Latest news with #MetroWater
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Choolaimedu roads remain unsafe after Metrowater work
Chennai: Nearly a month after Metrowater completed the underground sewage work in Choolaimedu, earth-covered pits on the interior roads are making the area an accident hotspot. On Friday, a 40-year-old man fell and injured his knees while trying to avoid a poorly covered pit on Thiruvalluvar Nagar Main Road. At least seven other motorists also fell on the same day due to uneven roads and open patches on the road. The underground sewage project began in April along the 1.5 km stretch of Choolaimedu High Road. Officials promised that the work would be completed and roads would be relaid by May. The pipe-laying work, however, was delayed until June. Yet, only partial concrete patches have been laid, covering only the spots where the sewage lines were connected. Interior roads, including Thiruvengadapuram Main Road and Thiruvalluvar Nagar 1st Street, are still not relaid or repaired. Metro Water guidelines say once the work is completed, a no objection certificate (NOC) must be issued to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) for relaying roads. Despite several attempts, efforts to reach Metro Water officials for a comment went unanswered. "We have lodged complaints through the Namma Chennai app and even met the managing director of Metrowater. But we haven't received any response," said a resident, U Ganeshan. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai In places like Gill Nagar, there are no barricades warning motorists about the bad roads. After Friday's rain, the small pits were filled to the surface, making it hard for motorists to spot them, said another resident, V Jayakumar.
The Spinoff
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Windbag: Metro Water to the rescue
Wellington's councils have agreed to create a new water service entity. Will it be the answer to the region's pipe crisis? Windbag is The Spinoff's Wellington issues column, written by Wellington editor Joel MacManus. Subscribe to the Windbag newsletter to receive columns early. It's no secret that Wellington's water network is a shambles. At this point, it's one of the city's defining traits. Just last week, Johnston Street became the latest in an ever-growing list of streets to be flooded by a burst pipe. There's really no need to rehash all the ways in which the water system is failing, but here are a few stats: 45% of the Wellington region's drinking water is lost to leaks before it reaches the tap; 21% of pipe infrastructure is worn out; and for wastewater pipes, it's 33%. The region's water infrastructure needs $15-17b of investment over the next 20-25 years to maintain service and keep up with population growth. There is plenty of blame to go around. The existing water entity, Wellington Water, has been shambolic at times. Councils have underfunded water for decades. Earthquakes haven't helped the pipes either. If you want to point the finger at someone, check out my handy user's guide to working out who to blame for Wellington's water issues. 'Our three waters system has for many years been largely out of sight, out of mind,' a report by Andy Foster's mayoral taskforce on three waters concluded in 2021. Their recommendation was clear: 'Tinkering is not going to cut it. Transformational reform is required.' Then, councils and the government spent four years tinkering and arguing about the exact specifics of that transformational reform. There are no organisational restructures or legislative tweaks that can change the underlying problem – namely, that all the pipes are munted and someone has to pay for it. But it has been clear for years that Wellington Water needed to be replaced with a new, more powerful entity with different financial powers. First, this change was going to be part of Labour's Three Waters Reforms. Then, Labour's Affordable Water Reforms. And now, they're part of National's Local Water Done Well. A technical advisory group led by former mayor Kerry Prendergast (one of the people most responsible for the chronic underfunding) released a lengthy report last year on a recommended regional approach. With the final vote last week, all five of the metropolitan councils – Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council – have now confirmed they are on board with the plan. Wellington's new water entity is called Metro Water. Except it won't actually be its name. It's just a working title until they think of a better one. But for now, Metro Water is the name in all the documents, so it's what I'm going to use. As of July 2026, Wellington Water will be dissolved, and Metro Water will be in charge of all water services in wider Wellington. It won't be a complete changing of the guard. Metro Water will absorb all of Wellington Water's staff below the senior management level. Like Wellington Water, it will be a council-controlled organisation owned jointly by the five councils, with an independent board featuring representatives from Ngāti Toa Rangitira and Taranaki Whānui (yes, that's right, co-governance *gasp*). However, rather than councils owning the pipe assets and paying Wellington Water to run them, councils will transfer ownership of their pipes to Metro Water's books. Importantly, Metro Water will have the ability to take out loans directly. This matters because most councils are approaching their borrowing limits. Metro Water will be able to take out larger loans and spread the costs over a longer term, which means lower annual costs. The technical advisory group estimates this could lower ongoing costs up to a third. The annual cost per