Sustainable Water
Southern Waters is being established by Central Otago, Clutha, Gore and Waitaki District Councils to deliver safe, reliable and financially sustainable water services for our communities.
It will be the largest joint Council water services entity in the South Island, delivering water, wastewater, and stormwater services to approximately 84,100 people across an area of 24,702 km².
Southern Waters is being built to be a high-performing, future-focused company from the moment it takes over the delivery of water services on 1 July 2027.
Southern Waters has a $810 million capital works programme to 2034. It will manage assets with a total value of $1.2 billion, including:
of water pipeline
urban water supplies
water & wastewater treatment plants
rural water schemes
Benefits of Southern Waters
Modelling for Southern Waters has identified cumulative savings of around $612 million by 2054 for consumers.
Established under the Government’s Local Water Done Well (LWDW) framework, Southern Waters will be required to meet high standards for service delivery, regulatory compliance, and long-term infrastructure sustainability.
The Government approved Southern Waters’ Joint Water Services Delivery Plan on 3 October, establishing a foundation to improve service quality and compliance, reduce duplication through shared expertise and planning, ensure long-term affordability by spreading infrastructure costs, retain local council ownership and accountability, and maintain a clear focus on delivering water services.
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