First bills going out from Wellington's new water provider Tiaki Wai

Wellington's new water services provider Tiaki Wai will begin sending out its first bills.Ratepayers across Wellington, Porirua, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt are now receiving two separate rate bills, one for water from Tiaki Wai, and one for all other services from their council.Property owners in Wellington City, Hutt City and Upper Hutt City would start receiving Tiaki Wai bills from this week and those in Porirua City from next week.Tiaki Wai said the first bill was due for payment across the region on 1 September 2026.Property owners could pay by direct debit, online or phone banking, or over the counter at NZ Post stores offering the 'pay a bill' service. Lower Hutt property owners could use the Payble online platform.Tiaki Wai said water services charges would vary from property to property, in the same way council rates bills varied, and would also be charged every three months.For the first year the property's bill would be calculated using a mix of rateable capital value (CV) and fixed charges, similar to the mix each council had been using.Long term, Tiaki Wai aimed to make the way the bill is calculated consistent across all four council areas and to install residential water meters, so the bill reflected usage."Every day, pipes across the Wellington region's water network deliver safe drinking water, remove wastewater from sinks and toilets, and take stormwater away from downpipes, streets and other public areas. Your Tiaki Wai bill covers the cost of these essential water services," said Tiaki Wai Chief Customer Officer Liza Gunn.This coming year, Tiaki Wai would need to invest around $800 million. About half would go into keeping essential water services working, and the other half into replacing and upgrading aging pipes and other critical assets."We understand that people in the Wellington region are facing cost of living challenges, and anyone who needs support can get in touch with us on 0800 TIAKI WAI (0800 842 549) or online through www.tiakiwai.co.nz," Gunn said.