Whyalla facts
Lots of attached homes
At the 2021 Census, 38.9% of occupied homes in the City of Whyalla council area were semi-detached, terrace houses or townhouses, against 14.6% across SA. 56.0% were separate houses.
Renters
39.5% were rented, against 27.6% statewide.
Wastewater since 1966
SA Water's Whyalla wastewater treatment plant was commissioned in 1966, with a second plant added in 2008. Treated water from the newer plant irrigates the golf course and playing fields; the rest goes via a tidal channel to the mangroves on Spencer Gulf.
Water down a long pipe
SA Water's Morgan to Whyalla Pipeline, finished in the 1940s and running above ground, carries drinking water from the Morgan Water Treatment Plant in the Riverland across the Mid North, Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula. SA Water is replacing more than 9 km of it, with completion expected in late 2027.
Shared walls, shared pipes
With so many attached homes, find out who owns a drain before the plumber starts, especially if it serves more than one dwelling. We couldn't read SA Water's own pages on pipe ownership, so ask your retailer where its responsibility ends.
That retailer may be SA Water or, for some properties, the council: the Corporation of the City of Whyalla holds a water retail licence on ESCOSA's register, and ESCOSA says bills from anyone other than SA Water usually mean a small-scale network.
SA rules when a water heater is replaced
| What applies | |
|---|---|
| Relief valves | New temperature/pressure relief and expansion control valves on every new or replacement unvented storage heater, each draining separately over a gully, tundish or other visible outlet. |
| Temperature control | Required only if the old heater had one; always required for solar. |
| Certificate | An eCOC from the plumber within 7 days, because water heater replacement is covered work. |
Licences
Plumbing contractors in SA hold a contractor licence, and the people on the tools are registered workers; Consumer and Business Services administers both. The Office of the Technical Regulator administers plumbing and drainage standards. Ask for the licence number and check it. Our South Australia page and hot water replacement page have more.
What we would do
In a townhouse or semi, start by working out whether the blocked or leaking pipe serves only your home. If it's shared, talk to the neighbours before booking, so everyone knows who is paying. For hot water, ask the plumber to confirm the relief valve drains run separately to a visible outlet, as SA requires.