A few early villa suburbs like Devonport and Northcote Point, then mass suburban growth after the 1959 Harbour Bridge, through to the large 1990s and 2000s developments around Albany. Rainwater tanks do two very different jobs in Auckland. In the city, they cut demand on the mains for gardens, toilets and laundry, and help during summer water restrictions. On lifestyle blocks and islands without a reticulated supply, the tank is the water supply, and it has to be reliable and safe to drink. We supply and install water tanks across Auckland: we help you pick the size and material, set the base, and plumb in the pump, first-flush diverter, filters and overflow so the tank works from day one.
North Shore rainwater tanks: sloping sections, clay ground and the bays
Every established North Shore suburb has town water, which makes most tanks we install here for the garden, the toilets and the laundry. The Shore's housing grew in waves: a few early villa suburbs at Devonport and Northcote Point, mass suburban building after the Harbour Bridge opened in 1959, and big 1990s and 2000s developments around Albany. Each wave brings different roofs, sections and access, and that changes how a tank project is planned.
Many Shore sections slope, particularly around the East Coast Bays where the land falls toward the Hauraki Gulf. Building a flat, firm platform into the slope comes first, and the overflow is piped to stormwater so it never sheds water down the bank. On steep sites we look at whether the tank sits uphill of where the water is used, which can reduce pump work for garden watering.
Inland the ground is clay over uplifted Waitemata sandstone, the same soil that made farming on the inner Shore hard. Clay swells and shrinks, so a heavy tank needs a proper base or pad to stay level. Around Lake Pupuke and Devonport the ground is volcanic and generally firm, though trenching through rock takes longer.
Homes from the 1970s and 1980s on the Shore often still have their original spouting and downpipes. Before connecting a tank, we check the spouting falls, outlets and downpipe sizes, fit leaf guards and add a first-flush diverter so the cleanest water reaches the tank.
On consent, the rule of thumb is simple: a garden-only tank on the ground that meets the council's exemption list may be exempt, while connecting to toilets or the laundry usually needs consent, and a mains top-up always needs a backflow device between the tank and the network.
Local tip: On a sloping East Coast Bays section, place the tank so its overflow can reach the stormwater pipe without running across the bank.
For anything else, see our plumbers in the North Shore.
Pricing: quotes are free, and every job gets a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Water Tanks Jobs We Do in the North Shore
- Tank pump setups
- UV for tank water
Water Tanks North Shore FAQs
Is it worth putting a rainwater tank on a sloping Browns Bay section?
It can be. The tank needs a level, compacted platform and an overflow to stormwater. Placing it uphill of the garden can also reduce how hard the pump has to work.
Do I need backflow protection if my tank has a mains top-up?
Yes. Any connection between a tank and the mains needs the right backflow protection to protect the public supply.
Can I drink rainwater from my tank?
It can be made safe with good roof and tank maintenance, a first-flush diverter, filtration and UV treatment.
Water Tanks Near the North Shore
Other Plumbing Services in the North Shore
- Blocked Drains North Shore
- Emergency Plumber North Shore
- Hot Water Cylinders North Shore
- Hot Water Repairs North Shore
- Leak Detection North Shore
- Gas Fitter North Shore
- Burst Pipes North Shore
- Commercial Plumbing North Shore
- Drainlaying North Shore
- Gas Leak Repairs North Shore
- Irrigation Systems North Shore
- Septic Tank Cleaning North Shore
- Gutter Repairs North Shore
- Waste Disposal Units North Shore
- Water Tank Cleaning North Shore
- All plumbing in the North Shore