Septic tanks

A septic tank is a tank that takes sewage waste from a dwelling and processes it. This is how wastewater is disposed of in the Hauraki Gulf islands.

A building consent is required to install a tank or to make changes to your existing tank. Contact us for more information.

Waiheke wastewater

Waiheke Island property owners are required, by Part 29 of the Auckland City Consolidated Bylaw 1998, to have their septic tanks pumped out at least once every three years.

Auckland City Council, with the support of the Waiheke authorities and community members, enforce the bylaw to protect the island's environment and residents.

Enforcement is part of our ongoing campaign to work with the Waiheke community on improving water quality and ensuring effective wastewater management on the island.

Why tanks need to be pumped out
What you need to do
Consequences of not complying with the bylaw
Costs

Why tanks need to be pumped out

If septic tanks and foul-water disposal systems are not pumped on a regular basis, solids can build up and cause ground-water discharges or unpleasant odours. These can then become public health nuisance issues.

As well as having good effects on the environment, proper maintenance of septic tanks can improve their durability and longevity and lessen any inconvenience caused by tank failures.

What you need to do:

If you have had your septic tank pumped out within the past three years:

Complete the property owner section of the Wastewater management inspection form and submit it, with a signature or receipt from the contractor, to:

Waiheke service centre
PO Box 254
Ostend
Waiheke Island

or deliver it to 10 Belgium Street, Ostend.

If your septic tank has not been pumped out within the past three years:

Please arrange for this to be carried out as soon as possible by a licensed contractor.

Once your tank is pumped out, complete the Wastewater management inspection form and, within 14 days of the inspection, submit it, with a signature from the contractor, to

Waiheke service centre
PO Box 254
Ostend
Waiheke Island

or deliver it to 10 Belgium Street, Ostend.

Note:

If you are not sure when the tank was last pumped-out, you can request information from the two local contractors as to the last time your property had its septic tank pumped.

If you are unable to prove when your tank was last pumped out, we will assume that it has been more than three years since it was pumped and you will be asked to have the service carried out.

Wastewater management inspection form

Wastewater management inspection form (104kb PDF)

Forms are also available from the Waiheke service centre.

To view PDFs download Acrobat Reader from the Adobe website. Further help on how to view PDFs.

Licensed contractors

The following businesses have a licence from the Auckland Regional Council to dispose of offensive waste onto suitable sites.

Waiheke Septic Tank Cleaning Services	Ph: 372 7015 or 278 6563
Green Acres Waiheke Ltd	Ph: 372 7614 or 027 627 1442

Consequences of not complying with the bylaw

If you do not have your tank pumped, you need to be aware that

we are able to enforce the bylaw and property owners will eventually have to comply
abatement notices can be issued under Section 322 [1] [a] of the Resource Management Act
prosecutions can also be made under The Health Act, Local Government Act, and sections of the Auckland City Consolidated Bylaw 1998.
as a last resort, we can pump your tank and add the cost to your rates.

Costs

There is no fee for submitting the information to council.

The cost of having the tank pumped varies, so you will need to contact the licensed contractor to confirm current pricings.

To reduce the cost

You can reduce the cost of having your tank pumped by ensuring that the pump-out contractor's time is spent pumping and not carrying out tasks that you could manage yourself.

You can do this by

cleaning away any debris and foliage from the opening of the tank
fitting a riser if the tank lid is below ground level
providing a watering hose for washing equipment.

Updated November 2007