Reports from Port Moresby indicating possible strain in the capital’s ageing water supply network have prompted Monash University researchers to point to wider concerns around deteriorating pipeline systems and long-term infrastructure resilience.
Experts from Monash University say the issues being observed in Papua New Guinea reflect a challenge seen in many countries where older water systems are still in operation and materials have reached or exceeded their intended lifespan.
Professor Jayantha Kodikara, Director of the ARC Smart Pavements Hub in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said the way pipelines were originally installed can have a lasting impact on how they perform over time.
“What is unfolding in Port Moresby reflects a wider challenge with ageing pipelines, though the cause depends on the construction practices used at the time. Many older networks were not laid with engineered backfill,” he said.
He noted that in Australia prior to the 1960s, excavated soil was commonly reused to fill trenches around pipes, a practice that can influence corrosion rates.
“Soil density and moisture determine its corrosivity, and variations along the pipe promote the microcell formation that accelerates localised corrosion,” Professor Kodikara said. “Our ongoing research is engineering corrosion-resistant backfill incorporating recycled materials, with promising early results, offering a sustainable means of extending the life of ageing networks.”
PhD candidate Thisara Senarathna said ageing pipelines remain a shared challenge across different regions, particularly where protective coatings have deteriorated over time.
“Once protective coatings deteriorate, buried metal pipes become increasingly vulnerable to corrosion, particularly in aggressive soil environments,” he said.
He added that the issue extends beyond immediate maintenance needs, particularly for fast-growing cities and Pacific nations managing expanding infrastructure demands.
“Similar challenges exist in Australia and elsewhere, demonstrating that this is not simply a local maintenance issue but a broader infrastructure resilience challenge,” he said. “For rapidly growing cities and many Pacific nations, the key opportunity is to move beyond costly reactive repairs and adopt more sustainable, long-term approaches that consider how the surrounding soil environment influences pipeline performance and service life.”
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