Establishing Tiaki Wai Metro Water

Work is underway to have Tiaki Wai Metro Water ready to operate from 1 July 2026. There will be some interim systems and processes and capability development will continue for some years.

Tiaki Wai Metro Water will have new strategic direction and leadership, a new finance function, and more focus on customers.  For pragmatic reasons, it will take on the current operational and support teams from Wellington Water (tier 3 managers and below) to ensure that critical work continues.

In the first year (2026/27) some functions and support will continue to be provided by councils. This will continue until the necessary IT systems are in place. 

Read more:

• Metropolitan Wellington Water Services Delivery Plan 
• Metropolitan Wellington Water Services Delivery Plan appendices 

Investing in water assets

Tiaki Wai Metro Water will be responsible for three waters assets including over 6,700 km of pipelines, four drinking water treatment plants, four wastewater treatment plants, 140 reservoirs for drinking water storage, and 321 pump stations, with a replacement value of almost $18 billion. 

Sustained investment in maintenance and upgrades is required, anticipated at $6.82 billion capital investment over 10 years and about $25 billion over 30 years.

Tiaki Wai Metro Water must be financially sustainable, requiring it to balance the scale and timing of investment, the structure and prudence of financing, and the community’s ability to fund services through water charges.

In the first half of 2026, Tiaki Wai Metro Water will prepare and publish a Water Services Strategy outlining its planned investment and pricing policy.

Read more:

• Metropolitan Wellington Water Services Delivery Plan 
• Metropolitan Wellington Water Services Delivery Plan appendices