Who we are

IAWAI didn't appear overnight. It's the result of a conversation that started years ago between two councils, an iwi partner, and the Government — about how to keep water flowing reliably to a rapidly growing region.

The Waikato region is one of the fastest-growing parts of New Zealand. In the last decade, thousands of people have moved here. More homes mean more demand for water. More businesses mean more wastewater to treat. More streets mean more stormwater to manage. That growth is good; it's a sign of a thriving region, but it creates real pressure on water infrastructure built for a different era.

For decades, water services in our region were split between two councils: Hamilton City Council managed water in the city, and Waikato District Council managed it in the wider district. Each council handled its own pipes, treatment plants, and systems. They did good work, but they were also doing it separately, with separate budgets, separate planning cycles, and separate teams.

The challenge was this: How do you future-proof water services for a region that's growing fast, requires massive investment in ageing infrastructure, and can't afford to get it wrong?

The answer wasn't found by one council working alone. It required both councils to think differently.

Around the same time, the Government launched the Local Water Done Well programme. It asked all councils a direct question: How will you ensure that water services remain financially sustainable and well managed in the future?

This wasn't just about pipes and pumps. It was about ensuring that as communities grow, water services can keep up, that treatment plants can be upgraded, that new pipes can be laid, that water quality can be protected, and that the investment required is planned, funded, and delivered professionally.

For Hamilton City Council and Waikato District Council, the answer became clear: they needed to work together.

In a historic decision, councillors from both Hamilton City and Waikato District agreed to create a single, dedicated water services organisation. Rather than competing or working in parallel, they would combine their water teams, their knowledge, and their resources into one entity focused entirely on getting water right.

That's when IAWAI was born.

The name itself reflects the region's identity: IA (flow), WAI (water), IAWAI (the river at the centre). It's a name rooted in te reo Maaori, the language and values of the Waikato.

IAWAI was never just about two councils joining forces. From the beginning, it was created in genuine partnership with Waikato-Tainui, the iwi of this region.

That partnership reflects a simple truth: water doesn't belong to any one organisation. It belongs to all of us, and to the river itself. Waikato-Tainui hold three seats on IAWAI's governance Forum, and their voice shapes every major decision we make. We're bound together by Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato, the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River, which guides how we protect and restore the health of the awa (river) and waterways that sustain our communities.

Creating IAWAI required combining two councils' water teams, around 210 experienced professionals who had spent their careers knowing our pipes, our networks, and our communities' needs. It meant building new systems and processes from scratch. It meant planning for a decade of investment: $3.3 billion in pipes, treatment plants, and infrastructure to serve a growing region.

Most importantly, it meant making a commitment: We will be the organisation that ensures water services in the Waikato are sustainable, reliable, and well-managed, not for the next few years, but for generations.

The reforms that created IAWAI might sound like a behind-the-scenes reorganisation. But they matter because they mean:

• Your water stays on. We have the scale and focus to invest in reliable infrastructure, even as our region grows.
• Your water stays clean. We have specialist teams dedicated entirely to water quality and safety.
• Your water stays affordable. By pooling resources and planning long-term, we can deliver services more efficiently than two councils managing separate networks.
• The river stays healthy. Our partnership with Waikato-Tainui means every decision we make protects the awa that sustains us all.

IAWAI opened on 1 July 2026. We're a brand new organisation, but we're built on decades of expertise and a partnership with deep roots in this region.

Our first years are about proving that this model works. Our challenge is to deliver world-class water services as the region around us grows. Our opportunity is to show that when councils put aside competition and work together, and when they genuinely partner with iwi, they can achieve things neither could achieve alone.

 We're committed to earning the trust of the communities we serve, one day of reliable water at a time.