Watercare
Watercare Services Limited is New Zealand's largest water and wastewater utility, providing regulated water supply and wastewater services to 1.7 million people across the Auckland region. The council-controlled organisation is financially independent since July 2025 and is executing a NZ$13.8 billion 10-year infrastructure program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Watercare does
Watercare Services Limited is New Zealand's largest water and wastewater utility, providing essential services to approximately 1.7 million people across the Auckland region—roughly one-third of the country's population. The company operates as a council-controlled organisation wholly owned by Auckland Council under the Local Government Act 2002, and achieved full financial independence from the Council on 1 July 2025 through New Zealand's largest corporate debt capital raise of NZ$3.4 billion. Revenue is generated through usage-based water supply charges, volumetric and fixed wastewater charges (with four commercial pricing tiers by discharge volume), infrastructure growth charges for new developments, and trade waste charges for commercial customers—pricing is regulated under the Watercare Charter with Commerce Commission oversight.
The company's core technology stack includes an extensive pipe and treatment network, the 16.2km Central Interceptor wastewater tunnel (the largest wastewater project in New Zealand), advanced bionutrient removal technology, and a smart metering programme using Itron Intelis wSource NB-IoT meters (100,000 deployed, with plans for nearly 500,000 region-wide). Customer-facing platforms include a MyAccount portal, a mobile app for real-time usage tracking and leak notifications, and a Developer Portal for builders. Watercare maintains a Moody's Aa3 credit rating (stable outlook) with P-1 for commercial paper, and operates domestic, Australian, and European medium-term note programmes to fund an NZ$13.8 billion, 10-year infrastructure investment program covering over 1,000 projects.
Strategic priorities include achieving energy-neutral wastewater treatment at the M\u0101ngere and Rosedale plants by 2025 (a world-first at that scale), reducing operational GHG emissions 50% by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050, and transitioning to permanent economic regulation by July 2028. Distribution is direct-to-customer across a single regulated geography (Auckland), with no customer churn risk given statutory monopoly status.
Watercare firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Watercare
- Legal name
- Watercare Services Limited
- Website
- https://watercare.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Watercare Services Limited is New Zealand's largest water and wastewater utility, providing regulated water supply and wastewater services to 1.7 million people across the Auckland region. The council-controlled organisation is financially independent since July 2025 and is executing a NZ$13.8 billion 10-year infrastructure program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Watercare industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water and Wastewater Utility Services
- NAICS
- Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Utilities (22)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Water & Wastewater Utility IoT (SCADA, Leak/Quality Monitoring) (EUADAPAK)
Keywords
Where Watercare is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auckland
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Watercare business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Water Supply Charges: Charges per kilolitre of water used, measured via water meters. Residential and commercial customers billed based on actual consumption.
- Wastewater Collection and Treatment: Fixed charges and volumetric charges for wastewater services. Commercial customers have four pricing plans based on discharge volume (Low, Moderate, High, Industry).
- Infrastructure Growth Charges: Charges for new developments and subdivisions connecting to the water and wastewater network.
- Trade Waste Charges: Additional charges for commercial properties discharging trade waste into the wastewater network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Monthly | Commercial wastewater plans based on volume discharged: Low User (<1,309kL), Moderate User (1,309-10,193kL), High User (10,193-85,705kL), Industry (85,705kL+) |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Residential water and wastewater charges based on consumption |
| Subscription | Monthly | Service standards guarantee minimum water pressure of 200kPa and flow rate of 25 litres per minute |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Watercare product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Watercare provides water supply and wastewater collection and treatment services to 1.7 million people across the Auckland region through a regulated network of pipes, treatment plants, reservoirs, and pump stations. Its offerings include metered residential and commercial water supply, wastewater tariffs, trade waste management, infrastructure growth charges for new developments, and customer-facing digital tools (smart meters, mobile app, MyAccount portal) that enable real-time consumption monitoring, leak detection, and online account management.
Product overview
Watercare operates as New Zealand's largest water utility, providing an integrated portfolio of water and wastewater services to 1.7 million people in Auckland. The core offering consists of water supply and wastewater treatment services delivered through extensive infrastructure networks. Supporting this are technology products including smart meters (EDMI and Landis + Gyr brands) that enable electronic consumption tracking, the Watercare Mobile App for real-time usage monitoring and leak detection, and the MyAccount online portal for customer self-service. Infrastructure planning and development is facilitated through a Developer Portal and GIS mapping tools, while the broader Infrastructure Investment Programme represents a NZ$13.8 billion commitment to network modernisation including the Central Interceptor wastewater tunnel and treatment plant upgrades.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Water Supply Services Potable water supply to residential and commercial customers across Auckland, billed per kilolitre consumed and metered through the network.
- Wastewater Collection and Treatment Collection and treatment of wastewater using network infrastructure including pipes, pump stations, and treatment plants, with CCTV inspection, smoke testing, and dye testing services.
- Trade Waste Services Additional services and charges for commercial properties discharging trade waste into the wastewater network, with industry-specific pricing.
- Smart Water Meters Electronic water meters (EDMI and Landis + Gyr brands) that measure consumption every thirty minutes and send readings daily, enabling real-time usage tracking, leak detection notifications, and monthly billing based on actual consumption.
- Watercare Mobile App Smartphone application enabling customers to view water usage (monthly, daily, and half-hourly), compare usage against water-saving targets, receive leak notifications, view and pay bills, and access LiveChat support.
