What is this project?

Most businesses in the existing Hautapu industrial area currently manage their own wastewater through private septic systems. As the area grows and business activity increases, these private arrangements become harder and more costly to maintain. In many cases, they will simply not be adequate for future needs.

We’re building a new reticulated wastewater network which will consist of either gravity wastewater lines or a low-pressure wastewater system, with connections to property boundaries, legal easements, pump stations, and rising mains connecting to the wider Hautapu wastewater infrastructure.

Connecting will be a choice for businesses, not a requirement. There are real benefits to coming on board and we want to make sure every business has the information they need to make a good decision. We also want feedback from current businesses so we can incorporate your feedback into the planning and roll-out.

Why is this needed?

Private septic systems made sense when Hautapu was a smaller, less intensive industrial area. But the area is changing fast:

• more businesses means more wastewater, and private systems can reach their limits
• environmental standards are tightening, and private systems face increasing scrutiny from regulators
• the cost and complexity of maintaining private systems falls on individual businesses. Pump-outs, compliance monitoring, and dealing with failures all incur costs
• businesses planning to expand may find their private system becomes a constraint on what they can do.

A shared network removes these constraints for current businesses and for the future development that is expected.

What will it cost to connect?

There will be an initial cost to connect property to the new network. The exact amount will depend on the property's location and the final network design. For some businesses, there may be ongoing costs, depending on the type of connection.

We are committed to being transparent about costs. If you would like to understand what this means for your business specifically, please get in touch. We would rather have that conversation now than have you make a decision without the full picture.

Once connected, the ongoing operation of the network is managed by Council (and from July 1, 2026) by Waikato Waters Ltd on Council's behalf.