Faster progress on water services is in reach

A vital step in setting up your new water services provider, Tiaki Wai, will take place this week.

From 1 July 2026, Tiaki Wai will take over responsibility for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services across Hutt, Porirua, Upper Hutt and Wellington cities - serving more than 432,000 people.

This isn't just a change in management - it's a new and better way to run these essential services and address the effect of years of under-investment with a whole-region approach.

Tiaki Wai board chair Will Peet greets Dr Taku Parai, pou tikanga of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira at Takapūwāhia Marae, Porirua.

Thursday, December 18, sees the first meeting of the Partners Committee that has oversight of Tiaki Wai, made up of representatives of the city councils and Greater Wellington Regional Council and two mana whenua partners Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika.

This matters because it is the foundation of Tiaki Wai's governance, ensuring shared oversight and accountability.

So what will be different for you?

As my colleagues on the Tiaki Wai Board and I have been talking to councils, mana whenua, businesses and residents since we started the job, it's clear there's an appetite for change. The current system isn't fit for purpose.

Tiaki Wai will be better set up to do the job because it will be in charge of deciding what needs to be done, when, and how that will be paid for, rather than being limited by council budgets or political cycles. Tiaki Wai will have a single focus on water, rather than having to manage competing priorities as councils do.

In time, you'll be dealing directly with Tiaki Wai on water rather than through your council - whether that's reporting a fault, asking a question or paying for water services. Instead of paying one rates bill that includes water services, you'll pay two separate bills - one to Tiaki Wai for water services and one to the council for other services.

You'll be funding the day-to-day operation and maintenance of pipes, pump stations, drinking water and wastewater treatment plants, and long-term investment in renewals, upgrades, and new infrastructure.

In return, you can expect to get better services over time - that means more reliable water supply, fewer leaks, outages and unplanned disruptions, and cleaner harbours and waterways.

When we were welcomed onto Takapūwāhia marae by Ngāti Toa Rangatira, we heard about the devastating impact of the pollution of Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour, and how important its restoration is. We heard a similar message at Waiwhetū marae in Lower Hutt about the local waterways there.

We are honoured to have the name Tiaki Wai gifted to us. Tiaki Wai means "caring for water", and we are determined to live up to that promise. We will do that by being careful and responsible as we take water for our communities to use, and as we safely remove and manage wastewater and stormwater.

There is a lot to do and it will take time. There have been decades of under-investment, and it will take years to catch up and then build up our essential infrastructure. Water meters will be critical to helping us understand more about how much water we're using, and losing, and where.

Our shareholding councils expect us to balance the need for sustained long-term investment with affordability of water services. We can't avoid increases in water bills over time as we deliver what needs to be done. However, we are conscious that you are facing rising costs on all sides and we are developing options to help low-income households manage the cost of water services.

I acknowledge the ongoing work of Wellington Water under the current board and chief executive to keep critical services going, keep working on improvements and contribute to a smooth transition on 1 July next year, and the work of councils to help manage the transition.

Tiaki Wai will have a new chief executive in Michael Brewster, who has previously established and led the Tasmanian water organisation, TasWater. In particular, he'll focus on developing the new areas that Wellington Water is not currently responsible for, especially finances and direct customer interactions.

Under this new structure, we have a better chance of making faster progress on the things that matter to people in our region. We're keen to get cracking because there's lots to be done.

Published on the Post website 17 December 2025 - Faster progress on water services is in reach | The Post.