Where Waikato Waters' pipes end
| Point of supply | Your side | |
|---|---|---|
| Water, with a meter | Where the meter connects to your pipes | Everything from the meter to the house |
| Water, no meter | The gate valve (the toby) | Everything from the toby to the house |
| Wastewater, public pipe inside your boundary | The joint between your pipe and its pipe or manhole | Your drains up to that joint |
| Wastewater, public pipe outside | Where your pipe crosses the boundary | Your drains inside the boundary |
Leaks and faults
Waikato Waters' customer contract makes you responsible for the pipes, fittings and devices on your side, and says leaks there should be fixed promptly. If a leak is bad, turn the water off at the toby first.
A leak or fault on the public side still goes to South Waikato District Council for now, not Waikato Waters. Ask the council too whether you can get a leak rebate on your side: you'll need a record of the repair, so ask the plumber for one.
Tokoroa facts that change a job
Damp and mould are common
At the 2023 Census, 4.4% of Tokoroa homes were always damp and 23.5% sometimes damp, against 2.3% and 15.8% nationally. Mould larger than A4 was always present in 5.8%. A hidden leak under a floor or in a wall adds to it, so leak detection can be part of the fix.
Half of homes burn wood
48.4% of Tokoroa homes used a wood burner as a main heater, against 28.2% nationally, and 57.1% a heat pump. Where a fire heats the water too, cylinder replacement has its own rules: wetbacks.
Many tenants
36.1% of Tokoroa households didn't own their home or hold it in a trust, slightly above the national 34%. Tenants should tell the landlord or manager about a leak the day they notice it.
Checking the tradie
Every person doing plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying needs a current PGDB licence. Ask for it, check the expiry date and the trade, and search the PGDB register by first and last name. The register shows former licence holders too, so you're looking for a tick or green, not just a name. See how to check.
Around Tokoroa
Putāruru, Taupō and the Waikato region. Who fixes a blocked drain: our guide.
What we would do
Look in the meter or toby box before you ring. If water is coming up on the street side, report it to South Waikato District Council. If it's between the box and the house, it's yours: shut the toby, keep any photos, and ask whoever fixes it for a written record, because the council asks for one if you apply for a leak rebate. Then send us the job and an authorised Tokoroa specialist can take it.