The Stormwater Network
Our stormwater system is designed to protect you and your property from flooding.
Stormwater – often rain – is the water that enters drains outside your home and on the road, and any water that soaks into the ground. Wastewater is anything that enters drains inside your home.
Council owns and maintains 123 kilometres of urban stormwater reticulation in the following urban areas not including open drains.
- Arapuni
- Tirau
- Putāruru
- Tokoroa
There are also a large number of dams and retention ponds located throughout the network to assist in attenuating (holding back) stormwater flows allowing this to slowly drain away following a rain event.
Key Components of our Stormwater Network
Asset Component
| Quantity
|
|---|
Stormwater mains
| 123 km
|
Manholes
| 1,539 no.
|
Catch pits or basins
| 2,216
|
Detention facilities
| 11
|
Service Connections
| Approximately 10,000 properties
|
Heavy Rain and the Stormwater System
In heavy rain, our stormwater system works more slowly.
You can prepare for heavy rain by clearing stormwater drains around your home – if it’s safe to do so.
Don’t be alarmed if you see some water backing up on our roads in heavy rain. People think that means our stormwater system isn’t working, but it is. In heavy rain, roads may struggle to cope with large amounts of water and this is where it can flow onto berms and on properties.
Protect Our Streams
Stormwater runs through a network of pipes before being discharged into nearby streams or rivers.
We have consents from Waikato Regional Council to do this because, unlike wastewater, stormwater does not need to be treated prior to being discharged as it is not contaminated by chemicals or waste. Because there is no treatment on stormwater runoff it is vital that any substances that could be harmful to our waterways are not discharged down our stormwater pipes.
If you see something that you believe is not right, follow the link below to report it.
