For residential customers, this wastewater charge is taken based on 78.5% of water consumption (95% for apartments), as measured by your water meter. This assumes that on average, 78.5% of the water used becomes wastewater by going down your drain via the kitchen sink, shower, bath, washing machine, toilet, etc.

*Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, the landlord or property owner is responsible for paying the annual fixed wastewater charge. To learn more visit our website. 

If you are a school, kindergarten, daycare centre, church, marae,  community centre, sports club or social club, you are considered a business premise under the new pricing structure. This means instead of paying residential charges, you will now be charged as a business customer.

For business customers your wastewater rates will depend on what industry your business is, and your annual water consumption volume. Depending on the volume of water you use, you will be classed as a Low User, Moderate User, High User, or Industrial User. Each of these have a differing wastewater rate.

We’re proposing updating our water and wastewater charges pricing structure to align with the rest of the Auckland region. This will ensure pricing structure consistency for all customers, irrespective of whether they are in Papakura District or the rest of the Auckland region.

The annual wastewater fixed charge will be split evenly across your monthly invoices.

No. Billing will continue to be on a monthly cycle which alternates between estimated and actual reads.

If you are a residential customer, from 1 July 2024 your bill will include a fixed charge for wastewater. The volumetric wastewater charge will change, and the standard wastewater discharge volume will reduce from 80% of water consumed to 78.5% of water consumed (95% for apartments). 

If you are a business customer, you will be categorised as a Low User, Moderate User, High User or Industrial User depending on your deemed wastewater discharge. Please refer to further information on our website page under Business Customer.

Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, the landlord or property owner is responsible for paying the annual fixed wastewater charge. It is up to the landlord and tenant to agree on who will pay each part of the bill. The landlord/property owner is responsible for the charges at the property, regardless of: 

• any billing arrangement we may have with the landlord/owner
• provisions in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 dealing with liability for water and wastewater charges between landlords and tenants.

Landlords can now opt to receive their bill either by post or email. If a tenant is paying the usage (volumetric) part of the water bill, landlords can authorise a tenant to receive an email copy of the bill. To authorise a tenant to receive a copy of the water bill, please contact the Veolia Customer Services Team on (09) 295 0515 or [email protected] to provide the name and contact details of the tenant.

While landlords may ask tenants to pay the usage (volumetric) part of the bill, under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 landlords are responsible for paying the annual fixed wastewater charge. It is up to the landlord and tenant to come to an agreement on how to pay the bill. 

To receive an email copy of the bill, please speak with your landlord. They will need to contact us in order to authorise you and provide contact details. 

The Auckland aligned pricing structure will come into effect on 1 July 2024.

We have updated the contract to align more closely with the contract applying to the rest of Auckland. Key changes include updates to our privacy policy and our customer complaints process. Some definitions and explanations have also been adjusted to improve readability.

In addition to adjustments to definitions for clarity, we have updated the following sections in the Papakura Customer Service Charter and Contract:

• Customer charges
• Leak allowance
• What is a customer contract and who is covered by it?
• Customer complaints process
• Our liability to you
• Making changes to this contract
• Customer information and privacy
• Definitions and interpretation

You can access the updated Papakura Customer Service Charter (from 1 July 2024) here. 

The annual wastewater fixed charge, paid per meter, contributes to the expenses associated with operating and maintaining the water and wastewater infrastructure in Papakura. These costs are incurred regardless of whether a customer is actively consuming water or discharging wastewater at any given time. 

The volumetric charge contributes towards the cost of water consumed and wastewater discharged by the customer.

The money you pay us in water and wastewater bills go to ensuring high-quality water and wastewater services, including water treatment compliant to the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards, treatment of wastewater, repairs and maintenance and upgrades and replacement of the Papakura water and wastewater networks.

Refer to the section above that details How your new water bill will be calculated of this webpage. 

Under the new Auckland aligned pricing structure, residential wastewater charges are based on 78.5% of the volume of water used on the property. This leaves an allowance of 21.5% for typical outdoor activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a pool, where the water does not enter the wastewater network.  Residents in apartment complexes don’t typically use water for these activities – most water they use drains directly into the wastewater network. There is an allowance of 5% for drinking water in apartments.   

Under the new Auckland aligned pricing structure, a residential property is one where the only activity occurring at the property is living and sleeping. This means that under the Auckland aligned pricing structure, the following activities are now classified as a business:

• Schools and educational facilities
• Kindergartens
• Daycare centres
• Churches
• Maraes
• Community centres, sports clubs and social clubs

If you were previously a residential customer and fall into one of the above categories, then from 1 July 2024, you will be charged as a business customer. 

A residential property means it is used only for living and sleeping. Independent living units in a retirement village are considered a residential activity.

A business property is where activity occurring at the property includes operating a business This includes the business of providing business accommodation. Indicators that a business is operating at the property include but are not limited to:

• signage which advertises the business
• being GST registered
• having designated parking
• having a business website
• requiring potable water to meet government and local government regulations (eg. food hygiene regulations)

Wastewater charges are higher because wastewater requires more treatment than drinking water.

Veolia is committed to ensuring sustainable water services for the Papakura community, and we understand that some customers may be experiencing difficulties or hardship. Veolia's Customer Support Fund Program offers assistance to those in need. To check your eligibility for financial assistance, visit here or contact our customer service team.