Auckland drought: Rainwater tank fee slashed to encourage water collection

Wednesday, 24 June 2020

Further water restrictions were imposed as Auckland dams fell to critical levels in May 2020.

A fee on installing rainwater tanks at home has been dropped to encourage water collection in a drought-stricken region.

Auckland Council announced on Wednesday the resource consent fee, that ranges from $600 to $5000 depending on complexity, will no longer apply.

The move comes as the region faces its worst drought on record with dam levels 30 per cent below their usual levels.

Auckland mayor Phil Goff said household rainwater tanks can play an important role in region's overall water conservation, and will ease the demand on dams.

The dry bed of the Lower Nihotupu water storage dam in Auckland's Waitakere Ranges as drought bites on June 22

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A dead Pied Shag’s final resting place on the parched and dry banks of the Lower Nihotupu Dam in Parau.

“It makes sense to capture the rainwater that falls on our roofs, ease the pressure of sudden downpours on our stormwater system and utilize the water for things like watering the garden and washing the car,' he said.

“If only one percent of Auckland’s urban households were to use a rainwater tank in the winter seasons to cover their entire non-potable requirements this could equate to approximately one million litres per day of water over winter being served by rain tanks instead of Auckland’s dams.'

The initiative is supported by a new ‘Do I need a Consent?’ tool for rainwater tanks, launched on the Auckland Council website, that walks people through the consenting process and provides basic compliance advice.

The tool will help residents assess their own situation, so they can have their plans in place prior to submitting their application and reduce unnecessary delays.

Auckland Council's planning committee chair, Chris Darby, said he hoped the move would encourage the installation of as many tanks as possible in homes across Auckland.

“Rainwater tanks don’t just retain a supply of water for toilet flushing, laundry use and outside tapes, they also detain rainfall during extreme rainfall events to alleviate flooding,' he said.

'Using rainwater rather than reticulated water comes with a price incentive of lower water supply charges as well as lower volumetric wastewater charges.'

Residents interested in installing a tank will still need to comply with resource, building and health and safety codes, and use licensed installation professionals where required.

Under Auckland’s Unitary Plan, a resource consent is required when installing domestic tanks to ensure they meet development standards such as its proximity to a boundary.

If a tank is to be connected to internal plumbing to use for toilet flushing or laundry use, a building consent is also needed.

However, some tanks for external water use are exempt from needing a building consent to instal, depending on their capacity, and structural requirements.