- MyAccount Online Portal Customer self-service portal enabling account management, bill viewing, payment processing, and access to usage data for residential, business, and landlord customers.
- GIS Maps GIS mapping tools providing spatial and non-spatial data about Auckland's water and wastewater networks. Users can view pipe locations, asset details (material, diameter, network type), and project information across the region.
- Developer Portal Online platform for builders and developers to initiate projects, apply for works-over approvals, submit connection requests, and manage engineering compliance documentation for water and wastewater infrastructure.
Quantifiable outcome
- 96% of water shutdowns restored within five hours
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Watercare
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Watercare technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Watercare partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ItroncoreItron deployed 100,000 Intelis wSource smart water meters across Auckland using NB-IoT network technology, providing real-time consumption data, accelerated leak detection, and improved billing accuracy. This represents one of the largest smart water metering upgrades in New Zealand as part of Watercare's plan to connect nearly half a million smart meters.
- GhellacoreItalian tunnelling specialists Ghella awarded NZ$260 million contract to deliver the Herne Bay Collector wastewater tunnel connecting into the Central Interceptor, reducing wet weather overflows into Waitematā Harbour. Part of one of the most significant wastewater infrastructure upgrades in Auckland's history.
- Recore Pipe Relining SpecialistsminorRecore completed renewal of 76-metre DN375 sewer main beneath busy road in Huntly for Watercare using advanced trenchless technology including RRcure 1500 UV curing system. Marked Recore's first engagement with Watercare, completing over 800 metres of lining.
- Waikato-TainuicoreRelationship agreement (Kawenata Whakawhanaunga) signed December 2020 and refreshed December 2023. Watercare contributes $1 million annually to fund research and initiatives improving water quality in lower Waikato River catchment, managed by joint working group.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Watercare competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wellington Water: New Zealand's second-largest metropolitan water utility, managing drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater for the Wellington region under a similar council-controlled governance model. Directly comparable as a regulated NZ water utility with overlapping regulatory and iwi-engagement dynamics.
Regional players
- Melbourne Water: Statutory authority managing Melbourne's water cycle—supply, treatment, and waterways—analogous to Watercare's integrated water and wastewater role in Auckland. Comparable in scale, regulated-monopoly model, and climate-driven capex programmes.
- Sydney Water: State-owned corporation providing water and wastewater services to Greater Sydney. Comparable as a large, regulated metropolitan water utility with similar customer-base scale, infrastructure investment cycles, and IPART-style economic regulation.
Broad incumbents
- Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water-treatment and services major that already operates within Watercare's network (e.g. Papakura bulk water supply). Comparable as a counterpart and potential partner/competitor across treatment technology and outsourced operations.
- Suez Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water-treatment technology and services provider serving municipal and industrial customers. Comparable as a vendor/partner ecosystem peer for treatment technology, smart metering, and plant optimisation relevant to Watercare's upgrade pipeline.
- American Water Works Company: Largest publicly listed US water and wastewater utility, serving more than 14 million people across regulated state-level frameworks. Comparable as a large, regulated water utility with significant capex programmes and AMI/smart-meter deployment strategies.
- United Utilities: UK listed water and wastewater company serving the North West of England under Ofwat regulation. Comparable as a regulated monopoly utility with multi-billion-pound capex cycles, environmental compliance obligations, and customer service standards.
- Thames Water: UK's largest water and wastewater company, serving London and the Thames Valley. Comparable as a large regulated metropolitan water utility with extensive tunnelling and treatment infrastructure, though currently financially distressed—a cautionary comparison for Watercare's leverage trajectory.
- PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency: Singapore's national water agency managing integrated water cycle including NEWater reuse. Comparable as a publicly-owned, technology-forward utility pursuing energy neutrality, reuse, and smart metering—relevant benchmark for Watercare's innovation roadmap.
Others
- Itron: Global smart-metering and IoT vendor already partnered with Watercare to deploy 100,000 NB-IoT Intelis wSource meters. Included as an adjacent ecosystem participant—relevant for understanding the technology stack underpinning Watercare's AMI rollout and operational efficiency gains.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Watercare social profiles
Digital presenceWatercare financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Watercare leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Watercare subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Watercare funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Watercare M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Watercare
What does Watercare do?
Watercare provides water supply and wastewater collection and treatment services to 1.7 million people across the Auckland region through a regulated network of pipes, treatment plants, reservoirs, and pump stations. Its offerings include metered residential and commercial water supply, wastewater tariffs, trade waste management, infrastructure growth charges for new developments, and customer-facing digital tools (smart meters, mobile app, MyAccount portal) that enable real-time consumption monitoring, leak detection, and online account management.
Is Watercare a public or private company?
Watercare is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Watercare founded?
Watercare was founded in 2010. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Watercare based?
Watercare is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Watercare make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Water Supply Charges are the primary driver. The others are wastewater Collection and Treatment, infrastructure Growth Charges and trade Waste Charges.
Who are Watercare's main competitors?
Wellington Water is listed as a direct peer. Regional players are Melbourne Water and Sydney Water. Broad incumbents are Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions, Suez Water Technologies & Solutions, American Water Works Company, United Utilities, Thames Water and PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency. Itron is listed as an others.
Does Watercare have an API?
No public API is recorded for Watercare.
What industry is Watercare in?
Watercare's product category is Water and Wastewater Utility Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAG, Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration, with a secondary code of EUADAPAK, Water & Wastewater Utility IoT (SCADA, Leak/Quality Monitoring). Its NAICS code is 2213 and its SIC code is 4941.