New Zealand capital losing 45% of its drinking water supply to decaying pipes

Services provider reports around 4,000 leaks from ageing pipeline

- Ong Hui Fang

WELLINGTON - As New Zealand's capital Wellington reported its hottest January on record - 29.6 deg Con Jan 22, residents are bracing themselves for tougher water curbs caused by century-old pipes that are now leaking.

As much as 45 per cent of Wellington's drinking water supply roughly the equivalent of 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools goes down the drain literally every day, due to some 4,000 leaks from its ageing pipes, according to estimates from Wellington Water, the water services provider.

"We expect this figure to go up," Wellington Water's chief executive Tonia Haskell told The Straits Times. She said the increase in leaks is caused by historical underinvestment in the ageing pipe network, resulting in a backlog of pipe renewals.

"Regionally, we've set an aspirational goal to renew 100km of water pipes. Our council owners can afford to provide investment for only around 25km of pipe renewals in the current financial year," she said.

Wellington Water is owned and funded by the councils in the Wellington metropolitan region.

The total bill to fix the ailing pipes is around NZ$30 billion (S$24.5 billion) over 30 years, Ms Haskell said.

While existing leaks are being fixed, new ones are appearing daily. The monthly update on Wellington Water's website showed 284 new leaks were detected in December, while 530 were fixed.

There are currently 3,260 confirmed leaks and 894 more waiting to be assessed.

The leaks have been going on for a couple of years, with a sharp rise in water lost since mid-2022.

Water shortage was averted during the last two summers due to unexpected heavy rainfall from cyclones Dovi and Gabrielle.

But this summer, the weather is hotter and drier due to El Nino conditions.

Amid the dry summer days, leaks are visible throughout the capital.