The Waikato District Council provides eight localised wastewater networks that service areas of the Waikato district in order to ensure wastewater quality meets environmental standards. There are regulations and rules property owners and industries must follow to effectively treat their wastewater.
Key facts about the Waikato District Council’s wastewater reticulation network:
- The Council maintains 195km of reticulated pipelines
- 7,400 properties are provided with this reticulated wastewater service
- The Council operates 74 waste water pumping stations
- The Council operates eight wastewater treatment plants in total
Wastewater
Wastewater includes the water you flush down your toilet and the water that drains from your bath, sink, washing machine and other domestic sources. Businesses and industrial activities are also producers of wastewater.
Wastewater is made up of 99% water and the remaining 1% consists of:
- Human waste and food scraps
- Heavy metals – lead, zinc, copper
- Debris – sand, wood, plastic
- Oil and grease
The Council provides eight localised wastewater networks that service the various areas of the Waikato district.
The Huntly and Ngaruawahia wastewater treatment plants are currently being upgraded. The Raglan and Te Kauwhata plants have been recently upgraded. This is to ensure our wastewater quality continues to meet environmental requirements.
The Council’s Maramarua, Matangi and Te Kowhai wastewater treatment plants operate through a recirculating sand filter system.
The Huntly, Meremere, Ngaruawahia, Raglan and Te Kauwhata wastewater treatment plants operate using an oxidation pond system.
Find out more about the Raglan Wastewater Treatment Plant here.
Trade Waste
The Waikato District Council requires industries that are potentially releasing hazardous substances into the Council wastewater pipe network to apply for Trade Waste Consent. This consent outlines the treatment processes that must be done to the trade waste material before it is to be released into the wastewater network.
All industries must comply with the consent if they want to use the waste water network.
Septic Tanks
The owner of a property containing a septic tank waste water disposal system must have their tank pumped out every three years. This waste material is removed by a contractor and disposed of at the wastewater treatment plants located at Huntly and Raglan. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure this is arranged and carried out. This is required to ensure the septic tanks continue to efficiently treat domestic wastewater from these households.
Infiltration
Infiltration occurs when stormwater enters into the Council’s wastewater network. Infiltration can be caused by incorrectly plumbed downpipes, damaged pipe work or overflows into gully traps. These overflows can pose health risks to the public and cause problems at Council pump station sites. Stormwater from homeowner’s property must not enter the Council’s wastewater network. Homeowners are to ensure their gully traps are high enough to prevent surface water flows entering the wastewater system and their roof-down pipes do not lead directly into the wastewater system or their gully trap.
 |
 |
| Raglan Wastewater Treatment Plant – Oxidation Pond |
Ngaruawahia Wastewater Treatment Plant – Oxidation Pond |