SA Water has begun the process of re-plumbing houses and businesses in Penneshaw following the corrosion of copper pipes.
Work began this week on the KI Seafront Hotel and the YHA accommodation.
Local plumber Heath Gurney has been contracted to do the work, replacing the copper with black cross-linked polyethylene pipes.
SA Water sent a letter to property owners in February saying it had appointed a loss adjustor to assess damage to copper pipes due to “possible early water quality issues” with the desalination plant. Residents had reported pitted and corroded pipes with pinhole leaks.
Neither SA Water nor its insurer SA Corp would comment on the cost of the remedial work, how long it would take to complete or the chemistry behind the problem.
There are more than 150 separate residential and business premises connected to the desalinated water plant in Penneshaw and SA Water would not confirm how many would need to be re-plumbed. It said the issue did not affect houses built since 2004.
In its letter SA Water said the water quality from the desalination plant had improved significantly since its first few years of operation “and it is important to note water supplied to your property has always been within the 2004 Australian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines”.
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In about 2000, SA Water paid to replace hot water services at many Penneshaw properties, though it could not be confirmed if this was the same issue.
The current repair and replacement program requires all copper pipes – internal and external – in affected properties to be replaced, involving demolition and repair work by painters, tilers and plasterers. The non-UV stable replacement pipe has to be sleeved where exposed to the sun.
“We’re trying to minimise the impact,” Mr Gurney said. “We’re using local tradesmen and working on the accommodation properties during this quieter period.”
SA Water chief operationg offcer John Ringham responded to questions from The Islander by saying:
“We wrote to our Penneshaw customers in February this year to address the issues relating to copper pipe corrosion.
“We are not replacing all of the copper pipes, however since February we have continued to work with the community to full investigate the issue.”