Pukekohe at a glance
Bore water, back in service
Watercare's Pukekohe treatment plant draws on two bores at Hickey's Recreation Reserve. Flood damage in the 2023 Auckland Anniversary storm put it out until 5 December 2024; in between, most of the town's water came from the Waikato River.
Building at pace
Stats NZ counted 9,792 private dwellings in the Pukekohe urban area at the 2023 Census, and 341 new dwellings were consented in the year to March 2026, up from 233 in the year to March 2022.
A new sewer for the north
Watercare is building a pump station on Isabella Drive and about 4km of pipe for Pukekohe North and Paerātā, running to early 2028, partly to cut wet weather overflows. It says the Franklin Road pump station has capacity issues.
A flood on record
NIWA records severe flooding in Pukekohe on 21 to 22 January 1999, when three times the normal January rainfall fell in two hours and many homes were flooded.
Before heavy rain
Clear the outside drains
Auckland Emergency Management advises clearing drains, gutters and downpipes before heavy rain. Lift leaves off the gully trap grate too.
Check your address
Auckland Council's Flood Viewer shows whether a property is in a flood-prone area.
After a flood
If wastewater spills from a manhole or overflows on your property, report it to Watercare on (09) 442 2222, option 1. Water lying on your section is normally yours to deal with; a drainlayer can advise.
Pipes, meters and power
Watercare owns the meter and the pipes on the street side of it. From the meter's outlet inwards, the pipework is yours, so a leak under the lawn is a job for your plumber. Landlords cover leaks on rental properties.
If the hot water is cold after a power cut, check which lines company your bill names: Auckland Emergency Management lists Counties Power for South Auckland and Vector for most of the city.
Homes on tank water or a septic system out of town: see water pumps and tanks and septic tanks. Nearby: Waiuku and South Auckland. Across Auckland: drainlayers, hot water cylinders and emergency plumbers.
What we would do
In a new Pukekohe subdivision, keep the plans and the plumber's and drainlayer's paperwork from the build: they are the only map of where your pipes run. On an older section, especially near low ground, look after the outside drains before winter rather than after the first flood. And if you are adding a minor dwelling in the north of town, talk to Watercare before the design is fixed. When the job is ready, we match it with an authorised Pukekohe specialist.