Our team is familiar with the processes surrounding consents, and wherever possible, we'll assist you based on our knowledge of these requirements. However, one piece of advice on this issue is invariably the same: always check with your local council even if you're convinced you don't need to.
Only your council can answer this
Only the council in your region can tell you whether you actually need building or resource consent to install a Promax plastic water tank. So, while we welcome your questions and will give you as much guidance as possible, the council will make the final decision on whether or not you need consent. That is not us dodging the question. It is the answer. Anything we tell you is guidance; what the council tells you is the decision, and the decision is the only version that counts once the tank is on site. Treat every other source, this page included, as background reading rather than a ruling.
Rules differ from district to district
Every council in every district seems to have different rules, regulations and policies. What one district permits has no bearing on what the next one does, and two properties a short drive apart can sit under quite different requirements. This is why a single blanket answer to "do I need consent for a water tank" does not exist in New Zealand, and why anyone confidently offering you one should be treated with some caution. The only reliable way to find out what applies at your address is to ask the authority that decides it.
Rules also change
Even if Promax did have all that material on hand from all of New Zealand's councils, it might not be up to date. Councils like to tinker with and change things. The rule of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" doesn't apply to many of our councils. They seem to rewrite their rulebooks all the time. That's why you need to approach your council for the latest guidelines. It also means the age of your information matters as much as its source. An answer that was correct a couple of years ago may simply have expired since, without anyone telling you.
This applies to every kind of tank
The need to check applies to tanks manufactured for residential, rural, commercial and industrial use. The type of property does not change our advice, and it does not change who decides. Whether the tank is going behind a house, onto a farm, or into a commercial or industrial site, the question goes to the council covering that address. The order matters too: consent first, tank second. Sorting the paperwork before the tank arrives is far easier than sorting it afterwards, and it is the sequence we would suggest to anyone. If you want to talk it through, get in touch with our team.
Some councils are easing the process
There is some good news on this front. Some councils are making it easier to install a rainwater tank. It might be a response to longer dry spells and unpopular water restrictions that many New Zealand councils now have to impose. We're delighted to see some red tape removed from the tank buying process. Whether any of that easing reaches your district is, once again, a question only your council can answer. The direction of travel in one part of the country tells you nothing reliable about the rules where you actually live.
The Auckland example
For example, the Auckland council recently announced that ratepayers would no longer need to seek resource consent for a water tank in their homes. Even better, they won't have to pay several hundred dollars for the consent application, making it cheaper to install a water tank. However, you'll still require building consent if that tank is connected to the property's internal plumbing. That last sentence is worth reading twice, because it is the part people tend to skip. This is an Auckland example offered as an example only: confirm the current position with Auckland Council directly, and don't assume it describes any other district.
Where this might be heading
Hopefully, more councils around the country will follow suit. As we further embrace the benefits of harvesting the rain and invest in water storage tanks for that purpose, it makes sense for local authorities to ease up on existing restrictions. This will allow more New Zealanders to buy a water tank, capture the rain, and reduce the burden on the local water supply. That is a hope rather than a forecast, though, and it is certainly not something to plan an installation around. Until a rule actually changes in your district, the rule in your district is the one that applies to you.
Don't rely on hearsay
In summary, when it comes to consent requirements for any tank, get the answer directly from your council. Don't rely on hearsay or the experience of others who have bought a tank; your situation might be quite different, and rules might have changed. So, make the council your first port of call. If your tank will be plumbed into the house, our guides to plumbing layout and council compliance and how tank-to-mains systems work are useful background for that conversation. They are background, though, not a substitute for it.
Once consent is sorted, we'll handle the rest
Then, once you've sorted out that consent issue, we will make it plain sailing to deliver and install the tank you need. That is the part we can be definite about. Sizing, delivery and installation are ours to get right, and we would far rather spend our time on those than guess at a rulebook we don't own and can't update. Contact us for further information and advice to help you make the right decision. Contact the Promax team on 0800 77 66 29 for expert advice on choosing the right storage solution.