connection, which currently sits at $1,711, would rise to $2,596 over 20 years under Metro Water. The business-as-usual approach is estimated to cost as much as $4,000 per year. The downside for Metro Water is that an independent entity likely won't have access to the same cheap loans that councils get. So they're essentially paying more, but spreading it over a longer period. This is essentially the same accounting trick that Auckland Council used earlier this year to separate Watercare's balance sheet from the council's, which was a large reason why Auckland had one of the lowest rate increases this year, at 5.8% for council rates and 7.2% for water rates. By comparison, Wellington City Council had an all-inclusive 12% increase. For ratepayers, there will be one obvious immediate change: water metering. Households will receive a separate bill for water usage. On the whole, this will be more equitable – suburbanites who waste bathloads of water on oversized lawns will pay more than people living in water-efficient apartments and townhouses. But the change will also sting renters, who will find themselves paying a separate water bill that was previously lumped in with their rent. The most surprising part of this new solution is how unsurprising it is. There is very little here that is different to how things would have looked under Labour. The Three Waters Reforms didn't make sense everywhere – it was messy in Auckland, which already had a combined water services operator, and it was controversial in rural areas, where there were concerns about how it could affect water access for irrigation (and of course, there was lots of scaremongering about co-governance) – but in Wellington, it was always obvious that the solution would involve councils transferring ownership of the pipe assets to a combined independent entity that would introduce water metering. National's policy gave councils the ability to choose their future, while Labour's would have dictated it. But in the end, they reached the same outcome.
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Metropolitan Wellington Councils Confirm New Water Services Delivery Model
Press Release – Porirua City Council The decision to move to this new model for water services delivery has been prompted by the Governments Local Water Done Well policy, which has mandated that all councils must review how water services are delivered. Five councils covering the Wellington metropolitan area – Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council – have all now confirmed they will establish a new, jointly-owned organisation to deliver water services to their communities. The decision to move to this new model for water services delivery has been prompted by the Government's Local Water Done Well policy, which has mandated that all councils must review how water services are delivered. In March and April 2025 the councils publicly consulted on water service delivery options. Across all five councils, submissions showed solid support for the preferred option of a multi-council-owned water organisation, ranging from 69 to 84 percent of submissions in favour. The five councils have now all voted to go ahead with the new organisation, which will take accountability for water services on 1 July 2026. Mana whenua iwi Ngāti Toa Rangitira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika support this decision and are partnering with councils on improving water services delivery. The new organisation, with the interim name Metro Water, will own and operate public drinking water, wastewater and reticulated stormwater assets for a population of around 430,000 people. Advisory Oversight Group chair Dame Kerry Prendergast says councils and mana whenua have been clear throughout the process that the intent is to provide better levels of service for communities through reduced leaks, outages and unplanned disruptions, while also enabling growth and delivering cleaner harbours and waterways. 'By establishing a council-owned organisation, we are ensuring assets are retained in public ownership and there is no privatisation. It also means councils, representing their communities, and mana whenua will have ongoing oversight.' 'Metro Water will have the resources, independence and region-wide perspective to effectively manage and improve three waters services for current and future communities,' says Dame Kerry. The next steps are to finalise key foundation documents for the new organisation, finalise a Water Services Delivery Plan for submission to the Government, and appoint interim board directors and an interim Chief Executive. Factsheet – what's planned for water services in Metropolitan Wellington New water organisation accountable for water services from 1 July 2026 There will be a new multi-council-owned water organisation that will take charge of drinking water, wastewater and reticulated stormwater services within the boundaries of Hutt City, Porirua City, Upper Hutt City and Wellington City, from 1 July 2026. For planning purposes, a temporary, placeholder name of Metro Water is being used for the new organisation. This is not intended to be the permanent name. Metro Water will have new governance and ownership arrangements, new leadership and new strategic direction that will distinguish it from Wellington Water. To ensure ongoing service delivery and to retain expertise and experience, it is the intent of councils that Metro Water will absorb Wellington Water operational and support staff below senior management (known as tier 3 and below). Governance and oversight Metro Water will have an independent Board, appointed by a steering committee of representatives