Leaks by the Numbers

Tiaki Wai has dedicated teams out finding and fixing leaks every day. 

The older the pipes, the more likely it is that leaks will occur – and the region's pipe network is aging faster than they're being renewed.

In fact, some of the region's pipes are over 100 years old. This is a result of underinvestment in water infrastructure.

Reducing water loss is a key focus for Tiaki Wai, so we prioritise where crews go to make the best use of our resources and focus on fixing the biggest leaks that have the most impact on water supply. Find out how we prioritise leaks.

We're focused on getting the region's leaks down to a sustainable level, that keeps water loss to a minimum, and enables efficient leak repairs. This is each council's 'target backlog'.*

We want to keep the region up to date on the state of their network, so provide monthly reports on leak repairs and the backlog level.

The below table shows the last 3 months of leaks by council area, and the total leaks fixed from 1 July, 2025 to 30 June, 2026 by Wellington Water.

The below table shows the last 3 months of leaks by for the South Wairarapa District Council area, and the total leaks fixed from 1 July, 2025 to 30 June, 2026 by Wellington Water.

From 1 July, Tiaki Wai took over the management of Water Services across the 4 councils in the Wellington Metro area, the dial below represents the backlog under Tiaki Wai (formerly referred to as Metropolitan Region).

Please note, the data provided is based on the best information available at the time of the assessment. As more information is collected through the close out process for each job it may change the numbers presented slightly as greater confidence is achieved. 

We understand it’s frustrating having water restrictions in place given the situation with leaks in the region. We’re doing our best to get on top of water leaks – in the meantime water restrictions help conserve our water supply over the summer months. Learn more about water restrictions and why we need them in the Wellington region.