SA Water has employed CCTV cameras for two rail sewer chambers, as part of its ongoing rehabilitation program.
The two chambers are located under the Keswick Bridge, which carries traffic on Anzac Highway over rail tracks, and provide access to a sewer main that transfers sewerage to the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment plant.
SA Water senior manager and infrastructure planning and strategy Dr Daniel Hoefel said $1 million will be invested to rehabilitate around 40 concrete sewer chambers across the state.
“This type of work is vital to sustaining the structural integrity of these assets, and involves using CCTV cameras to inspect the condition of the chambers – allowing the entire structure to be assessed in detail to prioritise those that require refurbishment, with these two in the rail corridor identified as a priority,” Hoefel said.
“Working across the weekend during the temporary line closure, our contract partner, Interflow, cleaned inside the chambers beneath the Keswick Bridge with a high pressure hose to remove any debris or fat from the walls, before applying a protective coating to the concrete.”
Hoefel said regular maintenance is import to prevent further corrosion in the chambers.
“The goal of rehabilitating the chambers is to extend the asset life by protecting the concrete walls from further corrosion by hydrogen sulphide, which is a gas that naturally occurs in our sewers, and over time, has the ability to eat away at the concrete – causing it to potentially collapse and lead to a sewage overflow,” Hoefel said.
“Our crews have now coated the walls with a solution known as calcium aluminate carbonate to preserve the structure, along with replacing steel access plates atop our two chambers.”
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