Our customer support office in Dunedin is closed to the public at 4.30pm on 23 December, reopening on 6 January 2025. Our Queenstown office is closed to the public at 4pm on 23 December and reopen on 16 January 2025. All phone lines will be answered 24/7 by our after-hours service during the holiday shutdown period. Wishing you festive and safe holidays!
Our customer support office in Dunedin is closed to the public at 4.30pm on 23 December, reopening on 6 January 2025. Our Queenstown office is closed to the public at 4pm on 23 December and reopen on 16 January 2025. All phone lines will be answered 24/7 by our after-hours service during the holiday shutdown period. Wishing you festive and safe holidays!
Most stormwater isn’t treated before it drains into our local waterways. It’s important to only drain rain and prevent anything nasty getting into our waterways. We need to protect our streams, rivers, lakes and coastal waters.
We need to protect our streams, rivers, lakes and coastal waters.
In our urban environments, rainwater runs into gutters and is collected in stormwater pipes that may feed directly into the nearest waterway. Anything that goes into the drains can end up polluting our environment and poisoning fish, animals and plants. This pollution can also spoil waterways for our own use.
The ORC is responsible for looking after our region’s natural resources, and we have rules to prevent pollution harming the environment. But it takes more than rules – we need your help to look after our waterways and make sure they are safe for swimming in and gathering kai from, as well as being healthy homes for the plants and fish that live in them.
Otago is a big region, and we rely on the public to let us know when and where you see pollution.
Call ORC's 24-hour pollution hotline straight away on 0800 800 033
A wastewater system collects and removes wastewater from your house to a treatment plant. Treatment removes harmful bacteria, solids and other pollutants so that the water can be disposed of, either on land or out at sea, without damaging our health or the environment.
Wastewater includes water and liquid wastes from hand basins, kitchen sinks, showers, washing machines, dishwashers and toilets.
A stormwater system is designed to prevent flooding by collecting rainwater that runs off roofs and paved areas such as roads, parking lots and driveways.
Stormwater isn’t pure water. As it runs over the ground and paved areas towards a drain, it picks up pollutants. So, whatever goes into the drain outside your house – whether it’s poured in intentionally or washed down with rainwater – enters our waterways without being treated.
Some stormwater networks include mud tanks – these filter debris, vegetation and silt from the stormwater and prevent them entering our waterways.
Doing nothing could mean:
Only allowing rain to go down our drains will mean:
Note: The advice offered here is aimed at urban settings where stormwater and wastewater systems are off-site and serve many properties. It is less relevant to the on-site wastewater systems in many rural areas.
Washing cars and equipment on the road or in your driveway means the washwater (and all its pollutants) runs straight into the nearest stormwater drain.
Wash your car on the grass or a gravel area to keep runnoff out of stormwater drains.
If you wash on a lawn, verge or gravel area the runoff water will be filtered by the plants and soil.
Avoid the pollution risk altogether by using a commercial car wash. Their wastewater is either recycled or goes into the sewerage system and gets treated.
Tip your washwater down the toilet or sink so it gets treated in the wastewater system, or divert it away from drains (e.g. by using sandbags) onto unsealed ground.
Work out the exact amount needed to do the job, so you won't have to worry about safe disposal or storage of paint left-overs.
DIY clean-up activities like waterblasting and concreting create large amounts of polluted washwater that can end up in the nearest stormwater drain. When cleaning up around the home, think about keeping the environment clean too!
Lawns, gravel and garden areas are great places to soak up and filter runnoff from backyard DIY
Add some porous paving (which lets the rainwater soak into a layer of gravel underneath) to your yard. Bark, shell, paving slabs or gravel are great alternatives to full concrete paths.
Plant a rain garden in a low-lying area of your yard to filter rainwater. For advice on how to create one, contact your local council or garden centre.
Install a rainwater tank. Collecting rainwater reduces the risk of flooding during heavy downpours and eases the demand for water in dry spells. This water is great for irrigating the garden. If you have a rainwater tank for your drinking water supply, make sure it is safe to drink.
Check in with your local environmental community group. They may have active stormwater projects such as ‘adopt a drain’ initiatives.