Tiaki Wai

Tiaki Wai is a New Zealand public water-services organisation created to deliver drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services across the Wellington Region. It succeeds Wellington Water and is jointly associated with five local-government bodies—Wellington City Council, Porirua City Council, Lower Hutt City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, and Greater Wellington Regional Council—as well as the mana whenua iwi Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika. The organisation formally came into existence on 1 July 2026 under the institutional changes associated with the New Zealand Government’s Local Water Done Well programme. The name Tiaki Wai is Māori for “carers of water.” It was gifted by the region’s two participating mana whenua iwi and expresses the organisation’s intended relationship with water, community, and the environment. Its stated mission is to provide safe, reliable, environmentally sustainable, and financially sustainable water services while restoring te mana o te wai, a phrase referring to the intrinsic authority, dignity, and wellbeing of water. Tiaki Wai was established during a period of substantial reform in New Zealand’s water infrastructure and governance. The Local Water Done Well policy replaced the previous Three Waters reform programme and sought to retain local ownership and decision-making while imposing stronger expectations around financial sustainability, environmental performance, and compliance with water-quality regulation. In the Wellington model, the new entity was designed to own and manage water infrastructure previously associated with the councils and Wellington Water, generate income independently of ordinary council funding, and manage its own debt. The organisation’s responsibilities cover the complete urban-water cycle. Drinking-water functions include the treatment, storage, and distribution of potable water. Wastewater functions include the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage, while stormwater functions concern the management of rainfall runoff and associated flood and drainage risks. These activities are particularly significant in the Wellington Region because service delivery must operate across multiple councils, varied topography, aging infrastructure, and a geographically dispersed urban population. Tiaki Wai’s four-member founding board consists of chair Will Peet, former Watercare Services chief executive Jon Lamonte, Elena Trout, and Adrian Wimmers. Michael Brewster is identified as the organisation’s chief executive during the transition period. The new framework was publicly announced by Wellington City Council on 30 October 2025, following the five councils’ announcement in June 2025 that Wellington Water would be replaced by a new entity. The transition also raised practical questions about billing: regional ratepayers were expected to receive separate water and council bills under the new arrangement. A draft strategy reported in 2026 proposed installing approximately 140,000 water meters in the region over five to seven years. The proposal attracted criticism because of its projected cost and possible effects on household affordability. Tiaki Wai’s chief executive said the estimates had been inherited from Wellington Water’s planning work and that the board was reassessing them in response to public concerns. This episode illustrated the central challenge facing the organisation: improving long-term infrastructure performance while maintaining public trust, affordability, and clear accountability among the participating councils and iwi.

Tiaki Wai emerged from New Zealand’s national debate over the governance, financing, and condition of water infrastructure. The organisation was created in the context of Local Water Done Well, a policy programme associated with the Sixth National Government. The programme followed the earlier Three Waters reform effort and placed greater emphasis on local ownership, local decision-making, financial independence, infrastructure investment, environmental outcomes, and compliance with water-quality rules. In June 2025, Wellington City Council, Porirua City Council, Lower Hutt City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, and Greater Wellington Regional Council announced that Wellington Water would be replaced by a new regional water-services entity. The proposed organisation was intended to take responsibility for the councils’ water infrastructure, produce its own income rather than rely solely on council funding, and manage debt on an organisational basis. This structure was designed to create clearer accountability for long-term asset management while preserving a regional approach to service delivery. New Zealand Parliament passed legislation in August 2025 requiring councils to develop water-services delivery plans within the following 12 months. These plans formed part of the transition to the Local Water Done Well framework. The Wellington proposal subsequently acquired the name Tiaki Wai, which was gifted by Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika. The Māori name translates as “carers of water” and was intended to express a stewardship-based approach to the region’s water resources. Wellington City Council formally announced Tiaki Wai and its board on 30 October 2025. The organisation’s partnership model brought together the five local-government bodies and the two mana whenua iwi. Its board was announced as comprising chair Will Peet, former Watercare Services chief executive Jon Lamonte, Elena Trout, and Adrian Wimmers. Michael Brewster was identified as chief executive during the organisation’s establishment and transition. Tiaki Wai formally came into existence on 1 July 2026 as Wellington Water’s successor. Its remit covers drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater throughout the Wellington Region. The change required adjustments not only to infrastructure ownership and operational management but also to customer relationships and local-government finance. Early reporting indicated that residents could receive separate water and council bills under the new arrangement. The organisation’s early strategic debate focused on the scale and affordability of infrastructure investment. A draft strategy proposed installing roughly 140,000 water meters over five to seven years. The estimated cost prompted concern from Wellington Mayor Andrew Little and former Wellington city councillor Tim Brown. Chief executive Michael Brewster responded that the figures had been carried forward from Wellington Water’s work and that Tiaki Wai’s board was reviewing the estimates in light of cost-of-living pressures. This debate established a recurring public-policy issue for the organisation: balancing urgent renewal and better measurement of water use against the affordability expectations of households and the financial capacity of participating communities.

