Asset maintenance

Looking after our waters network

Part of being a responsible council involves looking after the district-wide waters network. This means making sure our three waters infrastructure – water, stormwater and wastewater pipes are working as they should.

By looking after these pipes, we make sure water, wastewater and stormwater goes where it should with minimal interruption. We run an extensive district-wide maintenance and renewals programme to help keep these assets in tip-top shape.

Some of the work can be disruptive but it’s all part of keeping the district going. We make sure that when you turn on a tap, clean safe drinking water is there; when you flush the toilet, the wastewater goes away for treatment; and in a heavy rain or storm event, water flows into the drains to help keep you safe.

What’s involved in maintaining waters assets?

Looking after the pipes in the ground is not an easy task with over 600km of water supply pipes, 270km of wastewater pipes and 4,800 manholes, 170km of stormwater pipes, and 3,000 manholes as well as swales, streams, open drains, soak systems and more. We undertake routine inspections and maintenance throughout the Waipā district by:

Inspecting our pipes - we use CCTV cameras to take footage of the pipe condition. Afterwards, we assess and schedule in any maintenance or replacements as they’re needed.

Replacing or upgrading pipes – we replace old pipes with new ones as they reach the end of their lifespan or upgrade pipes that need more capacity. As you can imagine this can involve a lot of work, including locating, isolating and moving existing underground cables and pipes, water shutdowns, minor or major earthworks and sometimes even traffic management.

We also make sure your meters get read correctly at regular three-monthly periods so your water bill accurately reflects how much water your property has used. Find out more about water meters and water rates in Waipa here.