The meter is the line
Whakatāne District Council owns the meters and fixes or replaces them. Your responsibility starts on the property side of the meter. On a shared lane or right of way with several meters, the council looks after the meters and the owners look after the pipes joining them.
Drains work the same way: blockages and overflows on private property are usually the owner's. If you're not sure where the fault is, ring a licensed drainlayer or plumber first. If they find it's in the council's wastewater network, they report it to the council on (07) 306 0500.
The council delivers water through its own business unit, and is still looking at a joint company with neighbouring councils.
Water pressure on the hills and the flats
Water for Whakatāne is stored in tanks on the hill above Valley Road, so the lower your house sits, the higher the pressure. The council aims for between 300kPa and 900kPa. Most homes built before the 1992 Building Code have pipes rated at about 600kPa.
Matching pipes and fittings to the pressure in your area is the owner's job. Where it's too high, the council suggests a pressure reducing valve on the supply near the boundary, and advice from a plumber before anything goes in. See water pressure.
More Whakatāne facts
Most connections are metered
Across the district, 10,819 of the council's 12,615 water connections have meters. Away for a while? The council suggests turning the water off, if nothing inside needs it, and flushing the taps when you're back.
Leak remissions
A high bill from a leak in pipes underground or in a concrete foundation may be reduced if the repair is done within 30 days of the account. Each meter gets one remission every five years.
Keep rain out of the gully trap
The council says too much rain is reaching the sewer, mostly through gully traps, and it can make sewage overflow. On paved ground, a gully trap's top or raised lip should sit at least 25 mm above the surface.
Flat town, busy drains
Most of Whakatāne sits on flat ground between the hills and the river. The council says its town stormwater system, designed for a one-in-ten-year flood, isn't meeting that standard.
Licence check
Ask the tradie for their PGDB practising licence and check the date. Search their first and last name on the PGDB register; a tick or green means current. How to check.
What we would do
If valves or fittings keep failing, or the house sits low on the flats, ask a plumber to measure the pressure before replacing parts one by one. If it's high for pipes your home's age, a pressure reducing valve near the boundary may help the rest last longer. Check your gully traps sit above the ground around them, too. When you know what you need, we'll match you with an authorised Whakatāne plumber who does that work.