Stoke facts a plumber should know
Charged by use
Nelson City Council recovers 30% of water costs through a minimum charge and 70% through usage charges, so a leak after the meter shows up in what you pay.
Smaller homes
At the 2023 Census, 24.7% of Stoke's dwellings had two bedrooms, above the 19.5% national share. Stoke had 6,459 occupied dwellings.
Heat pumps and pellet fires
In 2023, 79.8% of Stoke homes used a heat pump as a main heating type, 5% a fixed gas heater and 1.4% a pellet fire. Gas heaters on fixed pipes need an authorised gasfitter for any repair.
Shared wastewater treatment
Nelson City and Tasman District councils run the Bells Island wastewater treatment plant, with its pump stations and rising mains, through a joint committee.
Finding a leak on a metered supply
Turn off
Close every tap and stop the dishwasher, washing machine and any garden irrigation.
Note the meter
Write down or photograph the reading.
Leave it
Use no water for an hour, or overnight.
Compare
If the reading has moved, water is escaping somewhere after the meter. A toilet cistern that keeps refilling is one sign to check first.
Pipes, drains and who to ring
Nelson City Council hasn't published a pipe rule we could read, so ask the council where its pipe ends before a plumber digs near your boundary. For anything on your side, the person doing the work must be authorised, usually with a current PGDB practising licence.
Useful pages: leak detection, blocked toilets, water pressure and gasfitting. Next door is Richmond, in Tasman District, and the city overview is on our Nelson page.
What we would do
When your water bill arrives, jot the meter reading on it. Compare the next bill's usage with the last one, and if it jumps without a reason such as guests or a new garden, do the overnight meter test above. A meter that moves with everything off is a job for a licensed plumber in Stoke, and catching it early keeps the usage charges down.