Preventing blockages and overflows
Maintaining your pipes and using them correctly is the best way to prevent blockages and overflows – both on your property and in the public network.
In and around your home
Kitchen sink
Scrape your cooking fats into your Auckland Council Food scraps bin, if you have one. Don’t pour fats, oils or grease down the sink. They can harden and block your pipes and ours.
Toilet
Only flush away toilet paper and human waste. Use a bin for wipes, nappies, personal hygiene products and other items.
Laundry tub
Only pour soapy water down the drain. Don’t pour paints, pesticides, solvents, motor oil or any other hazardous waste.
For more information, read What not to flush
Private drains
Maintain your wastewater drains. Old and leaky pipes allow stormwater to seep into the wastewater network and cause overflows.
Download our poster - Keeping your pipes flowing
Download our poster - Keeping your pipes flowing
English versionHelp to reduce local wastewater overflows in your area.
Help to reduce local wastewater overflows in your area.
Te reo MāoriĀwhinatia kia iti ake te pūrenatanga o ngā waipara pātata i tō rohe.
Āwhinatia kia iti ake te pūrenatanga o ngā waipara pātata i tō rohe.
Mandarin帮助减少您所在地区的废水溢出问题
帮助减少您所在地区的废水溢出问题
Hindiअपने क्षेत्र में स्थानीय वेस्टवाटर अतिप्रवाह को कम करने में मदद करें
अपने क्षेत्र में स्थानीय वेस्टवाटर अतिप्रवाह को कम करने में मदद करें
SamoanFesoasoani e faaititia le pāpā i tua o vai ua uma ona faaaogā i lou vaipanoa
Fesoasoani e faaititia le pāpā i tua o vai ua uma ona faaaogā i lou vaipanoa
TonganTokoni ki hono faksi'isi'i e hake 'ae ngaahi fakatafe sepitikí 'i ho'mou ngaahi 'ēliá
Tokoni ki hono faksi'isi'i e hake 'ae ngaahi fakatafe sepitikí 'i ho'mou ngaahi 'ēliá
Gully trap
Make sure your gully trap is compliant. It should be raised off the ground and covered by a grate. This helps prevent rainwater or debris from entering the wastewater network and causing it to overflow.
Well-made gully traps collect wastewater from your house before it enters the underground sewer. They have a water seal to prevent odour and stop wastewater from overflowing into your home if a pipe is blocked.
A compliant gully trap
Compliant gully traps are raised off the ground, and covered by a grate.
A non-compliant gully trap
Gully traps that are level with the ground, or have stormwater connected to it, are non-compliant.
Trees and roots
Before planting a tree, check where the pipes are on your property. You can do this using Auckland Council's GeoMaps. You can also check out where public water or wastewater pipes run past your property on our GIS map.
Tree roots can spread 1.5x further than their adult branches and easily damage pipes. Ask your local garden shop or local nursery for advice on a suitable tree.
Manholes inside your property
Manholes on private land are still our responsibility. If you see any spillage from a manhole, contact us, and we’ll have a team there within the hour.
Stormwater downpipes
Check that your downpipe connects to the stormwater network. It should not connect to our wastewater network. Stormwater in the wastewater network can overload it and cause an overflow.
A compliant downpipe
Separate from a gully trap and connects to the stormwater pipes on your property.
A non-compliant downpipe
Connects to a gully trap so the stormwater will enter the wastewater pipes.
On public land
Manholes on public land
We’re responsible for manholes on public or private land. If you see any spillage from a manhole, contact us, and we’ll have a team there within the hour.
Stormwater drains
Auckland Council is responsible for stormwater drains. If they look blocked or flooded, call Auckland Council on 09 301 0101.