Stormwater

New Connections	Countryside & Foothills Stormwater Management Code of Practice
Pricing	Private Drains Information - Who owns that pipe?
Project Twin Streams	Disposing of unwanted paint
Locating pipelines	Stormwater pollution fact sheets
CUSSAP	Permeable paving
Education	Assessment of Water and Sanitary Services
Stormwater Solutions for Residential Sites

Stormwater drain Stormwater is rain which has run off the land including the hard, "impervious" surfaces like roads, roofs and car parks. Traditionally stormwater has been piped away from these hard surfaces and discharged into the nearest waterway (e.g - stream, beach, harbour, wetland). Stormwater is usually not treated in any way.

Beneath Waitakere City's streets, there is a complex network of 590km of stormwater pipes which carry stormwater downhill to discharge points. For most of us, the only visible signs of this network are the familiar grates on the side of the road and perhaps the pipes at the local beach or stream.

Why stormwater has become a problem

In the past, stormwater run-off was only of concern as it could cause flooding.

Now, stormwater is internationally acknowledged as being a major source of pollution in the world's waterways. Our modern lifestyle contributes to stormwater pollution, often unwittingly.

Stormwater is contaminated by:

motor vehicles through metals such as lead, copper, zinc and oil washing off roadways (it is estimated that 70% of stormwater pollution is caused by cars)
rubbish such as plastic bags, bottles and other street litter
herbicides, garden fertilisers, rotting lawn clippings
detergent from car washing
domestic animal faeces
illegal and accidental spills/dumping into stormwater drains
air pollution

Stormwater is also dramatically reducing the effectiveness of our wastewater or sewerage system. In the Auckland region stormwater makes up about 40% of the annual average wastewater flow. During times of heavy rain, stormwater leaks into the wastewater network causing it to overload and overflow. These overflows eventually find their way into the stormwater system and our natural waterways. They add to the toxic cocktail already in stormwater and pose a serious risk to public and environmental health.

What we need to consider:

finding environmentally sustainable ways to manage urban stormwater
upgrading the regional stormwater systems
what it will cost to improve the stormwater network.
public transport versus widespread private motor vehicle use

What is being done right now

EcoWater is currently working on wassa - an Assessment of Water & Sanitary Services to look at the best ways to sustainably manage our three waters.

New Stormwater Drainage Connections

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Stormwater/Wastewater New Connection(Size 226K)

Minor Engineering & Works near WCC's existing Networks(Size 368K)

To have your drainage connection installed or for further information, please contact our Call Centre

Pricing

Note: The Water Supply by Volume - per 1 cubic meter (m3) charge has been increased effective from 1 July 2009 from $1.53 to $1.61.

We are currently in the progress of updating this form and a new Fees and Charges schedule reflecting this price change will be available soon.

Note: You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view and print this document. For help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful Tips.

Fees & Charges Schedule (Size 158K)

Find out about Council's innovative project and work with the community to help restore our streams and improve water quality - Twin Streams.

Locating Pipelines

This service entails locating buried service pipes and may attract a charge. Please contact us for more details.

Countryside & Foothills Stormwater Management Code of Practice

Waitakere City Council is committed to a policy of avoiding, remedying or mitigating the adverse environmental effects of these changes to the greatest possible extent. The Countryside & Foothills Stormwater Management Code of Practice (CFCOP) looks at why stormwater must be managed, the adverse effects that may be caused, design objectives and the limitation of this document.

The CFCOP was commissioned by EcoWater Solutions. Depending on the project, EcoWater Solutions or the Auckland Regional Council process permit applications relating to stormwater discharges in Waitakere City.

This document has been divided up into separate sections and can be downloaded individually. It is recommended that you download sections 1 to 3 along with your desired sections.

This is Version 3 of The CFCOP and was published on 29 June 2005.

This document is large in terms of file size and may take some time to download. Alternatively you can contact us for a copy. Please note: Hard copies cost $30 each.

Note: You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view and print these documents. For help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful Tips.

Sections of the Countryside and Foothills Stormwater Management Code of Practice
Cover Page	(Size 155K)
Section A - Application Section 1 - Introduction	(Size 1389K)
Section A - Application Section 2 - Considerations and Effect	(Size 1022K)
Section A - Application Section 3 - Design Objectives	(Size 1026K)
Section A - Application Section 4 - Design Approach	(Size 2247K)
Section A - Application Section 5 - Site Layouts	(Size 2743K)
Section A - Application Section 6 - How to use the Code of Practice	(Size 328K)
Section B - Appendix A - Checklists	(Size 1270K)
Section B - Appendix B - Summary of Analyses	(Size 1066K)
Section B - Appendix C - Recommended Plant Species	(Size 918K)
Section B - Section 1 - Stormwater Management Device Design Details	(Size 1138K)
Section B - Section 2 - Minimising Impervious Areas	(Size 548K)
Section B - Section 3 - Access Roads and Driveways	(Size 926K)
Section B - Section 4 - Planting of Bush Vegetation	(Size 1295K)
Section B - Section 5 - Rain Water Tanks	(Size 1552K)
Section B - Section 6 - Rain Gardens	(Size 3433K)
Section B - Section 7 - Dispersal Devices	(Size 1269K)
Section B - Section 8 - Swales	(Size 1033K)
Section B - Section 9 - Green Roofs	(Size 563K)
Section B - Section 10 - Maintenance and Monitoring Requirements	(Size 735K)
Section C - Section 1 - Background	(Size 4307K)
Section C - Section 2 - Wastewater Management Considerations	(Size 981K)