of the five council owners and representatives of Ngāti Toa Rangitira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. Councils and mana whenua will set the framework for Metro Water through foundation documents (currently being developed) – Stakeholder Agreement, Constitution, Statement of Expectations and Consumer Charter. These will be in final draft by October 2025 and ratified by councils in late 2025. Metro Water will operate in line with new water services legislation and regulatory oversight will be provided by the Commerce Commission (consumer protection and charging), the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai (water standards) and Greater Wellington Regional Council (environmental compliance). Charging Metro Water will charge directly for water services. Initially, interim billing arrangements are likely to be in place until Metro Water has established systems and processes. Regardless of billing arrangements, water charges will be clearly separate from rates. Charges will have to increase over the next decade, as the backlog of long-overdue upgrades is tackled. Economic and financial modelling indicates that Metro Water will keep costs about a third lower than would be the case if the status quo continued. That's because Metro Water will have greater ability to borrow money than councils currently do and costs can be spread over a longer period of time. It's also expected to deliver economies of scale and efficiencies. The exact amount of water charges will be influenced by a number of factors including how costs are shared between commercial water users and households, the scheduling of upgrade works and investment, and moving to consistent charges across the metropolitan area. Currently households and commercial water users pay different amounts through rates in each city. Water services delivery plan All councils are required to present a Water Services Delivery Plan to Government by 3 September 2025. The Metropolitan Wellington Water Services Delivery Plan will set out how the five councils will meet requirements of the Government's Local Water Done Well reforms, including statutory requirements under the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024. Implementation Interim Board Directors will be appointed prior to October 2025 by the council representatives on the existing Advisory Oversight Group. The interim board will appoint an interim Chief Executive and oversee establishment of Metro Water. In due course, the interim board will be replaced by an enduring board appointed by the Stakeholder Committee. Some initial work is already underway on interim director recruitment and planning for IT and customer systems and processes for Metro Water. Implementation is being jointly funded by the five councils.
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Metropolitan Wellington Councils Confirm New Water Services Delivery Model
Five councils covering the Wellington metropolitan area - Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council - have all now confirmed they will establish a new, jointly-owned organisation to deliver water services to their communities. The decision to move to this new model for water services delivery has been prompted by the Government's Local Water Done Well policy, which has mandated that all councils must review how water services are delivered. In March and April 2025 the councils publicly consulted on water service delivery options. Across all five councils, submissions showed solid support for the preferred option of a multi-council-owned water organisation, ranging from 69 to 84 percent of submissions in favour. The five councils have now all voted to go ahead with the new organisation, which will take accountability for water services on 1 July 2026. Mana whenua iwi Ngāti Toa Rangitira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika support this decision and are partnering with councils on improving water services delivery. The new organisation, with the interim name Metro Water, will own and operate public drinking water, wastewater and reticulated stormwater assets for a population of around 430,000 people. Advisory Oversight Group chair Dame Kerry Prendergast says councils and mana whenua have been clear throughout the process that the intent is to provide better levels of service for communities through reduced leaks, outages and unplanned disruptions, while also enabling growth and delivering cleaner harbours and waterways. "By establishing a council-owned organisation, we are ensuring assets are retained in public ownership and there is no privatisation. It also means councils, representing their communities, and mana whenua will have ongoing oversight." "Metro Water will have the resources, independence and region-wide perspective to effectively manage and improve three waters services for current and future communities," says Dame Kerry. The next steps are to finalise key foundation documents for the new organisation, finalise a Water Services Delivery Plan for submission to the Government, and appoint interim board directors and an interim Chief Executive. For further information, see factsheet below or contact Factsheet - what's planned for water services in Metropolitan Wellington New water organisation accountable for water services from 1 July 2026 There will be a new multi-council-owned water organisation that will take charge of drinking water, wastewater and reticulated stormwater services within the boundaries of Hutt City, Porirua City, Upper Hutt City and Wellington City, from 1 July 2026. For planning purposes, a temporary, placeholder name of Metro Water is being used for the new