.
The work is part of a record $1.5 billion investment by the Malinauskas Labor Government to grow the water and sewer network, announced as a key initiative of the Housing Roadmap, to unlock a potential 40,000 new allotments across South Australia.
With further pipe installations planned for delivery during the next four years, these mains will eventually connect into new pipes currently being installed along Angle Vale Road and will be supplied by SA Water's storage tank in Elizabeth East.
This first stage of enabling work is expected to be completed early 2026.
Additional projects, such as the delivery of new trunk water mains to support housing growth in Angle Vale, will progressively commence during the next few months, with this first investment tranche comprising $419 million of the overall four-year program.
The second investment tranche of $772.2 million was last week assessed by the Public Works Committee and tabled in Parliament, and will deliver additional new infrastructure to enable greater capacity within SA Water's networks.
This second tranche will fund seven water projects and five wastewater projects, including further stages of upgrades for Riverlea – which involves an additional 10,000 metres of new trunk water main to complete the connecting network of pipes – as well as infrastructure to support new homes in Angle Vale, Onkaparinga Heights and Virginia.
Projects as part of this tranche will progressively commence from late 2025.
For images and vision of pipe installation at Elizabeth North click here.
As put by Nick Champion
This is a monumental moment in our mission to build more homes.
For the first time in more than a decade we are installing 1200mm diameter pipes, which will build capacity in the system and enable future growth.
Crews are employing innovative methods and doing everything they can to reduce the impact on the local community.
This is another example of the Malinauskas Labor Government moving at a cracking pace to address the housing crisis.
Without these new pipes, SA Water's network would be at the absolute limit of its capacity and no new houses would be getting built.
As put by Nathan Campbell, Walker Corporation Chief Operating Officer
This is great news for thousands of South Australians wanting to build new homes at Riverlea.
We have strong demand from first home buyers, along with growing families and downsizers, all wanting to move to Riverlea and this installation of essential piping being rolled out by the SA Government will give us the capability to get more homes delivered quicker.
