Source: Hutt City Council
Mayor Campbell Barry has welcomed the Government’s approval of a new plan that will see a dedicated organisation take over water services across metropolitan Wellington from July 2026.
The plan, submitted by five councils – Hutt City, Porirua, Upper Hutt, Wellington, and Greater Wellington – is part of the Government’s Local Water Done Well programme.
It outlines the creation of a new, council-owned water organisation working in partnership with mana whenua iwi Ngāti Toa Rangitira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. The organisation, currently called Metro Water, will take over from Wellington Water Limited and be responsible for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services across the region.
Mayor Barry said the approval marked real progress.
“This is good news for our communities. We now have the green light to build a new water organisation that is better set up to do the job, with more funding options, focus and scale.
The next councils will have a solid foundation to keep moving this forward. It has taken real teamwork across councils and with mana whenua to get here, and while it won’t be a silver bullet, we are in a much better place to fix a system that hasn’t been working for some time.”
Metro Water will have its own board, secure funding, and a region-wide view, allowing it to plan and deliver services without being limited by individual council budgets or political cycles.
A joint committee of council and mana whenua representatives will oversee the transition. Key governance documents will go to councils for sign-off in late 2025.
Wellington Water will continue delivering services until Metro Water takes over on 1 July 2026.
