Background

The way water services are delivered in New Zealand is changing.

Our water networks face major challenges, including leaks, ageing infrastructure, and summer water shortages. Our wastewater plants sometimes fail to meet quality standards and many waterways remain in poor condition.

It’s challenging to meet the long-term needs of our growing population for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems. Adding to these challenges, climate change means we have storm events that are more frequent and more devastating, putting pressure on water networks.

The Government’s Local Water Done Well reform introduces new regulatory standards for water services that all council must meet, as well as mandatory planning and accountability mechanisms for new water organisations.

The future of water services in the Wellington region is at a crossroads. To ensure clean, safe, and sustainable water for generations to come, we are considering three options for reform which we are seeking feedback from you on.

In December 2023, the Government announced a new direction for water services policy and legislation called Local Water Done Well. The legislation covers the future of drinking, waste, and stormwater services and requires that the Council makes changes to how water is delivered. All councils are required to meet stricter regulations for water services quality, financial sustainability, and environmental impact.

Councils across the country must decide, alongside their communities, what approach they will take to delivering water services. From there they must develop ‘water service delivery plans’ which may result in the establishment of a new water entity.

Wellington City Council (WCC) has been working with other councils in the wider Wellington region to explore the establishment of a regional water services organisation. In late 2023, WCC agreed that working with other councils in the region to explore creating a joint water services organisation was the best way forward. This model has been developed in partnership with mana whenua.

In December 2024, Wellington City Council’s Kōrau Tōtōpū Long-term Plan, Finance, and Performance Committee voted unanimously to consult Wellingtonians on three options for how water services will be delivered in the future. This decision is what we are seeking your feedback on.

The options

The three options we sought feedback from the community on are:

Supporting information

For comprehensive information on the proposed options, read the full consultation document. If you can't find what you're looking for, ask a question or come along to a drop-in event to chat to the team.

Consultation document

The information you need to make an informed submission

  • More supporting information

    Background and supplementary information on this project

    Read more 

  • Questions and answers

    See our FAQs here and recently answered questions from the community

    Questions and answers 

  • How water works in the region – an explainer

    Keen to understand the basics about how water works?

    Find out more 

What happens after the consultation?

Following consultation, Councillors will be asked to make their final decision on a new delivery model for water, and the Council will be required to submit our plans to the Secretary for Local Government (Department of Internal Affairs) no later than 3 September 2025. View the timeline for more information.