Water is essential for life, health, recreation and the environment. In our district water is also essential for economic development - if new industries can not get access to water, they will not come here. This group of activities contributes to the environment and economic community outcomes.
Where do we get our water from?
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council allocates water from our lakes and rivers for household, commercial and industrial uses.
We currently have 14 Water take resource consents to take water from lakes, rivers, bores and other sources in the district. Currently Western Bay of Plenty's drinking water supply comes from groundwater bores. As the water comes from underground sources, it requires less chemical treatment and there is a lower risk of contamination.
We treat, store and distribute water for residential, commercial and industrial properties across the Western Bay of Plenty District.
That water is supplied continuously. We have strict requirements for our water contractors to fix any breaks quickly and cost-effectively.
Western Bay’s Water Supply Network
Because of the District's large geographical area, Council operates the water supply network in three zones: Western, Central and Eastern.
The Western and Central zones are linked to help manage supply during peak demand times. Water is gravity fed from bore fields and reservoirs to lower lying areas and coastal communities. Major side roads have supply pipes boosted by pressure pump stations.
In the Eastern zone water can be moved around to meet demand. Several pump stations boost pressure to serve homes located higher into the hills.
In addition to the water sources, Council’s water supply network includes 10 treatment plants, 24 reservoir and tank sites, 24 booster pump stations and 660km of pipes.
