Other water supplies

People around Auckland sometimes use water that isn’t from our water supply network. There are different water source options to suit customers' residential and business needs, from rain tanks to private bores.

Non-potable water (not approved for drinking)

Non-potable water can be collected from our Penrose site, is used by many commercial customers for construction or house cleaning purposes. This helps reduce pressure on our drinking water supply and can be convenient for work use.

Tanker filling stations

These can be used during emergencies, extreme weather and maintenance so water tankers can pick up and deliver water where it’s needed, providing a lifeline of safe and clean drinking water. We have twelve tanker filling stations around Auckland for use by tanker operators. They commonly supply properties that rely on rain tanks and were particularly busy during the drought of 2020.

Rain tanks and bores

These can reduce demand on our water supply network. If you’re using one of these, you need to notify us, regardless of whether you’re a commercial or residential customer. Often, we’ll need you to install a water meter so we can more accurately measure your wastewater discharge.

Future water sources

As Auckland grows, demand for clean water will keep increasing, and climate change will put pressure on our existing sources of water. We’re working to use water more efficiently however we also need to think about options for alternative sources of water that could be used in the future.

Auckland’s 2022 citizens’ assembly – a group of 37 Aucklanders representing city residents based on age, gender, ethnicity, education and home ownership – recommended purified recycled water as the next source of water for our city beyond 2040. We’re now considering what that could look like. It’s currently being used in 35 cities across the world, with others (like us) exploring it for their future.

Another water option is desalination, which is the process of removing salt and other minerals from seawater to make it suitable for drinking. There are thousands of desalination plants around the world – however, they can be energy intensive and costly. So, at the moment, our best options are to improve our existing water sources and to work together to use water more efficiently.