Redland City Council has successfully carried out a targeted trial of a water supply pipe cleaning process with the rather unique name of ‘ice pigging’.
The name relates to the pipe maintenance practice of ‘pigging’, which involves a scraping device, known as a pig, sent through pipelines to clean them.
Ice pigging uses a semi-solid pig made of ice, which can flow through pipes without damaging them as it navigates obstructions, such as valves and variations in pipe diameter, due to its fluid-like properties.
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Mayor Jos Mitchell said Council’s ice pigging trial occurred in this week at Wellington Point and involved cleaning more than 2.4 km of water main.
The successful trial primarily ran along Main Road, between Birkdale Road and the Wellington Point Recreation Reserve.
“Ice pigging deep‑cleans water mains to help maintain water quality and a safe, reliable supply, and it can be a cost‑effective alternative to repeated flushing over time,” the Mayor said.
“Compared to conventional flushing methods that rely on high velocities and large volumes of water, ice pigging allows pipes to be cleaned with less disruption and reduced risk to the network.”
The potable‑grade ice slurry used in ice pigging minimises pressure stress on pipes while still removing sediment and biofilm.
The process reduces reliance on high velocity flushing, offering a lower risk way to clean water mains while maintaining water quality and system integrity.
Wellington Point was selected for the trial as it is located at the far end of the water supply network from the Capalaba Water Treatment Plant.
Pre‑clean and post‑clean water quality monitoring was used to record improvements.
