Water FAQs
New water service
Location of water service
No water
Low water pressure
Water leaks
Groundwater
- Lime scale removal
Installing a private water bore
Water meters
I would like a new water connection / alteration to my existing water service.
Complete a Water Supply Connection form and submit to Council for processing.
How much will it cost for a new water connection / alteration?
There is no application fee for assessment of the application form.
Costs vary from site to site and are estimated on a case by case basis. Cost estimates are provided to the applicant if the new connection is approved. Only actual installation costs are charged to the applicant when the installation work is completed.
When would an alteration or disconnection of the water supply be needed?
- Building demolition require application to disconnect existing water supply
- Properties requiring a change in water allocation or location of existing water connection.
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The internal water toby is usally located near the front hose tap or outside the kitchen / laundry.
The Council water service is located near the front boundary of the property.
If unable to locate the properties water service contact the Council 0800 486 486.
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Is there water to you outside hose tap?
Yes - the property owner will need to contact a plumber.
No - contact the Council on 0800 486 486
Are there any repairs being carried out by Council in the immediate area?
This could account for water supply being interrupted for a short period of time. Supply is usually reinstated within half an hour.
Is the property cross-leased, i.e. shares the toby with another house?
In many instances one neighbour has turned the water off to carry out repairs and not informed the other homeowner.
If no apparent reason for lack of water, contact the Council immediately - 0800 486 486
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If you have a supply tank on the roof and the water pressure is low, contact a plumber.
If you are on mains pressure contact council, 0800 486 486. It is helpful to council staff if you can provide a time period for the drop in water pressure.
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I have a small leak / dripping tap etc that needs repairing
The Green Plumber program is a Council service for residents who want to improve how they use water without changing their lifestyle. You will get a helping hand with small leaks and professional advice on water conservation. View information about the Green Plumber program here.
I have a leaking water pipe on my property
Council Reticulation staff do not carry out repairs beyond the toby at the front boundary.
If the toby is turned off and the water leak stops, the break is on private property and the responsibility of the homeowner to repair.
If the toby is turned off and the water leak continues contact the Council immediately on 0800 486 486
Leaking toby/fire hydrant
Contact the council immediately to report the leak and it's location on 0800 486 486
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How will I know if we are on groundwater?
Council advertises on the radio when switching over to groundwater.
It will take 1 – 2 days before the groundwater gets through the treatment, storage and pipelines to homes.
Council is unlikely to use the local papers as it take three days from lodging an advertisement and the paper being published.
Is there somewhere I can get information on what water is being supplied?
Yes, online at: www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/WaterUse. The page shows the various water supplies for the District and the source of the water.
How does bore water affect my Hot Water Cylinder?
Groundwater has chemical elements in it that make the water ‘hard’, while the make up of the river water is ‘soft'. Hard water could decrease the life of hot water elements depending on their make and the temperature the cylinder is set to.
What temperature should my Hot Water Cylinder be set to?
The heating element in a domestic electric hot water cylinder set at 60 degrees will last longer than if set at a higher temperature. However to help kill bacteria in your cylinder, don’t set it below this temperature! (Section G12 of the Building Regulations requires hot water to be stored at a minimum temperature of 60 degrees Celsius to avoid the growth of Legionella bacteria).
What happens if the hot water is cold?
Residents should call an electrician to investigate why their hot water is cold.
If the electrician states that the element needs replacing, they should ask for one that is suitable for hard water. These work just as well in soft water, but the metal they are made of seems less prone to problems with hard water.
Stainless Steel and copper elements should not be used in areas that are supplied by groundwater.
Will Council Pay for replacements?
Some elements may fail early due to manufacturing defects and your plumber or electrician may be able to help you if this occurs.
Hot water cylinder elements and jugs do fail, though if soft water, like the Waikanae River water, could be supplied all the time they may last a long time.
Council does not have a choice at the moment over what water to supply residents. The Waikanae River is used whenever possible, with groundwater used as a last resort. If the groundwater from the Borefield was not used then there would be NO water that council could supply legally, and at time the Waikanae River has been so low that any extraction of water would not meet demand from the community.
What about my jug?
Your jug may make popping sounds when groundwater is used.
If your kettle or glassware has a build up of scale or is making popping noises, white vinegar or lime-scale removers are effective at removing scale without damaging your appliances or glassware. They contain a mild acid that dissolves the scale build up.