organisation. This is not intended to be the permanent name. Metro Water will have new governance and ownership arrangements, new leadership and new strategic direction that will distinguish it from Wellington Water. To ensure ongoing service delivery and to retain expertise and experience, it is the intent of councils that Metro Water will absorb Wellington Water operational and support staff below senior management (known as tier 3 and below). Governance and oversight Metro Water will have an independent Board, appointed by a steering committee of representatives of the five council owners and representatives of Ngāti Toa Rangitira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. Councils and mana whenua will set the framework for Metro Water through foundation documents (currently being developed) - Stakeholder Agreement, Constitution, Statement of Expectations and Consumer Charter. These will be in final draft by October 2025 and ratified by councils in late 2025. Metro Water will operate in line with new water services legislation and regulatory oversight will be provided by the Commerce Commission (consumer protection and charging), the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai (water standards) and Greater Wellington Regional Council (environmental compliance). Charging Metro Water will charge directly for water services. Initially, interim billing arrangements are likely to be in place until Metro Water has established systems and processes. Regardless of billing arrangements, water charges will be clearly separate from rates. Charges will have to increase over the next decade, as the backlog of long-overdue upgrades is tackled. Economic and financial modelling indicates that Metro Water will keep costs about a third lower than would be the case if the status quo continued. That's because Metro Water will have greater ability to borrow money than councils currently do and costs can be spread over a longer period of time. It's also expected to deliver economies of scale and efficiencies. The exact amount of water charges will be influenced by a number of factors including how costs are shared between commercial water users and households, the scheduling of upgrade works and investment, and moving to consistent charges across the metropolitan area. Currently households and commercial water users pay different amounts through rates in each city. Water services delivery plan All councils are required to present a Water Services Delivery Plan to Government by 3 September 2025. The Metropolitan Wellington Water Services Delivery Plan will set out how the five councils will meet requirements of the Government's Local Water Done Well reforms, including statutory requirements under the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024. Implementation Interim Board Directors will be appointed prior to October 2025 by the council representatives on the existing Advisory Oversight Group. The interim board will appoint an interim Chief Executive and oversee establishment of Metro Water. In due course, the interim board will be replaced by an enduring board appointed by the Stakeholder Committee. Some initial work is already underway on interim director recruitment and planning for IT and customer systems and processes for Metro Water. Implementation is being jointly funded by the five councils.
NDTV
18-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
MK Stalin To Launch Fifty Water Vending Machines In Chennai
Chennai: In a major public welfare initiative to ensure access to clean drinking water for all, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will inaugurate 50 vending machines across Chennai on Wednesday. The official inauguration will take place near the Marina swimming pool. The initiative, led by the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), is designed to provide 24/7 access to free drinking water, especially benefiting people from low-income backgrounds. These state-of-the-art water vending machines, also known as water ATMs, have been installed in strategic public locations throughout the city. According to Metro Water officials, the machines are being installed in two to six key spots within each Corporation zone. Locations include public places such as beaches, parks, temples, bus depots, terminals, and marketplaces -- all identified by the Greater Chennai Corporation for their high footfall and utility. Each vending machine is linked to a Metro Water pipeline and a storage tank to ensure an uninterrupted water supply. The machines are equipped with a purification system and are monitored around the clock through CCTV surveillance. Users can choose between two quantities of drinking water -- 150 ml or 1 litre -- depending on their requirement. "This is a commendable step by the state government, particularly for people who cannot afford bottled water," said M. Sajesh, a resident of Triplicane. "However, consistent monitoring and timely maintenance will be crucial to ensure the success and sustainability of this project." He also recalled a similar initiative launched in 2016 -- 'Amma Kudineer' -- under the leadership of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, which was eventually discontinued due to a lack of proper follow-up and maintenance. Officials from CMWSSB have assured that this new scheme will be actively monitored, with regular inspections and service checks planned to prevent neglect or breakdown. With the launch of these water vending machines, the government hopes to provide safe, accessible, and free drinking water to the city's residents -- a move that reinforces its commitment to inclusive urban development and public health.
