Waikanae facts
River water, with a recharge scheme
The Waikanae Water Treatment Plant, established in 1977, takes water from the Waikanae River for Waikanae, Paraparaumu and Raumati. In low flows, eight bores in the deep Waimea aquifer top up the river, so bore water stays out of the supply. Fluoride is added.
Private bores
The council says there are hundreds of private bores across Kāpiti, and the recharge scheme may lower water levels in private bores in Waikanae while it runs.
Owner-occupied and dry
In 2023, 69.5% of Waikanae households owned their home and 12.9% held it in a trust. Only 0.6% of homes were always damp and 7.3% sometimes, well under the national 2.3% and 15.8%.
Wastewater and tsunami
Waikanae shares one council wastewater plant in Paraparaumu with Paraparaumu and Raumati. WREMO publishes a tsunami map for Waikanae Beach and Otaihanga.
Bores, tanks and backflow
A home on town supply that also uses a rainwater tank or a bore may need stronger backflow prevention, which stops water flowing back from your pipes into the town main. Every new or relocated dwelling in Kāpiti must also use greywater or rainwater for toilets and outdoor taps. A new bore needs a resource consent from Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Drains and leaks under Kāpiti rules
The council owns the sewer lateral from the main to your boundary; from there to the house it's yours. If a drain blocks, uncover the inspection point at the boundary. Blocked there or on the house side, a plumber clears it at your cost. Clear there but blocked downstream, the drain clearer must call the council first.
Every litre through your meter is billed, so a leak on your side costs you. With taps off, a moving arrow on the meter dial means something is leaking. More nearby: the Kāpiti Coast and Ōtaki pages, backflow prevention, and Wellington's blocked drains page.
What we would do
If your Waikanae home has a bore or rain tank plumbed in alongside town water, ask a plumber who specialises in backflow prevention to check how the two are separated. The council requires some form of backflow protection on every connection, and a second source can mean a stronger device. It's a short job to check and it protects your neighbours' water as well as your own.