Waikato District Council will undertake vegetation control in March and April each year. When necessary, spraying will be carried out by a registered chemical applicator in Huntly, Ngaruawahia, Raglan, Te Kauwhata and Whatawhata.
The Waikato District Council manages drainage areas for stormwater throughout the Waikato district. Non-drainage areas are areas outside defined drainage lands, and the drainage on these areas is the responsibility of the land occupier. Stormwater discharges are from runoff water from land and waterproof areas during rainfall. Measures are taken to increase stormwater quality, reducing the change of polluting other waterways.
With regards to stormwater, an owner of land in the Waikato District has rights and responsibilities under the Land Drainage Act 1908. To view the Act please visit this link.
Urban Stormwater Drainage
Stormwater discharges are generated by runoff water from land and impermeable areas during rainfall such as:
- Roads
- Paved streets
- Car parks
- Building rooftops
The Waikato District Council storm water network consists of a collection of catch pits, pipes, open drains and ponds, which collect and disposes of storm water.
The Council has recently installed EnviroPods into catch pits located in large car parks, within some of the Councils recreational reserves as well as in Raglan, Huntly and Ngaruawahia main streets. These EnviroPod filters capture rubbish and pollutants within their mesh screens. This material would otherwise flow though the stormwater system into downstream rivers and waterways. The EnviroPod filters can be emptied of their contaminants periodically.
Waikato District Council levies an urban drainage (storm water) rate in the district’s four main towns – Huntly, Ngaruawahia, Raglan and Te Kauwhata.
Key facts of the urban stormwater drainage network:
- The Council maintains 58 km of piped drains, 9 km of open drains
- Six pump stations are located within Huntly
- One pump station is located in Ngaruawahia
Rural Land Drainage
The rural land drainage serves 33,000 hectares of land throughout the Waikato district.
The Waikato District Council administers 45 active drainage areas. Twenty of these areas are pumped systems and 25 are gravity systems.
Key facts of the rural land drainage network:
- 267 km of open drains service the 45 rural drainage areas
- Serves 33,000 hectares of land
Non-drainage Areas
Non-drainage areas become the responsibility of the occupier of the property.
Outside defined drainage areas, land drainage is the responsibility of the occupier of the property. Waikato District Council has a role in conflict resolution defined by the Local Government Act 2002 and the Land Drainage Act 1908. The Council provides advice on request to minimize problems and conflicts.
Measures residents can take to improve stormwater quality:
- Do not hose chemicals that are used for cleaning concrete or washing your house into stormwater catch pits
- Do not tip oil, paints and other chemicals into stormwater catch pits
- Place litter in rubbish bins as this helps to prevent blockages from rubbish material that enters into the stormwater pipe network