Tawa stayed largely rural until just before the Second World War and was subdivided for housing after 1945, with state housing subdivisions at Kenepuru and Hampton Hill in the late 1950s and early 1960s. By the mid 1950s more people lived on the hilly sides of the valley or in Linden than on the old valley floor. Infill housing has since added homes as owners of older quarter acre sections subdivide. A good irrigation system waters the garden while you are at work, on holiday or simply forgetting, and uses less water than standing there with a hose. A bad one floods one bed, misses the next, and leaks quietly under the lawn for months. The difference is in the design and the plumbing at the tap end.
Irrigation in Tawa: watering rules, valley slopes and foehn-dry afternoons
Tawa is part of Wellington City, so its water comes through the Tiaki Wai network and is covered by Tiaki Wai's four restriction levels. At Level 1, sprinklers and irrigation can run only on alternate days, even house numbers on even dates and odd on odd, between 6 and 8am and between 7 and 9pm. At Level 2 they are off altogether and only hand watering is allowed. Levels change through the year, so check the current one with Tiaki Wai, and we set controllers so the system runs inside the Level 1 windows by default.
Tawa's gardens have their own quirks. The suburb stayed largely rural until after 1945, and many homes sit on old quarter-acre sections that owners have since subdivided, which leaves smaller, oddly shaped gardens around infill houses. By the mid 1950s more people lived on the hilly sides of the valley than on the flat floor, so plenty of sections slope. On a slope, sprinklers waste water as runoff, and drip lines or low-flow emitters set in zones by height do a much better job. We map the zones with you so lawns, beds and pots each get the right amount.
Weather adds two more factors. Tawa can be up to five degrees warmer than central Wellington when the foehn effect follows a southerly, which dries beds and pots fast. Wind is the other: one Tawa property LIM records a Very High wind zone, and on an exposed site spray drifts off target. Drip irrigation keeps water at the roots, and a rain sensor can skip a cycle after a wet night. Every system we connect to the mains gets suitable backflow protection, because irrigation lines can draw dirty water back into the supply if pressure drops, and testable devices are checked under the NZ Backflow Testing Standard.
Local tip: Set your Tawa irrigation controller to the Level 1 windows of 6 to 8am and 7 to 9pm, so it is already compliant when restrictions are in force.
For anything else, see our plumbers in Tawa.
Pricing: quotes are free, and every job gets a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Irrigation Jobs We Do in Tawa
- Irrigation backflow preventer
- Irrigation wellington
Irrigation Tawa FAQs
Can I run my irrigation in Tawa during water restrictions?
At Level 1, yes, on alternate days by house number between 6 and 8am and 7 and 9pm. At Level 2 and above, sprinklers and irrigation must be off. Check the current level with Tiaki Wai.
Is drip irrigation better than sprinklers in Wellington?
For garden beds, usually yes. Drip puts water at the roots, with little lost to wind or evaporation, which matters on exposed sections. Low sprinklers still suit lawns.
How often should an irrigation system be serviced?
A check at the start of spring is a good habit: flush the lines, clean filters, replace damaged heads and update the controller schedule.