Wastewater

The On-Site Effluent Treatment Regional Plan sets the rules for how household wastewater must be treated and disposed of to help protect water quality in the Bay of Plenty.

On‑site wastewater systems include:

• Septic tanks and soakage fields
• Aerated (advanced) wastewater treatment systems

These systems are used by properties that are not connected to a public sewer.

Update on the OSET Plan

New rules for managing on‑site wastewater were being developed for the Regional Natural Resources Plan to eventually replace the OSET Plan.

However, these changes are currently on hold following the Government’s announcement to pause regional plan changes until:

• New legislation replaces the Resource Management Act 1991, and
• The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 is reviewed.

Until then, the OSET Plan remains in force.

Sewerage (reticulation)

Many communities in the Bay of Plenty are connected to a public sewerage system (reticulation).

If a public sewer is available to your property:

• You are generally required to connect
• This requirement is set out in section 459 of the Local Government Act 1974

Your district or city council can tell you whether your property:

• Is already in a reticulated area, or
• Is scheduled to be connected in the future.

The OSET Plan includes maps showing some reticulated areas. However, more communities have been connected since these maps were created, so the maps may not show all current reticulated areas.