Stormwater

Rangiora Street stormwater system

Whanganui District Council provides stormwater services through a network of pipes and watercourses that manage natural water run-off during normal rainfall.

The network is maintained to complement the urban area’s environment and amenities. The stormwater system also drains water from roads.

All our stormwater eventually drains into either the Whanganui River or the Tasman Sea, which is why our water systems need to be managed in a way that minimises the impact of urban activity.

To achieve this, the Council physically maintains pipes, watercourses and open drains and also requires privately owned drains to be maintained to an acceptable condition, where necessary, for the wider community.

To encourage landowners to look after their watercourses in the best possible way, we have our Healthy Streams Whanganui initiative in partnership with Horizons Regional Council, Department of Conservation and Whanganui iwi to provide public information on best practice for watercourse maintenance.

Our services include:

  • maintenance and operation of the network and facilities, to ensure functionality and availability of service
  • enforcement of the maintenance of privately owned open drains
  • supporting the Matarawa Flood Control Scheme (led by Horizons Regional Council)
  • supporting the Lower Whanganui River Control Scheme (led by Horizons Regional Council)
  • removal of obstructions within the public network.