For now, continue to contact your local council for any water-related issues. You will be informed of any changes to the best point of contact from 1 July 2026 when responsibility for water services transfers to Tiaki Wai.  

(October 2025)

Tiaki Wai is a council-owned company that is established as a water organisation under the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025.  
 
As a water organisation, Tiaki Wai is limited to providing drinking water supply, wastewater and stormwater services to the Wellington metropolitan area. Tiaki Wai must retain ownership and control of the water services infrastructure and assets, and it must comply with strict financial principles. The shareholding councils have stated in the foundation documents that no dividends will be paid, meaning any surplus must be reinvested. 
 
Find out more in the foundation documents:

1. Constitution
2. Partners Agreement
3. Statement of Expectations

Further information about water organisations can be found here. 
 
Tiaki Wai is also subject to the: 

• Local Government Act 2002
• Water Services Act 2021
• Companies Act 1993     
• Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 

Tiaki Wai will be different to Wellington Water because it will operate with more independence. Unlike Wellington Water, from 1 July 2026, Tiaki Wai will:  

•  Own water assets and infrastructure (transferred from five councils: Greater Wellington, Wellington City, Porirua City, Hutt City, and Upper Hutt City).  
• Bill directly for water services, separate to council rates. Independent funding means Tiaki Wai can make more prioritised, sustainable investment and borrowing decisions.  
• Operate independently from council’s competing priorities, and their planning, funding, and electoral cycles, meaning Tiaki Wai can have a singular focus on providing safe, reliable, environmentally and financially sustainable water services. 

In time, Tiaki Wai will also communicate with customers directly, which will make it more responsive and customer focused. 
 
With greater borrowing capacity and a regional view, Tiaki Wai will be better set up to provide drinking water, manage wastewater, and manage piped stormwater for current and future communities. 
 
To ensure critical work continues and institutional knowledge isn’t lost, Wellington Water staff will be transferred to Tiaki Wai. 

Representatives from our five shareholding councils sit on the Partners Committee, which provides governance oversight of Tiaki Wai. Through the Statement of Expectations (SOE), the Partners Committee sets the high-level direction for Tiaki Wai, reflecting the needs and priorities of their communities. 
 
How that direction is delivered is up to Tiaki Wai. Its approach to meeting the expectations set out in the SOE will be set out in the Water Services Strategy, which will be published before 1 July 2026. 
 
From 1 July, councils will no longer decide funding for individual projects or programmes, set annual water budgets, or determine what people pay for water services. These decisions will be made by Tiaki Wai. 
 
Tiaki Wai will need to maintain close and ongoing working relationships with councils as we deliver on services and maintain the network. This includes where there are services or functions that require collaboration, like management of stormwater and urban planning. 

Representatives from mana whenua (Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o Te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira) sit on our Partners Committee along with representatives from our shareholding councils. 
  
They will contribute to setting the high-level direction for Tiaki Wai through our Statement of Expectations, reflecting the needs and priorities of their communities. Through the Partners committee they also have a role in oversight of Tiaki Wai. 
 
You can read about the role and specific responsibilities of the Partners Committee in their terms of reference published on the Hutt City Council website. 
 
Tiaki Wai will need to maintain close and ongoing working relationships with mana whenua as we deliver on services and maintain the network. 

See your local council’s website for the background and decisions made in this space: 

• Upper Hutt City
• Hutt City
• Porirua City
• Wellington City
• Greater Wellington Regional Council 

The legal name Tiaki Wai reflects that the organisation is a partnership between shareholding councils and mana whenua iwi Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika.

Tiaki Wai in Te Reo Māori means 'carers for water'. This name captures the intent to deliver safe, reliable, environmentally and financially sustainable water services in a way that restores te mana o te wai. The name has been gifted by mana whenua.

Click here to read more about our name and visual identity. 

Yes. Currently, you are paying for water services as part of council rates bills. From 1 July 2026, rates will continue to be billed by councils, but you will also receive a separate bill from Tiaki Wai specifically for water services.  