Stormwater Solutions for Residential Sites

This document promotes methodologies for on-site control of stormwater that are designed to control the effects of development in an existing urban environment. The document was developed by EcoWater Solutions (WCC) and is intended to provide guidance to landowners, developers, engineers and surveyors on the stormwater management methods applicable to urban residential sites located in Waitakere City. In this document "Council" refers to Waitakere City Council.

The document focuses on the management practices applicable to developments on individual residential lots. This includes new houses, house extensions, new garages and driveways. Methodologies described in the document generally apply to residential properties of 1,000 m² area or less.

The intent is that the document will be used by WCC engineers, and applicants for stormwater control for building permits for these types of developments.

This document is large in terms of file size and may take some time to download. It can be downloaded as a single complete document or as individual sections.

Stormwater Solutions for Residential Sites (Size 3M)

Note: You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view and print these documents. For help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful Tips.

Sections of the Stormwater Solutions for Residential Sites Document
Cover Page	(Size 2134K)
Contents - List of Tables Figures and Appendices - Definitions	(Size 130K)
Section 1 - Introduction	(Size 338K)
Section 2 - Stormwater Management Approach	(Size 252K)
Section 3 - How to use Stormwater Solutions Document	(Size 190K)
Section 4 - Minimising Impervious Areas	(Size 188K)
Section 5 - Roof Tanks	(Size 237K)
Section 6 - Rain Gardens	(Size 212K)
Section 7 - Permeable Paving	(Size 363K)
Section 8 - Swales	(Size 250K)
Section 9 - Green Roofs	(Size 247K)
Section 10 - Maintenance and Monitoring Requirements	(Size 157K)
Section 11 - References - Appendix A Checklists - Appendix B Recommended Plant Species	(Size 231K)

Permeable Paving

The recent floods in Waitakere have highlighted the importance of keeping hard areas like roofs, roads and footpaths to an absolute minimum.

Achieving this is often easier said than done but one area where almost every household can help is in the use of permeable pavers.

Hard areas are bad news in heavy rain because they cause stormwater to run-off in volume, at speed and sweep pollution along with them. Wherever rain can soak in, there is the opposite effect. It is slowed down and filtered through the earth.

In fact, that is why there are limits on how much of your property you can cover in impervious surfaces - 60% of your section if it is connected to Council's stormwater drain and only 15% if your property relies on soakage, kerb or stream discharge (without a consent).

Permeable pavers however, give you the best of both worlds: paving where you need it, combined with provision for the water to soak through rather than run-off.

The stormwater problem

Stormwater that runs off urban surfaces (roofs, roads etc) various pollutants as it drains (such as oil, grease and other chemicals) into stormwater pipes and into our streams with little or no treatment to clean it. This is a major source of pollution in our streams and harbours.

Currently some stormwater run-off in Waitakere City is treated in wetlands, swales or other devices. These and other strategies are being used in Project Twin Streams to work with nature to manage and cleanse stormwater. The end result will be restored streams and improve the water quality. Treating stormwater is one of the important ways to do that.

What are permeable paving surfaces?

Permeable paving may include pavers, Gobi blocks, turf blocks and similar, that provide surfaces that water can drain through. It is essential that the paving sits on top of a "basecourse" (free draining metal) which allows the water to continue to drain into the ground. It is also important that in-between the layers of basecourse there is a geotextile (fabric) layer which helps keep the basecourse layers separate. A perforated pipe in the basecourse layer also helps speed up the drainage.

Open pavers are designed to accommodate plants without affecting the structural performance. Not only do these types of pavers reduce the amount of impermeable surfaces on your property, they can also help treat stormwater.

Why use permeable paving?

Permeable pavers provide stormwater treatment by allowing water to filter through the pavers and basecourse into the earth where it's filtered through the ground or collected in subsoil drains before flowing to our streams. They also help reduce erosion in our streams as they slow down the rate of flow of the stormwater which also helps reduce overloading in the City's stormwater system.

How do I construct a permeable paved area?

Where could I use permeable pavers?

Parking areas
Private driveways
Walk ways
Lawns (open pavers)

Is this a costly method?

The permeable paving system is more expensive than normal materials, however savings are made in reduced stormwater pipe sizes and stormwater quality benefits.

Do I need a Council permit or Building Consent?

In general, not for smaller areas of paving (anything over 1 metre wide requires a Consent). However, in all cases, it is recommended to Contact Us.
If you are building a house or outbuilding (shed, garage etc), then this would be taken into consideration with the Building Consent.
If the construction of a permeable area is recommended or required through a Resource Consent, then inspection and monitoring is required by Council's representative during construction and at completion.
As regulations regarding earthworks and impervious surfaces vary within the city, please check with Council before embarking on any work