Stormwater Compliance

Sanson and Rongotea

Council have conducted a Smoke Testing Programme in Sanson and Rongotea to identify issues with stormwater infiltration into the wastewater network.

Smoke testing is used to identify issues in the pipe network such as leaks and damages, or cross connections between the stormwater and wastewater systems. Observers then look for smoke escaping from stormwater drains, which indicates if there’s a potential issue.

In heavy rain events, stormwater is entering the wastewater network and causing overflows and increased flows into the wastewater pump stations and wastewater treatment plants. The additional flow is unnecessarily increasing operating costs as well as making Council susceptible to compliance enforcement action.

The main property-specific concerns Council found throughout the testing programme was downpipes directly discharging into wastewater gully traps, and low wastewater gully traps allowing surface stormwater to enter.

Throughout the month of October 2024, Council will be issuing letters directly to property owners where issues have been identified, alongside photos of the issues that need to be addressed.

The responsibility and associated costs for resolving property specific issues lies with the property owner, and works are required to comply with Council bylaws (which can be found at www.mdc.govt.nz/documents/bylaws). Property owners will in most cases need to contact a local plumber to resolve the issue.

In early 2025, Council will reinspect the properties to ensure the required improvements have been made.

Any queries on this matter please contact Council through infrastructure@mdc.govt.nz with the subject line of ‘Stormwater Compliance Issues in Sanson & Rongotea’.

Examples of the property specific concerns can be found below.