Plumbing facts for Beachlands and Maraetai
No public water network
Watercare provides the sewer here but not the water. Residents rely on rainwater tanks, bores and tanker deliveries, and some are on Pine Harbour Water's private network.
Big tanks, long dry-weather waits
Watercare's surveys suggest most Beachlands homes have rainwater tanks, many up to three, and most have at least one holding over 20,000 litres. In long dry spells, waits of up to two weeks for a top-up have been seen.
Rain getting into the sewer
A 2021 inspection found 88 of about 1,600 properties letting stormwater into the wastewater network, through faults like low gully traps or tank overflows piped into them. Watercare says each such house adds about as much flow as 30 homes' wastewater.
Public pipes relined
Watercare has relined 6.2 km of local wastewater pipe and repaired 85 manholes and 198 household connections, after years of inflow and infiltration problems. The network is more than 40 years old.
Tanks, pumps and filters
On a tank supply, the pump, pressure vessel, filters and pipes to the house are all private, so you choose the plumber and you pay. Watercare warns that roof water can pick up debris and contamination from birds and rodents and should be properly treated before use. Ask how your system filters and treats it, and see our pumps and tanks page for more.
Pine Harbour Water customers should ask Pine Harbour Water where its pipe ends and theirs begins.
Gully traps and downpipes
Watercare's guidance for every Auckland home: a compliant gully trap sits raised off the ground under a grate, and downpipes run to stormwater, never into the wastewater system. A low trap lets puddles in; a tank overflow piped into it does the same. A drainlayer can raise or reroute them.
A blocked sewer or an overflow still goes to Watercare first, on (09) 442 2222, option 1.
Nearby and related
Drainlayers in Auckland, blocked drains and after-hours help. Next door to the west: East Auckland.
What we'd do before summer
After the next heavy rain, walk round the house. If the tank overflow runs into a gully trap, or the trap sits at ground level where water pools, get a drainlayer to fix it: it's a small job, and it's the kind of fault Watercare's 2021 inspection found here. Then check the tank level and the filters, and book any top-up early, before the dry-spell queue builds.