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Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

Miscellaneous provisions - Offences - Offences relating to wastewater networks

312: Disposing of materials or substances into wastewater network causing specified serious risk

You could also call this:

"Don't put harmful things into the wastewater network, or you could face big fines or prison time."

Illustration for Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

If you put things into the wastewater network and it causes a big problem, you might be in trouble. You have to mean to cause the problem or not care that you are causing it. This is a serious issue and the law is in place to protect people and the environment.

If you break this law, you could go to prison for up to 2 years or get a fine of up to $75,000, or both. This applies if you are an individual. If you are a company or a group, you could get a fine of up to $1.5 million. You can find more information about this law by looking at the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025 and similar laws like s 404.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1006758.

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Crime and justice > Criminal lawEnvironment and resources > Food and water safetyGovernment and voting > Local councils
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311: Connecting to or disconnecting from water supply network or supplying water to another person without authorisation, or

"Don't touch the water supply without permission or you might get a big fine."

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313: Negligently disposing of materials or substances into wastewater network causing specified serious risk, or

"Don't put bad things into wastewater pipes carelessly, or you might get a big fine."

Part 5Miscellaneous provisions
Offences: Offences relating to wastewater networks

312Disposing of materials or substances into wastewater network causing specified serious risk

  1. A person commits an offence if they—

  2. dispose of or discharge materials or substances into a wastewater network and that disposal or discharge causes a specified serious risk; and
    1. intentionally cause, or are reckless as to causing, that specified serious risk.

      1. A person who commits an offence against this section is liable on conviction,—

      2. for an individual, to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or a fine not exceeding $75,000, or both:
        1. for a body corporate or an unincorporated body, to a fine not exceeding $1.5 million.

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