Waste Water

Wastewater is anything that goes down a drain inside your home or business - from your kitchen, to your laundry, to your bathroom.

Council staff manage around 170km of sewer pipes, 18 pumping stations, and 4 treatment plants that make up the District's wastewater network. Each year the wastewater network carries an average 1,860,000 cubic metres of wastewater to the Council treatment plants, where it is treated ensuring that the effluent is disposed of to comply with environmental standards.

Council owns and operates four reticulated sewage schemes in the urban communities of Tokoroa, Putāruru, Tirau, and Arapuni along with four wastewater treatment plants.

All of our wastewater treatment plants have been issued with 35-year consents to operate over the past 2 years by the Waikato Regional Council, a number of upgrades are planned to meet the new consents starting with the Putāruru WWTP in 2026.

Our wastewater treatment plants then remove contaminants so the end product meets safe and legal quality levels for discharge to the environment.

Don't flush wet wipes down your toilet

The only thing that should ever be flushed down your toilet is the three Ps – pee, poo, and (toilet) paper.

Wet wipes, paper towels, and tissues are highly absorbent and don't break down well in pipes – even ones that claim to be flushable. They cause blockages when they mix with fats, oils, and grease that have been poured down your sink.

We aren’t responsible for unblocking pipes on private properties, so if yours get blocked with wet wipes you’ll be required to cover the cost of a plumber.

For more information please refer to the SWDC - Wastewater Asset Management Plan