Environment and community

Two children holding trees to be planted.

We care about Auckland’s future and are proud to play an active role in our community.

How you and your family can get involved

In-class school education programme

Watercare Education Programme

In these free science lessons, Auckland schoolchildren take part in a lively, hands-on study of nearby waterways. They learn about the water cycle, wastewater and their local environment.

water saving tips for the home

Be Waterwise

This programme helps our residential and business customers understand their water use, and reduce water wastage.

Protecting the environment

Our services depend on a healthy ecosystem, and we strive to ensure that providing vital water and wastewater services does not come at an environmental cost.

Some examples of how we minimise our impact:

  • We assist environments downstream of our dams through compensation flows and flushing flows to mimic storm events.

  • Our trap and haul programme traps whitebait (juvenile galaxiid species) and elvers (juvenile eels) in downstream river systems and transfers them upstream of the dam. Adult migrating eels are caught from within the dams and moved to suitable sites downstream, to complete their breeding cycle in the sea.

  • We are growing bacteria that help convert nitrogen in wastewater in a very efficient new way. This will significantly reduce our power demand and increase the energy we produce from biogas. 

Helping our customers

  • The Water Utility Consumer Assistance Trust assists our domestic customers facing financial hardship.

  • We offer a free water audit service for residential customers wanting to reduce their water use. We also take part in public shows and events, to promote water-wise behaviour to Auckland residents.

  • We alert our customers to possible leaks in their private plumbing.

Treatment plant tours

We will update this page when we have 2020/21 public tour dates available. 

You can register your interest in tours in advance by emailing [email protected]. You can also watch our videos about water treatment and wastewater treatment

School groups interested in learning more about our treatment plants can check out our free Watercare Education Programme, which feaures a variety of lessons presented by our experienced teacher.

Supporting our community

Trees for Survival

Schools are helping to restore natural habitats.

Waikato RiverCare 

This trust plants native seedlings along the river.

Activities we sponsor

Watercare Coastal Walkway

We give the community access to land in the Waitākere and Hūnua ranges and around Manukau Harbour for recreational use.

We maintain walking tracks, including the Watercare Coastal Walkway around Manukau Harbour.

To learn about other tracks, visit Auckland Council’s website:
Hūnua Ranges  
Waitākare Ranges