• 2026

  Tiaki Wai formally begins operations

  [1]Tiaki Waien.wikipedia.org

  Tiaki Wai formally came into existence as the successor to Wellington Water and assumed responsibility for regional drinking-water, wastewater, and stormwater services.

• 2026

  Water-metering strategy becomes a public issue

  [1]Tiaki Waien.wikipedia.org

  A draft plan for approximately 140,000 meters over five to seven years generated debate over infrastructure priorities, cost, and affordability.

• 2025

  Wellington councils announce a successor to Wellington Water

  [1]Tiaki Waien.wikipedia.org

  The five Wellington local authorities announced plans for a new entity to own and manage regional water infrastructure, generate independent income, and manage its own debt.

• 2025

  Local Water Done Well legislation advances

  [1]Tiaki Waien.wikipedia.org

  Parliament passed legislation requiring councils to prepare water-services delivery plans as part of the national reform programme.

• 2025

  Tiaki Wai name and board announced

  [1]Tiaki Waien.wikipedia.org

  Wellington City Council announced the Tiaki Wai name, its iwi-linked partnership structure, and its founding board.

A locally governed, iwi-partnered regional water-services organisation focused on safe and reliable infrastructure, financial and environmental sustainability, and restoration of te mana o te wai.

• Utility service · 2026

  Drinking-water services

  Tiaki Wai is responsible for the regional delivery of potable water, including the infrastructure and operational systems required to supply households and other users. Its remit forms part of an integrated water-services model shared across the Wellington Region.

• Utility service · 2026

  Wastewater services

  The organisation manages wastewater functions, including collection, treatment, and disposal. These services are intended to support public health, environmental protection, and the long-term resilience of the region’s urban infrastructure.

• Utility service · 2026

  Stormwater services

  Tiaki Wai’s stormwater remit covers the management of rainfall runoff and related drainage and flood risks. The service is delivered across a multi-council region with varied urban conditions and terrain.

• Infrastructure programme · 2026

  Water metering programme

  A draft strategy proposed a large-scale rollout of water meters across the Wellington Region. The programme was under review after political and public concerns about affordability and the projected cost of implementation.

• 2026

  Review the proposed water-meter rolloutStrategy

  Background

  A draft strategy proposed installing approximately 140,000 meters over five to seven years, prompting concern about affordability and implementation costs.

  Action taken

  Tiaki Wai’s chief executive said the board was revisiting the proposal and its estimates, which had been derived from work by the outgoing Wellington Water organisation.

  Aftermath

  The metering programme remained a contested strategic and affordability issue during the organisation’s establishment period.

  Source

• 2025

  Create a new regional water-services entityStrategy

  Background

  The participating councils sought to replace Wellington Water within the Local Water Done Well framework and establish a structure with regional infrastructure ownership, independent income, and debt-management responsibilities.

  Action taken

  The councils and mana whenua partners established Tiaki Wai as a successor organisation for drinking-water, wastewater, and stormwater services.

  Aftermath

  The organisation was announced in 2025 and formally came into existence on 1 July 2026.

  Source

1. 1Tiaki Waien.wikipedia.org