3 Waters Reform and Local Water Done Well
3 Waters reforms and Local Water Done Well
The Three Waters Reform Programme started in 2018 to manage water services through four national agencies. In 2023, central government had a significant policy shift and introduced a new approach called Local Waters Done Well. The Government’s Local Waters Done Well reform requires councils to reassess how they deliver water services, and maintains control with local councils. Under the Local Water Done Well framework, a regional collaboration model was proposed to improve affordability, compliance, service delivery, and co-operation across the Waikato. A collaborative model favoured by Central Government is the formation of multi council owned Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs).
What we currently do
Our performance when delivering water services is reported in our Annual Report every year, and measured against mandatory performance measures set by the Department of Internal Affairs. You can read more in our 2023/24 Annual Report.
Water supply
- 9 water treatment plants
- 10 water pump stations
- 410km reticulated water supply
Wastewater/sewage treatment & disposal
- 5 wastewater treatment plants
- 37 water pump stations
- 268km reticulated water supply
Stormwater
- 166km stormwater drains
- 18 stormwater ponds
Council's response
We have confirmed our decision to join with other nearby rural and provincial councils to establish a Council Controlled Organisation (CCO), to be called Waikato Waters Limited.
This new entity will manage water services across the participating councils, offering a more coordinated, affordable, and resilient approach. This is particularly important as around one-third of the region’s water consents are due to expire by 2030.
The decision follows public consultation held between March and May 2025. While savings may take time to realise, the combined scale of the CCO gives it greater borrowing capacity and financial flexibility. This is expected to help keep water charges lower over time, compared to each council continuing to operate independently.
We are now working on a detailed transition plan to support the shift from its current systems to the new CCO structure. As part of this process, we are also preparing a Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP), which must be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs by 3 September 2025. For more information go to Local Water Done Well.
What do you stand for?
- How can we support our staff and communities through the transition period?
- How can we ensure our communities will continue to receive good quality drinking water, and wastewater and stormwater services?
