Kāpiti Coast District Council Kāpiti Coast District Council
Search
  • Home
  • Rohe | District
  • Kaunihera | Council
  • Ratonga | Services
  • Ngā Kaupapa | What's On
  • Whakapā mai | Contact
  • Rohe | District
    • Aquatics
    • Beaches
    • Doing business in Kāpiti
    • Maps
    • Our community
    • Our Kāpiti
    • Visiting Kāpiti
    • Arts and culture
    • Civil Defence | Emergency Management
    • Libraries
    • Open spaces
    • Our environment
    • Mana Whenua
    • Aquatics
    • Arts and culture
    • Beaches
    • Civil Defence | Emergency Management
    • Doing business in Kāpiti
    • Libraries
    • Maps
    • Open spaces
    • Our community
    • Our environment
    • Our Kāpiti
    • Mana Whenua
    • Visiting Kāpiti
  • Kaunihera | Council
    • The role of Council
    • Our elected members
    • Our vision and direction
    • Documents
    • Projects
    • Partners
    • Our awards for environmental care
    • Central government reforms
    • Executive management
    • Meetings
    • Delivering for Kāpiti
    • Planning
    • Job vacancies
    • Local elections
    • Official Information Requests
    • Support for Whangārei
    • The role of Council
    • Executive management
    • Our elected members
    • Meetings
    • Our vision and direction
    • Delivering for Kāpiti
    • Documents
    • Planning
    • Projects
    • Job vacancies
    • Partners
    • Local elections
    • Our awards for environmental care
    • Official Information Requests
    • Central government reforms
    • Support for Whangārei
  • Ratonga | Services
    • A–Z council services and facilities
    • A–Z council services and facilities
  • Ngā Kaupapa | What's on
    • News
    • Everything Kāpiti e-newsletter
    • Calendar of meetings and forums
    • Kāpiti Schools Sports Programme
    • News archive
    • Have your say
    • Things to do in Kāpiti
    • Follow us
    • News
    • News archive
    • Everything Kāpiti e-newsletter
    • Have your say
    • Calendar of meetings and forums
    • Things to do in Kāpiti
    • Kāpiti Schools Sports Programme
    • Follow us
  • Whakapā mai | Contact
    • Contact us
    • Follow us
    • About this website
    • Official Information Requests
    • Council facilities opening hours
    • Antenno
    • Social Media terms of use
    • Online service request / Complaints
    • Contact us
    • Council facilities opening hours
    • Follow us
    • Antenno
    • About this website
    • Social Media terms of use
    • Official Information Requests
    • Online service request / Complaints
Search
Close
Hit enter to search or ESC to close
HomeRatonga | ServicesA–Z council services and facilitiesWatersWater supplyWhere it comes fromRiver recharge
Ratonga | Services
  • A–Z council services and facilitieskeyboard_arrow_up
    • Abandoned vehicles
    • Airport noise complaints
    • Alcohol-free zones
    • Bike stands
    • Building
    • Business licences and permits
    • Cemeteries
    • Citizenship ceremonies
    • Community noticeboards and signs
    • Community venues for hire
    • Council reserve leases
    • Dog and animal management
    • Easements
    • Events
    • Fees and charges
    • Fires
    • Fireworks
    • Grants and funding
    • Housing for older persons
    • Litter and illegal rubbish dumping
    • Noise control
    • Official Information Requests
    • Parks and recreation
    • Payments
    • Property information
    • Public toilets
    • Rates
    • Resource consents
    • Roads
    • Rubbish and recycling
    • Streetlighting
    • Waters
      • Water supply
        • Restrictions and boil water notices
        • Your supply
        • Where it comes from
          • Community supply
          • River recharge
          • Private bores
          • Planning for our future
        • Treatment
        • Sources and consumption
        • Metering
        • Leaks
        • Water conservation
        • Water education
        • Water projects
      • Stormwater
      • Wastewater
      • Recreational water quality
      • Three Waters Reform

River recharge

When river levels are low, the River Recharge Scheme means we can take water from the Waikanae River at a particular point, and top the river up with groundwater below the treatment plant. This means that we don’t use bore water in our water supply during dry times.

How it works | Resource consent | Award | Related links |

Bores and aquifersHow it works

The river recharge scheme allows Council to take fresh water from Waikanae River for water supply, and top it up with bore groundwater downstream of the Waikanae Treatment Plant, maintaining the river's ecological balance and required minimum flow.

Council uses eight bores to draw water from the 70–90-metre-deep Waimea aquifer for the scheme, when needed.

This means the taste and quality of the water that comes out of your taps will not be affected by groundwater being added to the river, as it’s not used in our water supply.


Resource consent

Council has been granted a 35-year resource consent to take extra water from the aquifer for river recharge. This consent is until 2048, and means we have a secure water supply for future growth in the Waikanae, Raumati and Paraparaumu areas until 2048. After this time, Council will need to apply for a new resource consent.

The river recharge scheme:

  • gives us a high-quality reliable water supply for Waikanae, Paraparaumu and Raumati until 2048
  • protects the important values of the Waikanae River, Waikanae groundwater aquifer, and coastal streams and wetlands connected to the aquifer
  • is supported by tangata whenua of the Waikanae area, and contributes positively to the relationship local iwi has with the Council and river.

As part of our consent, we have a network of monitoring wells that provide ongoing information about groundwater levels and quality. Sentinel wells along the coast detect any sea water (saline) intrusion into the aquifers, which could degrade groundwater quality. If groundwater levels get too low or increased salinity is detected in the groundwater, alarms will be triggered, alerting staff to respond.


Award

Council’s Waikanae River Recharge Project won Infrastructure Project of the Year at the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) conference in 2014.

This award is given to the council whose infrastructure project has led to improved efficiencies and effectiveness for local businesses, residents and visitors, and has contributed to an economic or environmental benefit for their region.

You can find out more about the project on this video.


Related links
  • Annual water reports

Hot topics

  • Grants, funding and awards
  • Maps
  • Public forum at Council
  • Recycling and rubbish
  • Sources and consumption rates
  • Recreational water quality

Quick links

  • Alcohol licences
  • Civil defence
  • Sports ground status
  • District Plan
  • Responses to Official Information Requests

Services & information

  • A–Z of services and facilities
  • Service status
  • Job vacancies
  • Information for businesses
  • Property information
  • Maps
  • Kāpiti Coast destination website

Get in touch  facebook  Instagram  Youtube

shielded

Kāpiti Coast District Council
175 Rimu Road
Private Bag 60601
Paraparaumu 5254

Phone: 04 296 4700
Toll free: 0800 486 486
Fax: 04 296 4830
[email protected]

page rip
© Copyright 2023 Kāpiti Coast District Council
SitemapAbout this websiteAccessibilityLegal Notices
NZ Government logo