Wastewater is dirty water from houses and businesses flushed down pipes into the Council’s system and on to treatment plants that remove solids and then sterilise and micro-filter the remaining liquid for discharging.
Which communities have a Council wastewater scheme?
Council operates a wastewater scheme in the following areas:
- Ahipara
- East Coast (Mangonui/Coopers Beach/Taipa)
- Hihi
- Kaeo
- Kaikohe
- Kaitaia/Awanui
- Kawakawa
- Kerikeri
- Opononi/Omapere
- Paihia/Opua/Waitangi
- Rawene
- Rangiputa
- Russell
- Whangaroa
- Whatuwhiwhi
Council operates one variation to their wastewater schemes – an effluent disposal system (EDS) in Kohukohu.
Campervan wastewater stations
There are a number of wastewater stations for campervans provided by the Council across the Far North.
We can all reduce expensive and disruptive blockages in our wastewater system by following one simple rule: never flush wet wipes down the toilet. Every time you flush the toilet, pull the plug from a sink or have a shower, the wastewater drains into your private plumbing and out to our network.
While the wastewater that enters our network consists predominantly of water, it also contains human waste, food scraps, fats, debris, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Some of this matter can build up in private and public pipes, causing blockages and overflows which can be harmful to our health, harbours and waterways. This is why it is important for all of us to be conscious of what we pour or flush down our private drains.
Commercial wet wipes are a particular problem and have increased maintenance costs and system failures markedly in the last few years.