Wastewater FAQs

Wastewater, also known as sewage, is all of the used water that goes down sinks, washing machines, showers, baths and toilets. It always leaves your premises and is never delivered, unlike drinking water. It consists mostly of water but can include organic matter, human waste, food scraps, cooking waste and debris.

Wastewater drains from a property's internal plumbing into gully traps and private wastewater pipes (also known as drains, sewers and sewerage pipes) on your property, which are then connected to Council's public wastewater network via a wastewater lateral. Once in our wastewater network, the wastewater is carried to a treatment plant for treating. This is a mostly biological system that reduces contaminants prior to discharge into the environment.

Wastewater that originates from the bath and shower, basin, kitchen sink and washing machine are all fine to discharge into the wastewater network. Fats from your cooking should be cooled and disposed of into your rubbish, not poured down the kitchen sink, and all sanitary products, nappies, cotton buds and wet wipes should thrown away in household waste, rather than flushing them down the toilet. These can all cause blockages in the network and wastewater overflows into the environment. Liquids such as paint, oil and chemicals should be safely disposed of via our transfer stations at Waipukurau and Pōrangahau.

If you are having problems with water not draining away in your home or business, you may need to call a plumber or drainlayer to investigate the cause.

We will address any issues that are caused by Council's wastewater pipes, which are generally located outside of private property. Any problems inside private property are to be managed by the property owner.

A plumber or drainlayer should be able to tell you what is causing the problem and how it can be fixed. 

In most cases, locating and exposing an inspection point at the boundary will take less than two hours. If a problem is found at the boundary, you should contact us immediately on 06 587 8060. Under no circumstances is the owner or drainlayer allowed to excavate anywhere in the road reserve.

We own and manage the wastewater pipework up to and including the lateral to the property boundary but we are not responsible for any pipes, fittings or faults beyond the boundary, inside private property. It is the property owner's responsibility to address faults and pay repairs for any issues inside of private property.

If you have any issues with your wastewater drainage, such as the toilet water not draining away or your gully trap overflowing, please contact your plumber or drainlayer for prompt repair. Council will not pay for camera inspections or jet cleaning to determine the source of the problem inside of private property.

Members of the public, plumbers or drainlayers must not lift a manhole lid or enter a manhole, under any circumstances. Manholes can be extremely dangerous and have caused numerous fatalities in the past. Under the Health & Safety in Work 2015, sewer manholes, stormwater manholes and wet wells are designated as confined spaces and therefore must not be opened or entered.