Summary
- Wellington Water is a council controlled organisation (CCO) that is owned by six local councils in the greater Wellington region.
- Wellington Water describes itself as a “100 percent council owned and funded” “professional water services provider”. The entity is involved in ‘three waters’, providing drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services.
- On Newstalk ZB, Heather du Plessis-Allan interviewed Wellington City Councillor Ben McNulty and criticised the Council plans to only fix about 1 kilometre of pipes a year out of a reported 237 kilometres of pipes in “a very poor condition” plus hundreds more kilometres of pipes that “need fixing less urgently”. In response to criticisms about the Council’s spending priorities, Councillor McNulty described Wellington Water as their “trusted advisor in terms of where the money goes”.
- In early December 2024, RNZ reported on a promise from Wellington Water that leaks will be fixed within 10 days. The RNZ article pointed out that earlier this year Wellington Water had a $37.5 million “spreadsheet” blunder and claimed the entity’s Chief Executive recently “detailed how it would take 11 years to fix the backlog of broken pipes”.
- RNZ also claims that Wellington Water repaired 24 kilometres of the water network last year “but there’s only enough funding to mend nine kilometres this year”.
- The Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant also featured in the news in November 2024 as Hutt City residents were informed the “terrible smell” emitted by the plant will not be fixed for four more years. The Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant is operated by the French transnational corporation Veolia as part of a large contract from Wellington Water. According to RNZ, locals “were told that even when the faulty equipment causing the smell at the Seaview plant is replaced there’s no guarantee the stench will be completely gone”.
- RNZ also reported in November that Wellington Water is progressing its plans to install water meters by putting out a tender as part of its aim to install “135,000 meters in the next five or six years” and track private side leaks.
- In 2023, the costs for installing water meters across the Wellington region were around $2000 per meter as reported in The Post. A significant increase from estimates of around $1000 per meter in 2020.
- Wellington Water has been advocating strongly for installing smart meters.
Quotes
“We’re Wellington region’s professional water services provider. We’re 100 percent council owned and funded and our job is to provide safe and healthy drinking water, collect and treat wastewater, and ensure the stormwater network is well managed.”
Wellington Water webpage, Wellingtonwater.co.nz, Accessed 7:50am 11 December 2024
“Wellington Water is promising leaks will be fixed in less than 10 days, despite crumbling pipes and continuing financial woes.
Its been plagued by old pipes and thousands of leaks, as well as a spreadsheet blunder earlier in the year which meant the agency had to go back to the six councils which own it asking for an extra $37.5 million dollars.
Last week, the entity’s chief executive detailed how it would take 11 years to fix the backlog of broken pipes. 24 kilometres were repaired last year but there’s only enough funding to mend nine kilometres this year.”
Less than 10 days to fix a leak, Wellington Water promises, RNZ, 04 December 2024
“Last year we had literally thousands of leaks and a backlog, and that was leading to a really high risk of the water restrictions. Since then with the additional funding the councils have given us, we’ve worked really over the winter and we’ve got that number down to 387 now.”
Wellington Water’s director regulatory services Charles Barker as quoted in Less than 10 days to fix a leak, Wellington Water promises, RNZ, 04 December 2024
“Particularly given the under-investment that’s occurred over a long period of time, the condition of the plant and now trying to fix it while also not disturbing the ongoing operation of the plant is a real challenge…
…But ultimately we are responsible and that’s why we’ll continue to make ourselves accountable and front up to the community,”
Hutt City Mayor Campbell Barry as quoted in Emotions run high as Hutt Valley residents told no stench fix for four years, RNZ, 26 November 2024
“If smart meters are the solution to the problem, why don’t we have these in place to prevent a water shortage?
The decision to install residential smart water meters is one that sits with our council owners.
Investment in smart meters is one of the three key things we’ve recommended to help solve the increasing water shortage issue and provide a sustainable water supply for the region.
Implementing universal smart water meters is an industry best-practice tool for reducing leaks and managing water loss in both the private and public networks. They can also help residents understand and manage their water use. ”
Wellington Water FAQ page, https://www.wellingtonwater.co.nz/help-desk?question=73, Accessed 10:44am 11 December 2024
“The Wellington metropolitan councils have been hiking rates in large part to fix degraded water services.
Myriad leaks are part of the problem. The tender said Wellington Water expected to identify, track, and manage “thousands of private side leaks across the region over decades”, and needed tools to let it track how that was going.”
Wellington Water aiming to install 135,000 meters within next six years, RNZ, 05 December 2024
Article Details
Headline: Less than 1km of Wellington pipes fixed over 2024 – Wellington Water
Author: Heather du Plessis-Allan
Published on: 25 November 2024
Published by: Newstalk ZB
Headline: Less than 10 days to fix a leak, Wellington Water promises
Published on: 4 December 2024
Published by: RNZ
Link: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/535634/less-than-10-days-to-fix-a-leak-wellington-water-promises
Headline: Emotions run high as Hutt Valley residents told no stench fix for four years
Author: Ashleigh McCaull
Published on: 26 November 2024
Published by: RNZ
Headline: Wellington Water aiming to install 135,000 meters within next six years
Published on: 05 December 2024
Published by: RNZ
