Wastewater

We own and maintain all of the main sewer pipes, whether they are located on private or public land.

Public land

We own and are responsible for the upkeep of the connection pipe on public land, between the main sewer and the inspection point at the boundary with private property.

We are responsible for the costs associated with unblocking public pipes.

Private land

The property owner is responsible for and owns the connection pipe on private land, from the property up to the inspection point located before the connection into the main sewer. 

Property owners are responsible for repairs and maintenance of the wastewater pipes located on their land, between the building and the inspection point on the private/public property boundary.

As a rule, building over or close to wastewater or stormwater drainage pipes isn't permitted.

However, in circumstances where it is inevitable and provided certain conditions are met, building may be allowed.

Building Over Public Sewers Policy

Blocked drains

If there are problems with blocked or slow flowing drains on your property, then please contact us immediately. We will arrange to check the public sewer and to clear and remove any blockage and clean up affected areas attributable to any failure in the public sewer. There will be no charge for this investigation.

If it is found that the blockage in the public sewer is attributable to any failure in the private drain, then Council reserves the right to recover the costs of investigation and repair from the customer.

If the blockage is found to be within the customer’s private drain, then the customer will have to privately engage a plumber to clear their drain.

Pipe breaks

Pipes may break for a number of reasons such as landslides/slips, excavations and pipe wear and tear. This will generally result in an immediate spill of sewage at the point of break.

If a section of pipe breaks or gets damaged on private land, it is the responsibility of the property owner to repair the damage and pay the cost of the work.

Registered and Licensed Contractors(PDF, 142KB)

We are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of all public sewer pipes. If you think that the damaged pipe is Council owned, please contact us and our contractor will investigate.

Swimming pools and spa pools

Swimming pool and spa pool water should be disposed of into the town sewage system or via irrigation onto your land. For further details, please read our guidelines. 

Guidelines for Disposing of Swimming and Spa Pool Water(PDF, 97KB)

Pump stations are managed by us and can fail for a number of reasons including blockages, power loss or mechanical breakdown.

The loss of a pump station causes wastewater to back-up in the gravity system. All pump stations have warning systems, which alert the operators of failure. As a back-up, pump stations are also fitted with a loud audible alarm and or a flashing orange light.

If you hear or see these alarms, please contact us immediately.

A septic tank connected to a soakage or drainage field is used in areas where there is no connection to Council's sewer.

Property owners are responsible for organising and paying for maintenance of their system. 

Proprietary systems, such as Biocycle or Natural Flow Systems, must have a maintenance contract with the service agent approved by the manufacturer. Regular cleaning and maintenance by a qualified contractor will ensure a septic tank system will last for many years. 

Charges

Drainage firms are charged a fee per cubic metre (1,000 litres) of wastewater discharged into our Kioreora treatment plant for processing.