Water Outages

Manilla Ice Pigging

Parts of Manilla have very old water mains (dating back to 1930s), which has meant there has been ongoing water discolouration issues. Tamworth Regional Council intend to conduct a thorough clean of all the cast iron mains in the targeted area using a process called ‘Ice Pigging’. This cleaning will occur on 21 & 23 March 2023.

In total there are approximately 6.2km of watermains that will be cleaned over 2 days and residents/businesses within the designated area will be without water for up to 3 hours.

The affected area is indicated on the map below. Outages will be kept to an absolute minimum. Tamworth Regional Council appreciates your understanding and patience during these periods.

What is Ice Pigging?

Ice pigging involves the injection of ice slurry (ice pig) into the watermain. Due to the abrasive nature of ice, as the slurry is pumped along the length of the watermain, the ice removes any sediment and biofilm deposits. The ice slurry along with the deposits are then collected into a waste tanker. Whilst it is effective in removing sediment and biofilm deposits, it does not damage the inner surface of the pipe. 

This method of cleaning watermains does require the main to be isolated, and the services turned off at each meter (to prevent ice-salt slurry from entering properties). Due to this, residents will experience minor interruptions to their water supply whilst the work is being completed. The diagram below shows the process of the 'ice pig' being injected into a watermain before being collected. 

As a result of the works there may be a possibility of some discoloured water and/or air entrapment (white water). While Council will make every effort to minimise these, residents and businesses are encouraged to check for discoloured water prior to undertaking laundry or food preparation activities. If discoloured water is experienced residents and businesses are asked to run a tap for a few minutes until the water runs clear.

Any water quality exception will have an aesthetic impact only and will continue to meet drinking water health standards at all times.

For further explanation of what ice pigging is and how it works, click here (PDF 1.4MB), or alternatively watch the video below.

What areas will receive ice pigging?

Map of Water Outages