A burst water main floods a major Wellington street in August 2024.
It will cost $25 billion over the next three decades to fix Wellington's failing water infrastructure, deliver a safe water supply and keep harbours and beaches clean, the new water entity says.
Tiaki Wai will spend $800 million in its first year as it takes over ownership and management of the region's water assets from 1 July.
Wellingtonians will pay an average of $2390 this coming financial year for their water bills to Tiaki Wai - a 13.3 percent increase to the average $2100 currently included in council rates.
The charges will vary depending on which of the four cities people live in - Wellington, Porirua, Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt. They are set to keep increasing across the next decade, jumping to an average bill of $4367 per year by 2032 and $6208 per year by 2036.
