More water meter readings may be on the way for some residents.
Readings are currently taken twice a year in the Selwyn district, with householders billed separately from rates for each cubic metre of water used.
When Selwyn Water Ltd, the district’s new council-controlled organisation, takes over billing in July, it plans to increase the number of times water meters are read and the frequency of bills.
Selwyn Water board chair Murray Strong said the idea behind the increased meter readings was to build a better database of the demand for water in different locations at different times of the year.
“Ratepayers who are paying those charges often get a bill shock. If they are only getting one or two bills a year, they’re often quite big,” Strong said.
“If we can increase the frequency of those meter reads, what that enables us to do is spread the cost for ratepayers.
“It also enables us to have a much more demand-led approach to costing and building the capital programme for the future.”
The frequency of readings will be determined in the next six months.
Estimates show water and wastewater bills for households are expected to rise 16.5% or about $245 on average in the 2025/26 financial year.
Of the projected $245 increase, about $65 is expected to come from the amount households use, with the remainder coming from an increase in connection fees.
Currently, the connection fee for water and sewage has been included as part of the general rates bill. As of July, it will be charged separately by Selwyn Water.
It is predicted the total bill will be on average $1552 for drinking water and wastewater.
Stormwater will still be part of the rates bill, which averages at $175 a year.
Selwyn Water was established in July following a controversial council decision that went against the majority of public submissions.
Selwyn was the first council in the country to have its water services delivery plan approved by the Government.
The council is expected to approve the transfer of $1.1 billion worth of water and wastewater assets to the company tomorrow – the largest transaction in its history.
Ahead of the transfer, Selwyn Water estimates it will take on about $133m of council debt. By the end of the 2025-26 financial year, the company is forecast to be borrowing 442% of its $58.7m revenue, leaving it about $34m short of its 500% borrowing limit.
Asked by councillors at a briefing whether operating close to the debt limit was a concern, Strong declined to comment publicly due to the ongoing transfer process.
Mayor Lydia Gliddon told Selwyn Times more information would be available once the transfer was complete.
“Until the transfer happens and the wash-up period, we are not going to have the real firm numbers of what this looks like,” Gliddon said.
While it may be operating close to its limit, Strong predicted the company is targeting financial sustainability by June 2028.
Strong estimates more than $600 million will be needed for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure over the next decade.
BILL BREAKDOWN
Estimated charges as of July 1, 2026:
- Metered supply rate: $323, up from $258.
- Water connection: $422, up from $370.
- Sewage connection: $807, up from $702.
- Stormwater rate: $175, up from $152 (council-controlled).
