Image shows WDC Mayor Aksel Bech and Peter Winder, CEO of IAWAI signing the agreement.
Waikato District Council has signed the transfer agreement establishing IAWAI, the new publicly owned water company created in partnership with Hamilton City Council and Waikato-Tainui. The agreement marks a significant structural shift in how drinking water and wastewater services will be delivered across the region, with the new entity set to serve more than 220,000 residents.
The signing also begins the formal process of transferring more than $850 million worth of Waikato District Council water infrastructure assets into the new organisation. These assets include treatment plants, reservoirs, pump stations, pipelines, operational staff and supporting resources, all of which will form part of the combined regional water network managed by IAWAI.
Mayor Aksel Bech said the agreement signals the start of a new era for water services, allowing councils to plan and invest in infrastructure at a larger regional scale. Over the next decade the new entity is expected to invest more than $3 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure to support population growth, meet environmental standards, and reduce the long-term cost pressures that individual councils would otherwise face managing the systems alone.
The IAWAI model also places a strong emphasis on protecting the Waikato River, with future infrastructure investment linked to improving water quality and environmental outcomes. IAWAI is expected to begin operations on 1 July 2026, bringing together water services for the wider Hamilton–Waikato district under a single publicly owned organisation.
