Wastewater

Rules 59 to 64 of our Natural Resources Plan, outline the rules for onsite domestic wastewater systems in our region. Discharges to land from pit latrines, composting toilets, greywater, and existing/modified/new onsite domestic wastewater systems are a permitted activity (i.e. no resource consent is required), subject to a number of conditions including the following:

• Limitations on the location of the discharge
• Meeting certain design, operation, and maintenance standards and flow allowances
• Not exceeding daily and weekly discharge limits
• Providing appropriate reserve areas
• Any discharge is located outside of a community drinking water supply protection area
• Any discharge of odour is not offensive or objectionable beyond the property boundary

It is recommended that you contact us to discuss if you can meet any permitted activity conditions for onsite domestic wastewater systems.  

For further assistance, or to set up a pre-application meeting, call 0800 493 734. You can also access forms at our forms and information requirements webpage. 

Rules 65, 66, and 68 of our Natural Resources Plan, outline the rules for wastewater discharges from City & District Council wastewater treatment plants.  

Note: Under Proposed Plan Change 1 (PDF 53 MB) there are some updated rules relating to discharges from wastewater treatment plants or wastewater networks in the Te Awarua-o-Porirua catchment and Te Whanganui-a-Tara catchment. These changes have legal effect.  

Consents for City and District Council wastewater treatment plants (WWTP’s) for populations over 1000 persons held in the Wellington region are outlined below: 

# Application currently lodged to change existing consent conditions

* Application currently lodged to replace existing consent  
Note: The consent decision and conditions presented in the table above are for the main consent associated with the operation of the WWTP.