Holiday period opening hours
Over the holiday season, some of our facilities will be closed or have reduced hours.
The new reticulated sewerage system in Ōākura is an alternative to septic tanks. Wastewater is pumped to the New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The system includes about 38km of new sewer pipelines, including a pumping main from Ōākura to New Plymouth and gravity reticulation within Ōākura and five pump stations. The sewage is pumped from Shearer Reserve to Botany Place in New Plymouth via a pipeline along State Highway 45, finally ending up in the New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment along with the city’s wastewater.
No. Existing dwellings may continue to use their existing treatment system/septic tank so long as it is operating satisfactorily. However, all new buildings and also any existing buildings with a defective septic tank system will be required to connect to the new system.
The cost of the private drainage will vary from property to property, and you are advised to engage a qualified plumber to do this work for you.
You will also need a building consent.
Once connected, you must pay an annual charge for the sewer service as part of your rates.
When properties connect to the new system, septic tanks and other treatment systems will need to be decommissioned and made safe in accordance with our requirements (Policy P96-012 states that NPDC “… require the system to be opened up and emptied where appropriate and then filled with sand or other similar inert material or generally made safe from collapse or otherwise by an approved method”).
The exact location of laterals has been marked on-site with a pink or white peg. Contact us for the approximate depth to the lateral.
Please note: The lateral has been installed at the point as close as practical, but on the road reserve side, of your property boundary.
Some properties require a common pipe to convey sewage to the scheme (referred to as common private drains). You will need to make you own arrangements for common private drains and obtain any private easements required.
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Page last updated: 10:33am Mon 29 April 2024