Tā mātou pakihi
Our organisation
We’re New Zealand’s largest water utility, supplying safe water to Auckland’s communities and treating their wastewater.
Who we serve
We provide water and wastewater services to 1.7 million people in the Auckland region. In Papakura, we provide bulk services to Veolia Water, which manages the local community’s network and retail services. Our testing facilities, Watercare Laboratory Services, monitor and test drinking water and wastewater for over a third of New Zealand’s population.
We promise to deliver water and wastewater services you can trust.
Information for suppliers, contractors and consultants.
Health, safety, wellbeing and induction information for contractors.
How we’re managed
Our board of directors and executives are committed to ensuring the company applies best-practice policies and procedures.
The board is ultimately responsible for governance decisions. They have a broad range of business and leadership experience, with a particular focus on infrastructure and utilities.
Our executive leadership makes the day-to-day decisions. They’re a mixture of technical engineers, business leaders and people management experts. They guide the work for our team of Watercare staff, who ensure we maintain great service to you.
How we’re funded
We do not receive any funding from Auckland Council or the government, nor do we pay a dividend to Auckland Council. All the money we receive from customers goes into operating, maintaining and expanding our networks of pipes, treatment plants, pump stations and other infrastructure.
Who works at Watercare?
We employ a diverse range of people to deliver our goal of safe, reliable and efficient water and wastewater service for our customers. They work in various roles across our business: from engineering to science, operations, communications and customer service.
Our teams work across Tāmaki Makaurau, from our Newmarket head office to the laboratory, water and wastewater treatment plants, and in the community.
What kind of organisation is Watercare?
Watercare is a limited liability company registered under the Companies Act 1993 and a local government organisation under the Local Government Act 2002. We’re subject to regulation that governs planning, health and environmental matters. The principal regulators include Auckland Council, Waikato Regional Council, the Ministry of Health and Taumata Arowai. We also provide these and other regulatory bodies with information on the potential for existing and proposed policies and regulations to affect our activities.
Read our guiding legislation
Read our guiding legislation
Legislative Framework The legislative framework enabling and governing our operations as the provider of water and wastewater services in Auckland is found largely in four Acts:
Must manage its operations efficiently with a view to keeping the overall costs of water supply and wastewater services to its customers (collectively) at the minimum levels consistent with the effective conduct of its undertakings and the maintenance of the long-term integrity of its assets.
- Must not pay any dividend or distribute any surplus in any way, directly or indirectly, to any owner or shareholder.
- Isn’t required to comply with section 68(b) of the Local Government Act 2002 (avoiding the requirement to pay a dividend).
- Must have regard for public safety in relation to its structures.
Also under the legislative framework:
- We became a substantive council-controlled organisation (CCO) on 1 July 2012.
- We must give effect to the council’s Long-Term Plan (LTP) and act consistently with other specified plans and strategies of the council, section 58 of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009.
- At least two board meetings a year are required to be held in public: one before 30 June to consider the council’s comments on the draft statement of intent (SOI) for the upcoming financial year, and one after 1 July to consider our performance under the SOI for the previous financial year. In practice, all board meetings have a session open to the public.
- Our financial statements, the SOI and specified long-term plans must be audited by the Auditor-General, or by an auditor acting on behalf of the Auditor-General. The Auditor-General is the auditor of Watercare’s financial statements.
The legislative framework enabling and governing our operations as the provider of water and wastewater services in Auckland is found largely in four Acts:
Must manage its operations efficiently with a view to keeping the overall costs of water supply and wastewater services to its customers (collectively) at the minimum levels consistent with the effective conduct of its undertakings and the maintenance of the long-term integrity of its assets.
- Must not pay any dividend or distribute any surplus in any way, directly or indirectly, to any owner or shareholder.
- Isn’t required to comply with section 68(b) of the Local Government Act 2002 (avoiding the requirement to pay a dividend).
- Must have regard for public safety in relation to its structures.
Also under the legislative framework:
- We became a substantive council-controlled organisation (CCO) on 1 July 2012.
- We must give effect to the council’s Long-Term Plan (LTP) and act consistently with other specified plans and strategies of the council, section 58 of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009.
- At least two board meetings a year are required to be held in public: one before 30 June to consider the council’s comments on the draft statement of intent (SOI) for the upcoming financial year, and one after 1 July to consider our performance under the SOI for the previous financial year. In practice, all board meetings have a session open to the public.
- Our financial statements, the SOI and specified long-term plans must be audited by the Auditor-General, or by an auditor acting on behalf of the Auditor-General. The Auditor-General is the auditor of Watercare’s financial statements.
Water Supply and Wastewater Network Bylaw 2015 This bylaw serves as a legally binding mechanism that enables us to protect our water supply and wastewater network assets. It replaces Auckland’s eight previous water supply and wastewater bylaws, standardising regulation across the region.
