Papakura Customer Information

The point of supply is the delineation between Veolia’s responsibility and your own private network.

Water supply

Our responsibility for supplying water to you extends up to the outlet of the water meter serving your property. The privately owned service pipe begins at the face of the water meter and includes any coupling or fitting used to connect to the water meter. A typical situation is shown in the diagram below.
 

Wastewater

Our responsibility for wastewater and trade waste starts at the connection point between the public wastewater system and your connection pipe.

Low Pressure Sewer System

Our responsibility for low pressure sewer systems is illustrated in the following diagram.

Water Meters

Veolia uses a metering system to determine water usage. The meter records all water entering your property and a reading is taken on a regular basis for accurate billing. Your water meter can also be used to monitor your consumption and check for water leakage.
 

How to read your water meter

On your meter read the black figures only. The black figures show the number of thousands of litres of water used.
Note: water meters may have three or four red numbers.
 

How much water do I use?

To monitor your water usage, read your meter at the same time each week and write down the readings. Subtract the previous reading from the current amount and the difference is your water usage. An average household of three people uses around four kilolitres (4,000 litres) a week.
 

Meter readings and inaccurate readings

At Veolia, we always aim to take care and protect your property when reading meters. When a reading shows that your water usage has increased significantly in comparison to previous consumption periods, we will alert you to this in writing.

Our meters and all readings taken from them will be treated as accurate unless you or we can show otherwise. You can contact us and request a test of the meter monitoring water supply to you. We will have the meter independently tested as soon as possible and the results will be sent to you.

• If the meter is found to be reading more than two per cent fast, we will refund in full the amount you have been overcharged as a result of the defect.
• If the meter is reading slow, we will not seek repayment for the amount you have been undercharged, however, we will replace the water meter.

If the results indicate the meter is measuring accurately, you will be charged a service fee for the meter test. The amount of this fee is outlined in our current charges schedules for Business Charges or Residential Charges. If the results indicate the meter is giving inaccurate readings, the meter testing is free of charge.

Veolia will be replacing ageing water meters in the Papakura District as part of an ongoing asset renewal program. 
Water meters are an essential part of Veolia’s water network. Your water charges are based on water volumes recorded by the meter serving your property. Over time, these meters wear down and need to be replaced. 
 

Residential meters 

Not all residential meters will need to be replaced during this time. Should your meter need replacing, a member of our team will visit your house during business hours. You don’t need to be at home or do anything to prepare, but please keep your meter box free of obstruction so we can access the meter. 
The replacement takes approximately 30 minutes, during which time your water supply will be turned off. Before we carry out any work, we will check whether you’re at home to make sure the timing is convenient. 
Once the meter has been installed, we may need to enter your property to flush an outside tap for around five to 10 seconds. If you’re not at home when we visit, we’ll leave a card in your mailbox to let you know the replacement work has been completed. 

Commercial and Industrial meters

For commercial and Industrial meters, a member of our team will contact you beforehand to determine a convenient time to change the water meter.    
 

Why are we changing water meters?  
Water meters record how much water is used by residents and businesses. Meters slow down and become less accurate as they age. The replacement will improve the accuracy of your water bills.

Will every properties water meter on the street be replaced at the same time? 
No, your meter will only need to be replaced when it has met the threshold criteria. It depends on your meter age and the volume of water that has been consumed through it.

How will I know when my water meter is going to be replaced? 
We will notify you of our intention to replace your water meter by post  
A Veolia Operator  will visit your home to replace your meter. If the timing of the visit is inconvenient, our staff member will arrange to come back at a time that suits you. 

Will my water bill be affected? 
Possibly. Meters tend to run slower and lose accuracy over time. The new water meter will accurately measure the water that you use so you may see an increase or decrease in your water bill. 
If your meter has been replaced, you will receive an invoice showing the “Reason for Reading” as “METER REPLACE”. The invoice will show the final reading of the replaced meter.. If you have a direct debit in place, normal direct debit arrangements will apply to this invoice.

Will my water service be interrupted during the installation? 
Yes, but only briefly – typically 15 to 30 minutes. When your water service is restored you may experience a brief period of air or discolored water. Our operator will run the water through an outside tap to flush this out and ensure the meter is working correctly. If you experience any water quality issues, in most cases briefly running your cold water for several minutes will clear it up. If you have any issues with your water supply after the meter has been replaced, please contact us and we will investigate it.

Did my meter have to be replaced?  
Yes. Water meters are owned by Veolia, not the property owner, and are being replaced as part of our asset renewal programme. 

Will I be charged for the replacement? 
There is no fee for the new meter. 

Who do I contact about my meter replacement? 
If you have any queries, please call our Customer Services Team on (09) 295 0515

Network Faults and Disruptions

Interruptions to the water supply

Planned
Sometimes short interruptions to the water supply are necessary to carry out essential planned work. When this happens, we will notify you by mail, in person or through the media, at least three days in advance. To minimise any inconvenience, work will always be planned to ensure the water supply is turned off for the shortest possible time. Where practical, we will plan our repairs to off peak periods between 9am and 4pm.

Unplanned
We operate a 24 hour a day, seven days per week, 365 days a year service to enable us to attend to unplanned interruptions to your water supply. We aim to respond within one hour and restore supply within three hours.
Where your supply is interrupted because of an emergency, such as a burst water main, we will wherever possible tell you how long it will take to restore your water supply.
> Report a fault
 

Wastewater Faults

Overflows/blockages in a wastewater main
Pipe blockages can be caused from a build-up of food scraps, fats or cooking oil being put down the kitchen sink or by tree roots intruding into the pipe searching for water.

We aim to respond within one hour and restore services within three hours. If in the unlikely case there is any damage for which we are responsible for, we will rectify this.
 
You are responsible for clearing any blockages in your private drain.
> 

Stormwater

Unfortunately, we cannot help with storm water drainage problems, such as damaged or missing large manhole covers or flooding. If you need to report a problem with stormwater drainage, please contact the Auckland Council.
 

Problems with your water meter installation

If any component within the water meter box gets damaged, please contact us and we will arrange to come and fix it for you. Usually there is no charge for this service.

Water Leaks

Each year a percentage of water fails to reach customers’ taps. A proportion of this is due to water leaks in our network.  Keeping us informed about leaks you come across in our supply area ensures we’re able to put them right as soon as possible.

Report a leak
Please contact us on (09) 295 0515 if you know about a leak. If the leak is on your property, it may be your responsibility to fix it.

Check for Leaks
If you think you may have a water leak follow these steps:

1. Locate your meter and note down the numbers on the display.
2. Make sure all water services are off (not being used). Do not turn off the gate valve at the meter.
3. After a period of non-consumption (4-5 hours) go back to the meter and note down the numbers on the display.
4. Compare this number against the number first noted in step 1. If the numbers are different, then you may have a leak. Contact a plumber to assess the situation further.

The most common leaks occur through having:

• Worn tap washers
• Running or leaking toilet cisterns
• A faulty hot water system overflow
• Leaking pipes in the house
• Leaking pipes underground between the meter and the house

Leaks in or around the home are your responsibility and should be repaired as soon as possible by a reputable plumber. The water meters installed in the Papakura region are manufactured to a very high quality and provide a reliable, accurate measure of water consumption.

Leakage allowance
Should you experience water loss due to a concealed leak, we will consider your written application, and subject to certain conditions, provide a one-off adjustment to your account. This does not generally apply to faulty internal plumbing such as leaking taps, toilet cisterns and hot water overflow systems.
> Apply for a leak allowance