Commercial bulk water filling stations
On behalf of our shareholding councils, we are building new bulk water filling stations around the region to protect public health and ensure safe and secure access to bulk water for commercial users.
If you have any questions about this work, please contact:
Wellington Water, 04 912 4400
We have completed detailed design of a standard filling station. To see a technical drawing of the filling station click here
It is anticipated each site will take about eight weeks to construct and commission.
We have selected three sites in Hutt City that we believe are suitable. One allows for a larger water tanker and trailer to park there and fill up. The others allow for a standard water tanker.
What are the next steps?
- Talk to Hutt City Council to confirm that locations are suitable
- Confirm what formal approvals are required such as resource consent, bylaws for no parking lines or water tanker parking areas, signage etc.
- Complete detailed site layout and design for each of the three sites
- Apply for resource consents for the sites.
What are filling stations and who uses them?
Filling stations are dedicated secure facilities where commercial water tanker operators and other users can safely extract water for domestic supply, or other uses such as dust suppression. Other users may also extract water for purposes such as weed spraying.
Why do we need new filling stations?
The main driver for the project is to reduce public health risk.
Currently commercial tanker operators and other users extract water from approved fire hydrants. This presents the risk of backflow of contaminants in the drinking water network.
Users are required to follow practices to manage this risk including using a backflow prevention device and sterilised equipment.
However, this is hard to police. Wellington Water’s Water Safety Plan has identified there is a risk to public health from poor extraction practices. There is also a safety risk for traffic/pedestrian safety when users park unsafely while filling tankers.
How will filling stations be implemented?
Filling stations will initially be constructed in Hutt City and over the longer-term across the region. The aim is to ensure the filling stations are distributed as evenly as possible so that a station is accessible within approximately 15 minutes of driving.
Filling stations will look similar to this
Users will be able to apply to councils for a swipe card that will activate the filling station. The volume of water extracted will be recorded and automatically sent to each council’s database. They can then invoice the user for the water volume taken.
After an initial period to familiarise everyone with the changes, enforcement action could be taken if required.