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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-05-17 Daily Xml
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SA Water

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:34): I have a supplementary question coming out of the minister's answer. In today's paper, The Advertiser, there is a lovely little photo of a blue man in a little cardboard cut-out—I thought it was quite flattering and not reflective (and I'm going to distract you, I know, Mr President) of your natural body shape but nonetheless it states:

SA Water says increased bursts during this time of year are 'not uncommon' due to temperature changes affecting soil and water pressure.

Can the minister explain what they mean by 'soil and water pressure' during temperature changes and the minister might like to also indicate if SA Water has a delivery pressure guaranteed to every household?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:35): I can't speak for what is written in that esteemed journal of record.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I can't speak to that. What I am aware of is that we have these changes every year. I go on the radio every year about this issue. I was on the radio last year and I was on the radio the year before because when it rains those soils react, and whilst it puts pressure on houses it also puts pressure on our water pipes and that is when we get the peak in the season.

That is the overriding condition that I am aware of. There may well be other conditions that also impact—I would be surprised if there wasn't—but at this time of year that is the overriding impact: that is, the water measure that goes to those expansive clay soils, makes them expand and put pressure on our pipes just like the houses that we live in; there is no difference and that pressure causes ruptures. It always has done and it will do again.

However, the key point is this: we have one of the best-performing water utilities in the country when it comes to mains bursts. The reason why we have one of the best-performing water utilities when it comes to mains bursts is that we invest over $300 million on average every year to refurbish our infrastructure. I was told recently that over $50 million is used just for repairing our breaks in mains, but over $300 million a year for our infrastructure, refurbishment and upgrading. By doing that we are able to have one of the best-performing records in terms of mains breaks—and we will continue to do that. Other water utilities elsewhere do not have those reactive clay soils so they should be doing even better but even with that we still come up near the top of the tree.

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