Goodbye Three Waters - hello, “Affordable Water Reforms”. The Government has scrapped a major part of its unpopular Three Waters reforms, ditching the four mega entities that would have delivered Three Waters (freshwater, wastewater, and stormwater) services to households. The 10 entities will allow local councils more direct engagement with the water entities that will manage water services on their behalf. The Three Waters reforms were meant to help local councils deal with the eyewatering cost of investment in water infrastructure - estimated to be about $130-$185 billion over the next thirty years. The Three Waters reforms were the brainchild of former Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta.