You will start receiving water service bills separate from your council rates bill from 1 July 2026. Although there will be separate bills, they will arrive at around the same time. 

Property owners are already paying for water through their rates. On average across the four cities in the current year, property owners paid an average of $2100 a year, or about $40 a week, through their rates for water services. This figure is an average across the region so some places are paying lower amounts, and some higher. 

From 1 July 2026, property owners will be responsible for paying the cost of water services directly to Tiaki Wai, rather than through rates. 

Your water services bill covers costs for the infrastructure networks that supply clean water to your property that’s safe to drink, remove wastewater from your sinks and toilets, and take away the stormwater from your downpipes and the streets and other public areas.   
 
This includes the day-to-day operation and maintenance of pipes, pump stations, drinking water and wastewater treatment plants, and associated infrastructure. Water service charges will also fund long-term investments in renewals, upgrades, and new infrastructure to help with leak reduction, improved wastewater treatment, and the resilience of the network. 
 
Your water services bill pays for the infrastructure that supplies the water, not the water itself. 

Over time, customer charges will increase, to meet the cost of delivering reliable and sustainable water services.

For the first financial year (2026/27), property owners can expect water charges to be broadly in line with what they would have paid as part of their rates bill. This will include increases projected in your council’s Long-Term Plan.

The Water Services Delivery Plan forecasts that average residential charges will rise from $2,100 per connection today to between $4,800 and $5,700 by 2034. These numbers are estimates and will evolve as Tiaki Wai develops and refines its plans.

The exact amount to be charged each year depends on the pace of delivering maintenance and upgrades, and the level of cost recovery from new developments.

The forecast cost increases are around a third less than increases likely if the status quo continued, because of greater borrowing capacity and efficiency gains, but will still present a challenge for many households. Tiaki Wai will be considering options to help low-income households manage the cost of water services.

Your rates bill will decrease to reflect the removal of water service charges. However, this does not mean your overall household costs will reduce. 

For the first financial year, council rates and water charges are expected to continue increase in line with the projected increases set out in your council’s Long-Term Plan.  

Our approach to calculating water charges will develop over several years.  
 
Currently, water service charges are billed as part of council rates bills. The way rates are calculated differs between councils, which means that households and commercial water users pay different amounts depending on which council area they are in. 
 
After 1 July 2026, for the first financial year, water charges will continue to reflect each council area’s actual service costs and existing pricing structures.  
 
Over time, there will be a transition toward a common pricing model (also known as price harmonisation), which means that costs will be substantially the same across the whole metropolitan area.  Later, it is expected that there will be a transition to volumetric charging, which means that residential water meters will be installed and charges will be based on the amount of water used. It is likely that wastewater and stormwater will continue to operate as a mostly fixed-charge service.

These changes are years away.  
 
There will be more information  in the draft Water Services Strategy, due to be made public in late March 2026.  

For the first financial year (2026/27), you can expect water service charges to be broadly in line with what you would have paid if they remained part of your rates bill. This will include increases projected in your council’s Long-Term Plan.

However, this does not mean your overall household costs will reduce.  Both council rates and water charges are expected to continue increasing over time in line with the projected increases set out in Council’s Long Term Plan.

In future years, charges will have to increase, to cover the cost of catching up on long-overdue maintenance and repairs, and upgrading the essential drinking water, wastewater and stormwater networks.  

The exact amount to be charged each year depends on the pace of delivering maintenance and upgrades, and the level of cost recovery from new developments. 

There will be more information on pricing in the draft Water Services Strategy, due to be made public in late March 2026. 

This may be challenging for household budgets. Tiaki Wai is working on a hardship policy. This will be made public as part of the draft Water Services Strategy.

In October 2025, the Water Services Delivery Plan forecast that average residential charges would rise from $2,100 per connection today (average across all cities) to between $4,800 and $5,700 by 2034. These numbers are estimates and will evolve as Tiaki Wai develops and refines its plans. 

Charges need to rise because the region’s water infrastructure has been under-funded for decades and now requires major work. Around $6.8 billion over 10 years (and $25 billion over 30 years) is needed to replace aging pipes, meet modern standards, and support growth. Without higher charges, essential work won’t be able to be done.