The bylaw covers various matters including:
- avoiding illegal or inappropriate connection to or disconnection from our network
- protecting our network from damage, misuse and interference
- requiring appropriate standards for infrastructure that will be vested as public assets
- enabling the restriction of water supply to maintain an adequate supply of drinking water in a drought or other emergency.
This bylaw serves as a legally binding mechanism that enables us to protect our water supply and wastewater network assets. It replaces Auckland’s eight previous water supply and wastewater bylaws, standardising regulation across the region.
The bylaw covers various matters including:
- avoiding illegal or inappropriate connection to or disconnection from our network
- protecting our network from damage, misuse and interference
- requiring appropriate standards for infrastructure that will be vested as public assets
- enabling the restriction of water supply to maintain an adequate supply of drinking water in a drought or other emergency.
Further legislative requirementsTaumata Arowai – the Water Services Regulator Act 2020:
- Under this legislation the principal regulators for water quality include Auckland Council, Waikato Regional Council and Taumata Arowai.
Water Services Act 2021:
- This Act requires all persons who perform or exercise functions, power and duties under the legislation to give effect to Te Mana o Te Wai. These parallels requirements imposed on local authorities under the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, and on Taumata Arowai under the Taumata Arowai – the Water Services Regulator Act. In particular, the purpose of the Act is to ensure that drinking water suppliers provide safe drinking water to consumers. New drinking water rules and standards came into effect on 1 July 2022.
Te Puna (Taumata Arowai):
- As part of its governance arrangements, Taumata Arowai has Te Puna – Māori Advisory Group that is charged with advising on Māori interests and knowledge as they relate to the objectives, functions and principles of Taumata Arowai. This includes developing and maintaining a framework that provides advice and guidance on how to interpret and give effect to Te Mana o Te Wai and providing advice on how to enable mātauranga Māori, tikanga Māori and kaitiakitanga to be exercised.
Health Act 1956:
- Schedule 1AA includes transitional provisions relating to fluoridation of drinking water and aims to protect public health by improving drinking-water qualities in communities.
Health and Safety at Work Act 2015:
- Sets out the principles, duties and rights in relation to workplace health and safety. A guiding principle is that workers and others must reasonably be given the highest level of protection from workplace health and safety risks.
Climate Change Response Act 2020:
- Creates an obligation for us if the Minister or the Commission makes a request for information as provided for at subsection (1).
Resource Management Act 1991:
- Focuses on the health of the environment but is soon expected to be repealed and replaced with the Natural and Built Environment Act and Spatial Planning Act.
Taumata Arowai – the Water Services Regulator Act 2020:
- Under this legislation the principal regulators for water quality include Auckland Council, Waikato Regional Council and Taumata Arowai.
Water Services Act 2021:
- This Act requires all persons who perform or exercise functions, power and duties under the legislation to give effect to Te Mana o Te Wai. These parallels requirements imposed on local authorities under the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, and on Taumata Arowai under the Taumata Arowai – the Water Services Regulator Act. In particular, the purpose of the Act is to ensure that drinking water suppliers provide safe drinking water to consumers. New drinking water rules and standards came into effect on 1 July 2022.
Te Puna (Taumata Arowai):
- As part of its governance arrangements, Taumata Arowai has Te Puna – Māori Advisory Group that is charged with advising on Māori interests and knowledge as they relate to the objectives, functions and principles of Taumata Arowai. This includes developing and maintaining a framework that provides advice and guidance on how to interpret and give effect to Te Mana o Te Wai and providing advice on how to enable mātauranga Māori, tikanga Māori and kaitiakitanga to be exercised.
Health Act 1956:
- Schedule 1AA includes transitional provisions relating to fluoridation of drinking water and aims to protect public health by improving drinking-water qualities in communities.
Health and Safety at Work Act 2015:
- Sets out the principles, duties and rights in relation to workplace health and safety. A guiding principle is that workers and others must reasonably be given the highest level of protection from workplace health and safety risks.
Climate Change Response Act 2020:
- Creates an obligation for us if the Minister or the Commission makes a request for information as provided for at subsection (1).
Resource Management Act 1991:
- Focuses on the health of the environment but is soon expected to be repealed and replaced with the Natural and Built Environment Act and Spatial Planning Act.
Related content
Related content
We supply Auckland’s people with safe drinking water and reliable wastewater services while looking after waterways and the environment.
Learn why sustainability action and supporting communities helps Watercare deliver healthy and safe water to Auckland’s people now and for the future.
Our ties with local iwi form a valued partnership that continues to evolve
You can download a range of reports and publications that we produce throughout the year.
Find out about the work our people do on a daily basis.