Reticulated wastewater systems

The Pines wastewater treatment plant. Photo: Selwyn District Council

The Pines wastewater treatment plant. Photo: Selwyn District Council

In most urban areas, wastewater is discharged through reticulated sewer systems. These collect wastewater from a large number of properties through a network of underground sewerage pipes and treat it at a central treatment plant.

Most urban and some rural households in Canterbury are part of a reticulated wastewater system.

Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan rules 5.7–5.8, you should connect to an available reticulated sewerage network where available. An available sewerage network is a community or council reticulated sewerage system where:

  • a pipeline passes within 50m of the property boundary; and
  • the network operator will accept wastewater from the property; and
  • the distance from the network to the building from which wastewater is generated is less than 100m.

Although you are entitled to lodge a resource consent application under rule 5.9, this is likely to be declined, as connecting to a wastewater network is a better alternative.

If you are unsure whether your area has a reticulated sewer system or if it has been scheduled for reticulation, or if you want to know more about your reticulated wastewater system, visit the wastewater section of your local council’s website for more information, or call your local council to check if reticulation is possible.

Where reticulated systems are not available, properties are required to have a different solution, usually in the form of an on-site wastewater management system. 

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