Local Water Done Well

As a community, we have a big decision to make about how water services are delivered. And it’s more than just about the water you drink, where rainwater goes, and flushing the loo! It’s about keeping things affordable and looking after the environment too.

Read the Local Water Done Well consultation document for more detail - (PDF, 1705 KB)

We need a plan

Like all councils across the country, we need to make a Water Services Delivery Plan and submit this to the government by 3 September 2025.

This plan must outline:

  • our current state and approach
  • how water services will be sustainably delivered through our preferred delivery model
  • how we’ll meet future health economic and environmental regulations
  • what’s needed to address regulatory requirements and future growth
  • where investments will be made to meet service and regulatory requirements
  • how we’ll finance these requirements.

We've done our homework

We've done a lot of work and analysis over a number of months, obtained expert advice, and undertaken the due diligence needed to truly understand our options for water services delivery and ensure we’re meeting everything required within a Water Services Delivery Plan. We’ve undertaken a comprehensive assessment of our current water service delivery approach, the upgrades and maintenance that will be necessary in the future, and how we’re placed to pay for this. We’re using this thinking to help shape the options available for our district.

The shortlist

After initially considering a range of options, elected members agreed on a shortlist of two options for further investigation:

Option 1 (Our preferred option)
Forming a Multi-Council-Controlled Organisation (Multi-CCO) to deliver water services in conjunction with other councils who are willing to join up.

Option 2 (alternative option)
A standalone business unit that will deliver water services from within the Council

Read the consultation document for more detail and to see what other options were considered.

You've got a key role in this

No matter which option we choose, water costs are likely to rise nationwide to meet higher quality standards and future challenges.

We want your feedback on how you'd like water to be managed and decisions to be made, considering the pros, cons, and costs of each option. If you have a private supply, there are no immediate changes, but your input still matters. Future regulations may affect private supplies, and your supplier may need support from the water services provider if issues arise.

As a community, we have a big decision to make about how water services are delivered. And it’s more than just about the water you drink, where rainwater goes, and flushing the loo! It’s about keeping things affordable and looking after the environment too.

Read the Local Water Done Well consultation document for more detail - (PDF, 1705 KB)

We need a plan

Like all councils across the country, we need to make a Water Services Delivery Plan and submit this to the government by 3 September 2025.

This plan must outline:

  • our current state and approach
  • how water services will be sustainably delivered through our preferred delivery model
  • how we’ll meet future health economic and environmental regulations
  • what’s needed to address regulatory requirements and future growth
  • where investments will be made to meet service and regulatory requirements
  • how we’ll finance these requirements.

We've done our homework

We've done a lot of work and analysis over a number of months, obtained expert advice, and undertaken the due diligence needed to truly understand our options for water services delivery and ensure we’re meeting everything required within a Water Services Delivery Plan. We’ve undertaken a comprehensive assessment of our current water service delivery approach, the upgrades and maintenance that will be necessary in the future, and how we’re placed to pay for this. We’re using this thinking to help shape the options available for our district.

The shortlist

After initially considering a range of options, elected members agreed on a shortlist of two options for further investigation:

Option 1 (Our preferred option)
Forming a Multi-Council-Controlled Organisation (Multi-CCO) to deliver water services in conjunction with other councils who are willing to join up.

Option 2 (alternative option)
A standalone business unit that will deliver water services from within the Council

Read the consultation document for more detail and to see what other options were considered.

You've got a key role in this

No matter which option we choose, water costs are likely to rise nationwide to meet higher quality standards and future challenges.

We want your feedback on how you'd like water to be managed and decisions to be made, considering the pros, cons, and costs of each option. If you have a private supply, there are no immediate changes, but your input still matters. Future regulations may affect private supplies, and your supplier may need support from the water services provider if issues arise.

Page last updated: 17 Apr 2025, 09:11 AM