Driving water efficiency for high use customers in Aotearoa New Zealand

Improving customer water efficiency is one of the most cost‑effective ways to address supply–demand imbalances. Effective programmes can reduce operational costs, delay or downsize new infrastructure, and help customers lower their water and electricity bills with minimal investment.

Non‑residential customers – commercial, industrial, and institutional users – are particularly strong candidates for efficiency initiatives. They face volumetric water charges, have clear incentives to reduce utility costs, and often recognise that the true cost of water includes heating, pumping, treatment, and other resource inputs. These additional costs can exceed the price of water itself, and many organisations also have sustainability or carbon‑reduction goals that align with reducing consumption.

Wellington Water, which serves councils including Wellington, Porirua, Hutt and Upper Hutt, developed a Non‑Residential Customer Water Efficiency Strategy in 2023. This strategy established the foundation for a pilot programme and subsequent expansion into a structured, long‑term customer engagement approach. Watercare, Auckland’s water service provider, intensified its focus on non‑residential water efficiency during the 2020 drought, engaging commercial customers on supply resilience and efficiency opportunities.

This paper from 2023 outlines how each water service provider has approached non‑residential water efficiency, the benefits achieved, common themes emerging from their work, and key lessons learned. Together, these experiences demonstrate how targeted engagement with high‑use customers can deliver significant system‑wide savings, support resilience, and contribute to broader environmental objectives.

For more detail on this study, download the article below or contact Julian Fyfe at julian.fyfe@awa.kiwi.