Keeping the Water Flowing: Innovation without Interruption
ESG Alignment
The project minimised water wastage by using live tapping and line stop technologies, avoiding the need to drain the main. The confined 150-metre construction zone and limited open trench work helped protect the land’s environmental and cultural value, reducing ecological impact.
By ensuring no water supply disruptions and reducing traffic impacts on a key arterial road, the project maintained community services and safety. Minimising the construction footprint further ensured convenience for residents and businesses.
This project demonstrated effective governance through collaboration between SA Water and MDJV. The innovative use of oil and gas sector technologies ensured safety, risk management, and regulatory compliance while delivering the project efficiently.
SDGs: 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)
We’re thrilled to announce that together with SA Water , we’ve been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2024 Australian Water Association Water Awards South Australia in the Infrastructure Project Innovation – Regional category. This recognition highlights our innovative work on the DT-01 Victor Harbor Road Duplication – Myponga Trunk Main Replacement project.
The Myponga Trunk Main Replacement Project set a new standard in the water industry. Tasked with relocating a 900 millimetre diameter trunk water main, the McConnell Dowell Diona Joint Venture (MDJV) partnered with SA Water to deliver this project with minimal disruption to the local community.
Traditionally, such operations require shutting down and draining the main, requiring a temporary water outage. However, in collaboration with design partner WSP, the SA Water and MDJV teams engineered an innovative solution that used line stops and live tapping technology—methods typically used in the oil and gas sectors but applied here for the first time in South Australia on an asset of this size.
The successful installation involved a Horizontal Directional Drill under the highway and testing of two new High-density polyethylene (HDPE) 710 millimetre diameter trunk mains, whilst the existing main remained online. Live taps were performed to seamlessly integrate the new mains, allowing the old main to be decommissioned.
This innovative approach resulted in several benefits:
- no water supply disruptions for residents, businesses or other critical services
- reduced water wastage where possible
- confined works to a 150-metre section
- minimised open trench construction—preserving the cultural and environmental value of the land and limiting traffic disruptions on a key arterial road.
This project exemplifies how techniques from other industries can be adapted to tackle the complex challenges of the water sector, achieving outstanding outcomes for SA Water, the community and the broader industry.
Award winners will be announced in November! Good luck to the team in SA!