Aotearoa New Zealand’s urban water pricing data gaps: implications for evidence-based policy reform and the use of metres and pricing

With pressures on water supplies increasing globally, readily accessible data on water availability and consumption is of growing importance to policymakers and water managers. In urban areas, water metres, which can provide information about water use and infrastructure resilience, as well as enable volumetric charging for water use, have become core demand-side management tools for ensuring more efficient, cost-effective, and equitable decision-making. Yet, how water metres are used in Aotearoa New Zealand and their impact on pricing structures and water supply and use has not been widely studied. For decision-makers and researchers, the lack of readily accessible quantitative data on residential consumption could be constraining how urban drinking water policy is being developed to ensure it delivers targeted wellbeing improvements for communities. Here, we explore how metering is being used in Aotearoa New Zealand and estimate the possible impact of volumetric pricing on urban drinking water consumption using case studies from Tauranga and Wellington. Our methods reveal the challenges of accessing data on drinking water availability and consumption in Aotearoa New Zealand using Official Information Act channels. We conclude with recommendations for urban drinking water supply reform.