Reducing the effects of Inflow – you can help!

​Like many cities, Nelson has had wastewater overflows when heavy rain hits our region.

This means wastewater overflows on to land and can get into our waterways. This is really not great news for the beautiful beaches and rivers in our region, that we enjoy and want to protect.

One of the main issues is called Inflow. Inflow sources allow rainwater to enter the wastewater system directly from the surface through incorrect plumbing, cross connections (where stormwater pipes are wrongly installed and connected into the wastewater system or vice versa), and damaged or low-lying gully traps or manholes.

Due to inflow (and other factors), when it rains a lot, the system can’t take all the rain and that’s when we get the overflows. 

Council is already working hard on this and has been for some time. As part of the work, we have an extensive programme of renewals and repairs underway.

But this isn’t something that Council can tackle alone, as we know that part of the problem is coming from issues on private property.

This is where you can help. One of the easiest things to check and fix, if needed, is your downpipes.

Take a look at your roof, where do your downpipes go? They should connect to the stormwater system, not the sewer/wastewater system. If the downpipes from your roof connect into a gully trap, then you will need to re-direct it into the stormwater system.

For more information and other things you can check at your place, visit the website: nelson.govt.nz/inflow