Wells, bores & groundwater

Stay within the limits if you want to drill a well or bore, and take and use groundwater without needing resource consents.

Key points

• There are two aspects related to wells and bores - drilling them, and then taking groundwater from them. If certain conditions are met, both can occur without the need for a resource consent.
• A well is less than 20m deep. A bore is more than 20m deep.

What you need to ensure

Drilling for groundwater

You do not need a resource consent to drill a well or bore for water supplies as long as:

• You provide the Council with a copy of the bore log no more than four weeks after completion.
• Any bore is cased and sealed.
• Any bore is more than 50m from any effluent treatment pond, septic tank, or silage pit.
• Any bore is more than 500m away from the high tide mark on the coast or from other water supply bores.
• Any well is at least 25m from the sea, adjacent wells, and any other water body and at least 50m from any effluent treatment pond, septic tank or silage pit.

You must meet all of these requirements. Otherwise, you will need a resource consent.

Using groundwater

You do not need a resource consent if:

• You are taking less than 50 cubic metres of groundwater per day and less than 1.5 litres per second.
• The well or bore is more than 50m from any effluent pond, septic tank, or silage pit.
• You are taking water from a well that is more than 25m from the sea, any other well or a surface water body; or from a bore more than 500m from the sea or other bores.

You must meet all of these requirements. Otherwise, you will need a resource consent.