In a world where complex council requirements, tight site footprints and evolving stormwater requirements can stall progress, reliable suppliers and practical technical support are essential.
We don’t just sell our water solutions and run. Our team believes that our responsibility continues well after a delivery truck leaves your site. That’s why we work directly with the professionals shaping Aotearoa’s built environment, providing support through the different stages of a project.
That support can also begin before a product has been selected. Sometimes the first step is understanding a site’s challenges, assessing the options or bringing specialist knowledge into the wider project team.
Within our flood resilience work, for example, a site assessment helps establish how floodwater may affect a property and what responses should be considered. We work alongside clients, engineering consultants and specialist partners to inform the next steps. Assessment and advice can be engaged independently, giving clients access to support even when the project has not reached design or installation.
From early concept designs to hands-on installation training, here is how we support the professions we work with.
Free design services to maximise value and site potential
Designing compliant rainwater harvesting, stormwater detention and water recycling systems takes time, particularly when site constraints and local council requirements need to be considered together.
We offer free design services tailored to the project scope and local council requirements.
Whether you are an architect balancing aesthetics with function or an engineer navigating difficult site constraints, such as high invert levels or tight boundary clearances, our in-house technical team can step in early to help.
Through the design process, we can:
Help optimise development yield by unlocking land that might otherwise be unbuildable using slim, space-saving solutions.
Ensure compliance by providing precise technical specs and drawings that meet code and pass council sign offs.
Reduce overall project cost through designing efficient, integrated systems (like combined detention and re-use). These are not only functional but can be much cheaper than traditional concrete or underground tanks.
Involving technical support while the design is still taking shape gives the project team an opportunity to compare options and work through constraints before key decisions are finalised.
On-site practical support and hands-on training
Watersmart has only ever used trained and certified installers.
As regulatory requirements tighten and accountability shifts directly to trade professionals, training that supports self-certification has become even more critical.
To help trades meet these standards, we provide direct, on-site training, and technical guidance. A prime example is our hands-on Aquacomb training. Because Aquacomb pods are integrated directly into slab foundations or driveways, getting the precise layout and pipe connections right and proper testing done prior to the concrete pour is essential.
Our programme includes standardised training and accreditation, shared on-site best practice, and post-installation follow-up. It includes understanding the documentation required under the Building Act and the self-certification scheme.
The accreditation lasts two years with an installer is only being signed off when their competency has been seen first-hand.
This level of direct support gives sub-contractors confidence and helps speed up build timelines by saving extra days needed on site.
Industry collaboration and free educational events
Water management standards and regional stormwater requirements continue to evolve across the country.
To help the industry stay informed, Watersmart works with professional bodies including the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA), the Urban Development Institute of New Zealand (UDINZ) and Engineering New Zealand to deliver and host educational and technical insight sessions.
At the heart of these events is the Watersmart Innovation Hub, a dedicated space created to bring together people from across the industry. Through the Hub, we deliver free educational and CPD sessions focused on industry challenges, covering topics from urban density and flood resilience to greywater recycling and smart attenuation.
These sessions provide opportunities to explore practical questions, share experience across professions and connect technical information with real applications.
You can also see some of our water solutions operating live, including the Hydraloop system that recycles water within our commercial premises.
Outside scheduled events and training, the Hub is available for anyone to visit.
We are here for you and your team
You don’t need to have a product selected or every detail resolved before starting a conversation.
Whether you have an upcoming project, a complex water challenge or questions about an existing site, reach out to discuss the support you need. That might be an initial assessment, free design support, technical training or a visit to the Hub.
Bring your available plans and the questions you are still working through, and we can help identify the next step.