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WCC, Private drainage connection application plans
Descriptive Data
Archives Identifier00432Date Range1892-1992DescriptionThis series contains the plans and documentation that relate to applications made for private drainage connections. They date from 1892 through to 1992 and show the connection of drains from buildings to the public drainage system. The series contains plans for demolished buildings as well as buildings that are still standing.
In 1892 the City Council began construction of a city-wide drainage system and started to receive applications for connections to it from owners of various buildings. In 1894 the Wellington City Drainage Empowering Act was passed giving the Council the power to require owners to connect to the new sewers and required the separation of stormwater from sewage. The Council set up a Drainage Permit system to control the plans submitted. This was separate from a Building Permit, which was also required if new construction work was being carried out.
It is unknown how the plans were organised originally, but at some point the plans were placed into orange folders. Each building had a folder that all drainage plans would be filed onto and each folder had a unique ‘Drainage Plan Number’. Up until 1975 a running number sequence was used, numbering from 1 to 43558. From 1975-1997 the permit number has a two digit year reference and a running number (eg the 35th permit for 1979 is numbered 79035). If later alterations were carried out to the drains of a building then either a new plan was submitted and filed on the folder, or the plans already held on file were annotated with the changes.
In many cases, house plans were destroyed by the Council when a building was demolished, but the drainage plans were retained. As well as plans for houses and commercial buildings, there are drainage plans for central government buildings, including departmental offices, schools and gaols and for Harbour and Hospital Board buildings.
In the 1990s drainage folders for demolished buildings were removed and stored separately, this series starts with those folders. After a project to digitise plans to update Council's GIS system was completed, all the folders for 'current' buildings were transferred to Archives, and added to the series as a sequence directly after the folder for demolished buildings.
In each sequence drainage folders are arranged alphabetically by street then by street number. Those with street numbers are listed first, those without are listed second. There are also a number of loose plans without street numbers. These have been collected together by street and are the items described as ‘Plans without street addresses’.
The dates recorded are generally taken from the plans. Where no date was found on the plan, but one was able to be approximated using the Drainage Plan Number, the date has ‘circa’ in front of it. Other information noted on the front of the folder such as when the place was demolished or what it was known as has been recorded in the notes field.
Note that many street names have changed and some streets have disappeared altogether. When possible the plan is filed under the street name current at the time the plan was created; however there are some notable exceptions - all items for The Terrace are filed together, not under Wellington Terrace. It may be necessary to do research for earlier names and for corner buildings look under two possible streets. Some material has been kept together for convenience, eg Wellington Hospital Newtown plans.Quantity (Linear Metres)130MediumPlanSystem of ArrangementTwo sequences: 1. Unnumbered loose plans in acid-free folders - alphabetical by street name. 2. Plans in file folders with street number and name on outside - alphabetical by street name and then by street number.Collection TypeWellington City Council
In 1892 the City Council began construction of a city-wide drainage system and started to receive applications for connections to it from owners of various buildings. In 1894 the Wellington City Drainage Empowering Act was passed giving the Council the power to require owners to connect to the new sewers and required the separation of stormwater from sewage. The Council set up a Drainage Permit system to control the plans submitted. This was separate from a Building Permit, which was also required if new construction work was being carried out.
It is unknown how the plans were organised originally, but at some point the plans were placed into orange folders. Each building had a folder that all drainage plans would be filed onto and each folder had a unique ‘Drainage Plan Number’. Up until 1975 a running number sequence was used, numbering from 1 to 43558. From 1975-1997 the permit number has a two digit year reference and a running number (eg the 35th permit for 1979 is numbered 79035). If later alterations were carried out to the drains of a building then either a new plan was submitted and filed on the folder, or the plans already held on file were annotated with the changes.
In many cases, house plans were destroyed by the Council when a building was demolished, but the drainage plans were retained. As well as plans for houses and commercial buildings, there are drainage plans for central government buildings, including departmental offices, schools and gaols and for Harbour and Hospital Board buildings.
In the 1990s drainage folders for demolished buildings were removed and stored separately, this series starts with those folders. After a project to digitise plans to update Council's GIS system was completed, all the folders for 'current' buildings were transferred to Archives, and added to the series as a sequence directly after the folder for demolished buildings.
In each sequence drainage folders are arranged alphabetically by street then by street number. Those with street numbers are listed first, those without are listed second. There are also a number of loose plans without street numbers. These have been collected together by street and are the items described as ‘Plans without street addresses’.
The dates recorded are generally taken from the plans. Where no date was found on the plan, but one was able to be approximated using the Drainage Plan Number, the date has ‘circa’ in front of it. Other information noted on the front of the folder such as when the place was demolished or what it was known as has been recorded in the notes field.
Note that many street names have changed and some streets have disappeared altogether. When possible the plan is filed under the street name current at the time the plan was created; however there are some notable exceptions - all items for The Terrace are filed together, not under Wellington Terrace. It may be necessary to do research for earlier names and for corner buildings look under two possible streets. Some material has been kept together for convenience, eg Wellington Hospital Newtown plans.Quantity (Linear Metres)130MediumPlanSystem of ArrangementTwo sequences: 1. Unnumbered loose plans in acid-free folders - alphabetical by street name. 2. Plans in file folders with street number and name on outside - alphabetical by street name and then by street number.Collection TypeWellington City Council
Access Information
Restriction StatusOpen
Related Agencies
Controlling or Creating AgencyCityworks DivisionRelationship Date Range1991-1994
Related Series
WCC, Private drainage connection application plans. Archives Online, accessed 16/08/2026, https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/nodes/view/1922