Upgrades to Bridgewater’s sewer network in SA are approaching completion.

SA Water says it has finished key elements of the project, including laying over 100 metres of new sewer main and implementing erosion protection along Cox Creek.

The newly installed pipe runs beneath Cox Creek, connecting with a pump station on Ayr Street. It replaces an outdated sewer main, which has now been decommissioned. 

In the next phase of the project, a flow meter and valve will be installed, alongside a restoration of the creek crossing and the replanting of native vegetation.

SA Water’s Senior Manager of Capital Delivery, Peter Seltsikas, said construction had been paused to reassess the placement of the flow meter and valve. 

“This approach ensured we could optimise their design and install them in an area away from the public that could still be easily and safely accessed by our people,” he said.

The flow meter, crucial to the system's efficiency, monitors the volume of sewage passing through the pipe, helping detect potential leaks or breaks. 

Once installed, the final steps will include reinstating the creek crossing by replacing removed rocks and planting native grasses and bidgee widgee along the new gabion wall.

Mr Seltsikas highlighted the importance of positioning infrastructure to work with the natural landscape, as “sewer networks are designed to take advantage of gravity”. 

In this case, the undulating terrain of Bridgewater necessitated the placement of the sewer main near Cox Creek to facilitate sewage transport to the pump station.

Local groups, such as the Adelaide Hills Council and Bridgewater Friends of Cox Creek, will be involved in restoring the broader area, with SA Water funding the native vegetation restoration. Completion of the project is scheduled for November 2024.

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