Council manages water supplies to support the health and well-being of the community.
Water is an essential need for individuals and commercial operations. Council provides sufficient quantities of potable water for domestic and commercial needs and public amenities. Council water management is required under a number of legal statutes.
The Westport Water Supply is from a creek catchment in the hills behind Westport and is transferred to the reservoirs by a series of underground tunnels and pipes. These tunnels combined, are over 1,900 metres in length and were constructed around 1903, which in those days was a remarkable feat. The water is then coagulated for colour sediment and bacteria removal, treated with lime for pH adjustment, UV for protozoa removal and chlorination for additional treatment of bacteria and viruses.
There are different levels of water treatment in Buller.
Read our FAQs around drinking water in Buller to find out more.
How does Council manages metered water connections?
Some rural or commercial properties have metered water connections operated by Council to connect them to a Council run water supply.
At the point of connection, Council installs a water meter to track water usage. The meter is read regularly, and we aim to complete this monthly.
For further information please read our rural meter water supplies.
What are my requirements if I have a water tank?
Rural property owners have maintenance requirements to operate their water tank system. Please read our water tank guidelines.
What do I need to know about untreated water supplies?
Council operates untreated domestic water supplies in Waimangaroa, Mokihinui, and Little Wanganui. The Granity/Ngakawau/Hector water supply is a community operated supply.
All connections to an untreated supply are subject to a permanent boil water notice.
This means that any water intended for consumption (drinking, cooking) must be boiled for at least one minute before use.
To improve your water quality, and prevent accidental ingestion of untreated water, Council recommends that you install and maintain a water filter and UV treatment system to your line. This system will offer increased protection from bacterial infection for activities like showering and bathing.
As the supply can be affected by turbidity (sediment in the raw water source) you may find that your filters need more regular cleaning and replacement than the manufacturer’s recommendation. The water may also be discoloured during heavy rain.
When you have visitors, or you intend to rent or hire your property, it is important that you bring this to the attention of all people using your water.
The Cape Foulwind supply is intended for agricultural use only and is not fit for public consumption.
How to I apply to install a water, stormwater or sewer services?
If you want to install water, stormwater or sewer services or a vehicle crossing on a road in Buller, use our online or paper application form.
Drinking water is capable of dissolving very small levels of heavy metals such as lead and copper out of some household plumbing and fittings. This is means the water is plumbosolvent.
This applies to all households in New Zealand, including those on public and private water supplies in the Buller district.
Find out more and be in tune with what you need to do.
The Ministry of Health has urged Councils to make residents aware that some plumbing fittings have the potential to allow minute trace metals to accumulate in water standing in the fittings for several hours.
Although the health risk is small, the Ministry of Health recommends that you flush a mugful of water from your drinking water tap each morning before use to remove any metals that may have corroded from the plumbing fittings.
The Ministry of Health recommends this simple precaution to all households, including those on public and private water supplies.
The following disclosures were made on 1 August 2026. Council is charging property owners a targeted rate for drinking and wastewater if they are connected to a water supply.
You can view an overview of the targeted rates here. You can also use our rates look up to find out what the targeted drinking water rate is for a property by using a properties valuation number, street address or legal description.
You can view IFF levies for drinking and wastewater here. IFF levies are other charges that may be charged by Council for drinking water.
We have a policy that governs funding growth and dividends in relation to drinking water which you can read below.
Dividends Policy - Until 30 June 2027
Council is a local authority and does not have shareholders. It does not pay dividends.
Dividends Policy - From 1 July 2027
The council transfers its asset, liabilities and operations to Coast Waters Limited. The council becomes a shareholder in Coast Waters and is the water services provider. The constitution of Coast Waters does not allow distributions (being dividends or any other distribution) to shareholders unless firstly approved unanimously by all shareholders.
Policy for funding growth - Until 30 June 2027
Council currently uses the financial contributions provisions of its district plan to collect contributions for water services.
Council is working with the other two territorial councils and the regional council to create a combined district plan (the proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan or TTPP) for the region. This plan will align the financial contributions objectives & rules across the West Coast.
With the government announcement that they would be introducing a development levy approach, the councils have limited any work on a common development contribution policy for the West Coast. There will be a requirement as an outcome of the RMA Reform to develop a regional special plan – this plan will help guide the introduction of Development Levies.
Where development occurs which cannot be accommodated by existing network capacity, specific developer agreements will be entered into by Council and a developer.
Policy for funding growth - From 1 July 2027
Coast Waters will enter into specific developer agreements where existing network capacity is not adequate.
Coast Waters expects that its future funding requirements for growth will be meet by a combination of the provisions of the governments proposed Development Levies, and specific developer agreements entered where required.
