Backflow Prevention Policy

Thank you for your interest, this survey has now closed.


Providing clean and safe drinking water to our communities is one of the highest priorities for Council and is a non-negotiable part of our work.

What's happening now?

We’re proposing a new policy to prevent the backflow of water from private properties that may pose a serious risk to the wider public’s health. When cross-contamination occurs this can carry contaminants including dirt, pesticides, chemicals, oils, and bacteria that can seriously harm people's health.

Through the proposed new Policy, we aim to work collaboratively with owners of high to medium risk properties to ensure contaminated water from their activities doesn’t enter the public supply through the installation of backflow prevention devices on their property boundary.


Not a one size fits all...

The type of boundary backflow device required will be determined by the activities happening on each property and the risk (categorised either high, medium, or low) these activities pose to our water network.


High/medium risk vs low risk

High to medium risk properties include (but not limited to) farming, industrial and commercial properties, and domestic properties with swimming pool, bore, in-ground irrigation system, and some home-based businesses e.g, salon.

Low risk are those domestic connections (general households).

Only medium and high-risk devices require testing, so in most cases there is no ongoing costs to normal domestic connections.

Our proposal

The draft Policy proposes that:

  • All connections to the Council’s water supply network will have a backflow prevention device installed at the boundary to protect the water supply from contamination (this is required in accordance with the law.
  • Council will own and be responsible for the devices.
  • Domestic connections will generally have a (non-testable) dual-check device.
  • Non-domestic connections (farming, commercial and industrial) will have devices that require annual testing to ensure their safe ongoing operation.
  • Where testing of devices is required, Council will do the testing and recover costs from property owners.
  • Council will undertake testing, maintenance, and replacement of devices.
  • Developers are required to install devices in all new developments which will be vested to Council.

We have been working on this format for a while and what we are proposing in the draft Policy is consistent with previous decisions which have been made through the Long Term Plan and Fees and Chargers schedule. We are now just formalising the draft Policy to go forth with installing and the fee and charge for maintenance and want to know what people think.

Have questions?

Staff will be available at the following times below to speak with you. Feel free to pop on down any time between 9am and 4pm.

Thursday 11 May
Whakatāne District Council Service Centre
4 Commerce Street
Whakatāne

Tuesday 16 May
Edgecumbe Library
38 College Road
Edgecumbe

Submissions

We want to hear from you. Tell us what you think – is there anything we have missed?

Submissions close Monday 29 May.

Thank you for your interest, this survey has now closed.


Providing clean and safe drinking water to our communities is one of the highest priorities for Council and is a non-negotiable part of our work.

What's happening now?

We’re proposing a new policy to prevent the backflow of water from private properties that may pose a serious risk to the wider public’s health. When cross-contamination occurs this can carry contaminants including dirt, pesticides, chemicals, oils, and bacteria that can seriously harm people's health.

Through the proposed new Policy, we aim to work collaboratively with owners of high to medium risk properties to ensure contaminated water from their activities doesn’t enter the public supply through the installation of backflow prevention devices on their property boundary.


Not a one size fits all...

The type of boundary backflow device required will be determined by the activities happening on each property and the risk (categorised either high, medium, or low) these activities pose to our water network.


High/medium risk vs low risk

High to medium risk properties include (but not limited to) farming, industrial and commercial properties, and domestic properties with swimming pool, bore, in-ground irrigation system, and some home-based businesses e.g, salon.

Low risk are those domestic connections (general households).

Only medium and high-risk devices require testing, so in most cases there is no ongoing costs to normal domestic connections.

Our proposal

The draft Policy proposes that:

  • All connections to the Council’s water supply network will have a backflow prevention device installed at the boundary to protect the water supply from contamination (this is required in accordance with the law.
  • Council will own and be responsible for the devices.
  • Domestic connections will generally have a (non-testable) dual-check device.
  • Non-domestic connections (farming, commercial and industrial) will have devices that require annual testing to ensure their safe ongoing operation.
  • Where testing of devices is required, Council will do the testing and recover costs from property owners.
  • Council will undertake testing, maintenance, and replacement of devices.
  • Developers are required to install devices in all new developments which will be vested to Council.

We have been working on this format for a while and what we are proposing in the draft Policy is consistent with previous decisions which have been made through the Long Term Plan and Fees and Chargers schedule. We are now just formalising the draft Policy to go forth with installing and the fee and charge for maintenance and want to know what people think.

Have questions?

Staff will be available at the following times below to speak with you. Feel free to pop on down any time between 9am and 4pm.

Thursday 11 May
Whakatāne District Council Service Centre
4 Commerce Street
Whakatāne

Tuesday 16 May
Edgecumbe Library
38 College Road
Edgecumbe

Submissions

We want to hear from you. Tell us what you think – is there anything we have missed?

Submissions close Monday 29 May.