The South Australian State Emergency Service (SASES) is deploying a flood prevention system that will replace sandbags in some flood-threatened areas.
Key points:
- DefenCell is a containment system that has been used to mitigate flooding overseas
- SASES will deploy the barriers in parts of the Riverland not protected by levees
- The technology reduces strain on volunteers because the units are filled by machines
The DefenCell technology is expected to provide protection for vulnerable areas of Riverland communities and infrastructure as the Murray River rises.
A DefenCell unit is essentially a large sandbag that is filled using heavy machinery.
SASES Chief officer Chris Beattie said nearly four kilometres’ worth of the product will be available.
“The SES has secured 750 metres at our state store and we have another three kilometres being flown in later this week from India,” he said.
“We’re currently working with a range of local stakeholders, including the utilities and local councils, as to where these products may be best utilised to protect important or high value assets in the Riverland and Murraylands communities.
“We’ve got great cooperation between the state, council and the utilities.
“We’re hoping to be moving very quickly — within the next week or so the community will see some of these systems being deployed into River Murray communities.”
Improving on the sandbag
Mr Beattie said the DefenCell was a temporary flood barrier.
“The structures themselves are much larger than sandbags,” he said.
“Some of the products we’re using are five metres in length and they are a metre wide and 70 centimetres high.”
Despite the size, the product – made from tough, unwoven fabric – is quite light.
Front-end loaders are used to fill the units.
“To actually deploy it is very easy for our people and volunteers because there isn’t a lot of manual handling,” Mr Beattie said.
“Machinery does a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of filling in the barriers.”
J&S Franklin Ltd Director Marc Franklin said one pallet of 24 units would be roughly equivalent to 1,200 sandbags.
Where will the barriers be built?
Mr Beattie said the SASES was examining areas unprotected by levees.
“We do have some critical infrastructure that sits outside of the permanent defence system,” he said.
“The assets we’re contemplating include the water treatment plant at Berri, sewage treatment plant at Mannum.
“Of course, we’ve got a number of areas within the greater townships that we know will get flooded by virtue of where they are located, so we’re working through that priority list at the moment.
“This will be a first for SASES – in fact I suspect it is a first for Australia – to actively deploy this system as an active flood fighting technology.
“We’re very keen to make the most of it and ensure that we minimise the disruption [of the forecast flows] as much as possible.”
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