What would happen if the area ran out of water?
If the community used more water than was put into the system, the pipes would literally run dry.
Not only would there be no water once pressure is lost, it means that there would be a lot of work and time required to purge the pipes of air and get water back to residents. This is not the same as turning off/on a tap at a person’s home.
Damage can also occur to the network that could take days to fix.
Residents would either have to buy drinking water or it may be supplied by trucks.
Toilets flushing, washing etc would all be impacted.
So what’s being done about water supply?
The focus for water is on two major goals.
The first goal concerns additional water supply and storage. The challenge is substantial, with many environmental, social, cultural and financial issues to be considered. Overall quality, taste and smell of water are also of major importance. Construction of relevant infrastructure is expected to proceed in 2012/13 for completion by 2015.
The second goal is the reduction of water use to a peak target of 400 litres per person per day. “Litres per person per day” is a common measure but does not mean that all of this water is used by individuals at home. The measure is an average figure for all users, including businesses, industry, schools, hospitals, councils etc., and also contains an amount of unaccounted for water (UFW) – water lost in large reticulation systems.
This amount is generous by New Zealand standards, but peak use across our district currently stands at around 650 litres per person per day. In the crucial Paraparaumu/Raumati/Waikanae catchment, for which additional supply is required, the peak use averages around 525 litres per person per day (Paraparaumu/Raumati) and around 755 litres per person per day (Waikanae). These usage figures include an amount of UFW. The target set for peak consumption excludes UFW.
More information about our Water Supply Project can be found on Council’s website, www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/preciouswater
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When the water supply is largely groundwater, the Council recommends all or some of the following cleaning tips using vinegar for different items around the household.
- When cleaning glassware, avoid letting water dry to air, wipe it with a cloth (when the water evaporates it leaves the minerals behind and the white scale becomes noticeable). The same applies when cleaning the car; avoid washing the car in the sun and rinse it and dry it with a cloth.
- When using the dishwasher with hot water, the cutlery may show white patches, spots or rings. They can be easily removed by wiping over with a cloth soaked with vinegar (the warmer the better). Vinegar contains a very mild acid which dissolves the deposits and they are eliminated by a rinse and they dry with a cloth.
- Coffee machines: Put vinegar in the machine instead of water (but without coffee). This will remove any calcium or lime “chalky” deposits. To rinse away the vinegar run two lots of plain water through before making coffee.
The same idea can be used to unblock the holes of a steam iron. Put equal amounts of vinegar and water into the water chamber. Turn to steam and leave the iron for five minutes in an upright position. Then unplug and cool. Any loose particles should come out when you empty the water.
- Kettle: In order to “de-scale” a kettle just boil a cup of vinegar in a kettle and then rinse out.
- Plumbing fitting: A quick wipe over with a vinegar soaked cloth will remove the scale. A blocked shower head can be soaked in vinegar to remove the lime scale although it may prove more practical to wrap it in a vinegar soaked cloth overnight.
Take care though as if you use full strength vinegar you may remove more than just the lime scale as the thin metal coating that gives the showerhead its colour could dissolve as well. Try diluting it by adding an equal quantity of water.
- Toilet: A cup of vinegar left a while and then followed by a bit of scrubbing should remove lime scale even from there. Glass shower doors can be rubbed with vinegar soaked cloth and soap residue will disappear.
- Cleaning glass: Either undiluted or diluted with water (trial and error) will remove deposits. Mix a cup of vinegar in a bucket of water and use newspapers to wipe the windows over. Vinegar even helps get the salt deposits off windows if you live near the sea.
WARNING
Vinegar is a mild acid that dissolves lime scale and calcium based deposits. Using vinegar or any chemical product off the supermarket shelf to clean anything make of calcium is very risky as it will dissolve as well.
Please, take care when using vinegar to clean jewellery as pearls will dissolve.
Marble and other calcium based items also will dissolve in vinegar.
Bear in mind that other chemicals are probably more dangerous to our health than vinegar which has been used safely in cooking for centuries.
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To install a new groundwater bore on your property Resource Consent must be sought from Greater Wellington Regional Council first. View information about the Resource Consent process here.
Contractors who install private groundwater bores can be found in the Yellow Pages.
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