What is stormwater?
Stormwater is the rain water that drains off the land. If not managed properly it can flood streets and pose a threat to public health and safety, property, and have a damaging effect on the district’s waterways.
Kaipara District Council currently manages -
- 63,633 metres of pipes
- 1,096 manholes
- 46,750 metres of open drains
- 6,625 Floodwalls/Stopbanks (Dargaville)
- 5 storage/retention ponds
Please note this information is based on the 2015 Stormwater Asset Management Plan (AMP). The 2017 Stormwater AMP is currently being updated for the Long Term Plan 2018/2028.
Stormwater collects on the roofs of houses and is removed from the roof through spouting and downpipes. The water should then flow to a Council stormwater system (where available), a private stormwater system or a private soakhole within the property.
Every home owner has the obligation to dispose of their stormwater runoff in a way that avoids the likelihood of damage or nuisance to other property. If stormwater runoff from your building is causing damage or nuisance to another property, you will be required to fix the situation and may expose yourself to liability for damages.
This is provided under Clause E1.3.1 of the NZ Building Code E1, which states that “any event that has a 10% probability of occurring annually and which is collected or concentrated by buildings or site work shall be disposed of in a way that avoids the likelihood of damage or nuisance to other property”.
Additionally, it is illegal to introduce any hazardous substances into any part of the stormwater system, as this water is eventually inhabited by wildlife. These hazardous substances can also impact on people when they are introduced into stormwater systems.
You are only obliged to accept stormwater runoff from uphill properties which would naturally discharge onto your property.
What we want to see
To ensure that stormwater flooding and discharge to the environment is contained and managed to minimise impacts on people, property and the environment.
Why we do it
- To protect people, dwellings, private property and public areas from flooding by removing stormwater;
- To discharge stormwater and collect contaminants in a manner that protects the environment and public health; and
- Council’s approach to stormwater management is to minimise the impact on built environments by reducing adverse effects from stormwater runoff on the environment. The stormwater network is subjected to high intensity rainfall events.
What we do
- Kaipara District Council operates five community stormwater drainage schemes for Dargaville, Baylys, Te Kopuru, Kaiwaka and Mangawhai in order to protect people, dwellings, private property and public areas from flooding by removing stormwater and to discharge stormwater and collect contaminants in a manner that protects the environment and public health; and
- Stormwater drainage systems predominantly incorporated into the Roads network are provided in Glinks Gully, Kellys Bay, Pahi, Whakapirau, Tinopai, Paparoa and Matakohe.
Property flooding
If you are experiencing frequent flooding, particularly if it involves living areas, please contact us. Factors such as climate change, infill housing, aging stormwater systems and overgrown drains may all impact on the ability of the stormwater systems to handle rainfall events.
Stormwater responsibility
We are responsible for stormwater downstream from your property boundary (with the exception of some rural areas where this responsibility lies with the Northland Regional Council). Any stormwater problems within a property boundary are the responsibility of the property owner.
Connecting to the stormwater network
If you wish to connect to the stormwater system you must fill out an application for Public Utility Service Connection/Disconnection form and return it to us.
The level of service
- To provide stormwater drainage systems in urban areas with the capacity to drain water from normal rainfall events and cope with a 1 in 10 year rain event;
- Where stormwater drainage systems exist, to comply with Resource Consent conditions; and
- Services to customers from the five community drainage schemes will be reliable and dependable.
Note: It is to be noted that the Council does not manage stormwater drainage on State Highways. Stormwater drainage management does not include floodwaters from rivers or land drainage.
