Wastewater standards

The Water Services Act 2021 empowers us to develop wastewater standards, following public consultation. These standards (regulations under the Water Services Act) may include requirements, limits, conditions or prohibitions on activities associated with wastewater networks, including: 

• discharges to land, air or water 
• biosolids and other by-products from wastewater treatment 
• energy use associated with treatment and conveyance 
• waste introduced by third parties into a wastewater network (e.g. trade waste).

Wastewater standards are a key part of Local Water Done Well, the Government’s approach to addressing long-standing water infrastructure challenges. Approximately 60% of public wastewater treatment plants need to renew a wastewater consent over the next decade, so there’s a big opportunity to make consenting less complicated and costly for communities by establishing nationally consistent standards.  

See more about the case for change. 

Wastewater standards can set clear expectations about required wastewater treatment for communities. Requirements will differ depending on the sensitivity of the receiving environment. Sensitive environments have more stringent treatment requirements, while the requirements are lower in places where the environmental or public health risk is lower – reducing the cost of wastewater treatment.  

The standards will support local councils as they engage with their communities about different wastewater options (e.g. where wastewater treatment plants are located, the sorts of systems used, and where treated wastewater is released) and their affordability. 

The standards seek to uplift wastewater performance, deliver cost efficiencies and provide public wastewater network operators with the certainty they need to plan and deliver essential wastewater infrastructure upgrades – while protecting the health of the public and the environment. 

Through case study work, it’s estimated that national standards could save local councils and the communities they serve up to 40% of consenting costs – potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars – while protecting the health of the public and the environment.  

Proposals for initial standards cover the most common consenting areas. Standards will be implemented through regional council resource consent processes and consent conditions.

For further information:

• discharging treated wastewater to water
• discharging treated wastewater to land
• beneficial reuse of biosolids
• managing overflows and bypasses
• frequently asked questions about the proposed standards