Whakatāne District Council, in partnership with local fire brigade volunteers, will carry out routine fire hydrant flushing and testing across the Whakatāne District from August to December 2025, between 5pm and 6am daily as per the zoned areas in the map below.
This essential mahi is part of a five-year maintenance cycle to ensure the district’s water reticulation system, especially the fire hydrants, remains in good working order. Flushing near affected properties will take between 10 minutes and half an hour. See below for the schedule of works in your area.
What to expect
- The flushing process removes sediment from water mains, which may cause temporary, minor discolouration of the water supply. During flushing in your area, if discoloured water is experienced, please:
- Run a cold tap for several minutes until the water clears
- Delay laundry washing until water runs clear
- Wash a load of dark clothes first, as discoloured water may remain in hot water cylinders
- After the programme has finished, flush your hot water cylinder by running the hot tap for a few minutes once the cold water runs clear.
Other possible effects
- Slight discolouration of the water may last for a few hours, the water remains safe to drink
- A milky appearance may occur in the water for a short time due to air bubbles, this is harmless and will clear once the water is left to settle
- You may notice a temporary drop in water pressure or a stronger chlorine taste
- If water pressure remains low, we recommend checking your tap and mixer screens for any trapped particles.
Need help?
If you continue to experience water quality issues after the maintenance work is completed, or have any questions, please contact our Customer Services Team on 07 306 0500.
We appreciate your patience while we complete this important mahi.
Schedule of works
Zones: You can see the live GIS map below of where each zone is located.
- Full list of areas and dates
Please note that if these dates change due to unforeseen circumstances or the early completion of previous zones, the council will update the schedule below accordingly.
Last updated: 12/08/2025
Area Zone Approximate no. of hydrants to be tested Start date End date Progress Group 1 Waimana 1 10 18/08/2025 19/08/2025 Complete Tāneatua 2 30 20/08/2025 24/08/2025 Complete Rūātoki 3 10 25/08/2025 26/08/2025 Scheduled Matatā 4 40 27/08/2025 9/09/2025 Scheduled Rangitaiki Plains (Part 1) 5 25 10/09/2025 16/09/2025 Scheduled Te Mahoe 6 5 17/09/2025 17/09/2025 Scheduled Whakatāne (Part 1) 9 40 18/09/2025 26/09/2025 Scheduled Whakatāne (Part 2) 10 70 27/09/2025 5/10/2025 Scheduled Whakatāne (Part 3) 11 120 6/10/2025 23/10/2025 Scheduled Whakatāne (Part 4) – (Heads) 12 40 24/10/2025 31/10/2025 Scheduled Whakatāne (Part 5) 13 85 1/11/2025 14/11/2025 Scheduled Edgecumbe 19 65 15/11/2025 3/12/2025 Scheduled Rangitaiki Plains (Part 2) 20 55 4/12/2025 20/12/2025 Scheduled Group 2 Ōhope (Part 1) 7 60 18/08/2025 31/08/2025 Scheduled Ōhope (Part 2) 8 110 1/09/2025 17/09/2025 Scheduled Whakatāne (Part 6) 14 65 18/09/2025 28/09/2025 Scheduled Whakatāne (Part 7) 15 110 29/09/2025 12/10/2025 Scheduled Whakatāne (Part 8) 16 90 13/10/2025 23/10/2025 Scheduled Whakatāne (Part 9) (Hub area) 17 40 24/10/2025 31/10/2025 Scheduled Whakatāne (Part 10) (Coastlands) 18 65 1/11/2025 14/11/2025 Scheduled Murupara 21 75 TBC TBC Planning