We recognise that rising water services costs will be a challenge for many households. Options will be available for those requiring extra support. A hardship policy is being developed and a draft is due to be made public in the draft Water Services Strategy in late March 2026.   

You will have options for paying your Tiaki Wai water services bill – direct debit, online banking or over the counter. 

If you choose to pay by direct debit, you will need to set up a new direct debit authority before your first payment is due. 

We’re still setting up the details, and information will be provided direct to bill payers once arrangements are finalised and in place, likely April.

If you have a current direct debit authority for your rates, that will continue.

(February 2026) 

Yes. We are still setting up the details, and information will be provided direct to bill payers once arrangements are finalised and in place, likely April. 

(February 2026)

On 1 July 2026, water network infrastructure will be transferred from council ownership to Tiaki Wai. Because Tiaki Wai will be owned by five shareholding councils, water assets remain in public ownership. 

No. Protections against asset sales and privatisation of the company are embedded into the Tiaki Wai constitution and Partners Agreement. Legislation also further prevents privatisation and because Tiaki Wai is owned by councils, assets will remain in public ownership. 

From 1 July 2026, all publicly owned assets that support the provision of water services will be transferred to Tiaki Wai. 
  
This will include publicly owned assets on Council owned land as well as freehold (privately owned) property. 
  
Where any public assets are located on private property, Tiaki Wai will take over any existing agreements or arrangements on the same terms. For example, this could involve Tiaki Wai taking over the rights associated with any water easements that are registered on private property. This will not alter anything associated with the ownership of land. 

No. Where any publicly owned water assets transfer to Tiaki Wai, there will be no need for private landowners to be involved.  This is because the legal transfer will be between the Councils (as current owners) and Tiaki Wai, as the new water organisation that will become the owner of all water services assets. 

Yes. But this will take several years to plan and deliver. 
 
Some of our customers –– such as commercial water users –– are already using water meters and are billed for services based on volumetric charging. 
 
Over time, residential water meters will be rolled out across the metropolitan area. 
 
Meters are central to managing demand and deferring the need for costly new water sources. They help customers understand and manage their water use.  They also help with finding network leaks and private property leaks more quickly. Meters also allow for volumetric charging; that is, paying a charge based on the amount of water used. 
 
It’s important to note that even with this charging model - when you’re paying more if you use more - you’re still not paying for the water itself. Rather, you’re paying a share of the cost of managing the water network that increases if you put more demand on the network by using more water. 
 
When volumetric charging is introduced, there will likely be separate charges for wastewater and stormwater. But again, this is several years away.  
 
More than 60% of New Zealand already operates on meter-based water charging (including Auckland, Tauranga, Christchurch, and Kāpiti). Cities with water meters report significant reduction in water loss and residential usage.  

You can expect to continue to receive separate volumetric/ metered water invoices on the same frequency that you receive them from your council currently; but from 1 July 2026, they will be from Tiaki Wai. 
 
You will also need to pay Tiaki Wai separately for other water service-related charges that have up until now been part of your rates bill (e.g., wastewater and stormwater). This means that, from 1 July 2026, you will get three separate bills: one for non-water related rates from your council, one for water services from Tiaki Wai, and one for volumetric water charges, also from Tiaki Wai. 

As the property owner (and ratepayer), a landlord is currently responsible for paying for water services via council rates invoices. From 1 July 2026, the property owner/landlord will continue to be responsible for paying for water services, through water charges set by Tiaki Wai.   
  
This will not change any arrangements for tenants, as it is the property owner that will receive invoices for water charges.

Have a discussion with your landlord if you are interested in how water service costs are factored into rent. 

Tiaki Wai recognises rural customers get different level of service to urban customers.  
 
Tiaki Wai are working through pricing and charging details and are aware that some rural properties will not receive any services from Tiaki Wai. Planning is underway with final decisions still to be made. Further details on pricing will be available in the Water Services Strategy. The public will be able to view the draft Water Services Strategy and provide feedback from 25 March 2026.