Given his involvement in the planning of water and wastewater network projects at SA Water, becoming the South Australian representative for the ASTT was the next logical step for Mr Scott.

Mr Scott said that over the last 5–10 years, the main changes he has seen in the trenchless industry have been the number of technologies and companies available to undertake a project. This has provided a competitive market for these projects.

On the importance of the ASTT

Mr Scott said that the extent of Trenchless Technology available has increased sharply in recent years. He highlights that having the ASTT as a representative body is important for ensuring sharing of knowledge, standards and guidelines.

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“And of course the conferences where networking and display booths provide an abundance of information.”

A trenchless future

Mr Scott anticipates that suppliers and contractors in the trenchless industry will continue to push the boundaries, enabling the once impossible to become standard practice.

“With increasing expectations of our stakeholders, I see utilities being obliged to pursue trenchless techniques wherever possible, even if more expensive than conventional open cut,” Mr Scott said.

Advice for newcomers

Mr Scott urges new entrants into the industry to push the boundaries of existing technologies and to develop techniques for the niche markets.

Exciting trenchless projects

Mr Scott has been involved with many trenchless projects in his time at SA Water.

“SA Water was one of the first Australian water utilities to apply the use of spray lining of drinking water mains. SA Water undertook, what was Australia’s largest swageline at the time, approximately 1 km of 650 mm diameter mild steel concrete lined MSCS in-situ water main in the South Parklands, one of the key mains supplying the Adelaide CBD,” Mr Scott said.

SA Water is currently swagelining almost 5 km of 600 a mm diameter MSCS water main along one of a Adelaide’s busiest roads.

Life outside trenchless

Mr Scott lives approximately 5 km out of the Adelaide CBD and spends his spare time doing anything sport related.