Smarter Water Management: A Checklist for Councils Navigating Change

New Zealand’s water sector is undergoing a significant transformation, with government-led reforms aimed at improving water resource management.

A growing number of councils, including Christchurch City Council, are choosing to retain control of their water services under the Government’s Local Water Done Well framework. Following strong public support, Christchurch confirmed it will manage drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services through an in-house delivery model, emphasising the value of local accountability, flexibility, and sustainable investment.

For local councils and government bodies, the ability to monitor and reduce non-revenue water (NRW) losses, such as leaks within the distribution network and at the customer level, is now critical. The shift is already underway. Councils like Selwyn District are stepping forward, voting to establish a new, council-owned organisation to manage water services.

Beyond compliance with national drinking water standards, councils must proactively mitigate water quality risks, including those caused by pressure fluctuations, asset degradation, and under-reporting.

At ADR, our water management experts have developed a comprehensive checklist to help councils assess where they stand, identify areas for improvement, and take strategic, proactive steps toward smarter water management.

Here’s what you can expect from the checklist:

This checklist is designed to help councils take a comprehensive, systems-based approach. These are the key areas it addresses:

1. Ensure compliance with water regulations
   
   Compliance with evolving water regulations, including Taumata Arowai’s standards, is non-negotiable. The checklist helps councils assess whether their current monitoring, reporting, and risk management practices are up to date. This includes reviewing how well systems can detect and respond to quality and pressure-related risks, ensuring ongoing public safety and legal alignment.
   
   
2. Strengthen governance and accountability
   
   The checklist helps councils benchmark existing practices and identify where clearer accountability or stronger oversight is needed to support better governance. Christchurch City Council’s recent decision to retain direct control of its water services under an in-house model highlights the growing demand from communities for transparency, local decision-making, and integrated planning.
   
   
3. Support ESG goals and resource protection
   
   As ESG expectations grow, councils face pressure to reduce environmental impact and demonstrate social accountability. The checklist reviews efforts to reduce water loss, engage with diverse communities, and align monitoring systems with ESG goals to support sustainability and social responsibility.
   
   
4. Assess and maintain infrastructure effectively
   
   The checklist helps councils review asset age, condition, and capacity, and adopt tools like smart meters, pressure sensors, and leak detection. When integrated with SCADA and GIS systems, these technologies enable quicker detection and targeted action. The Christchurch City Council’s in-house model reinforces the importance of aligning infrastructure planning with local priorities.
   
   
5. Partner meaningfully with Māori and communities
   
   True water stewardship in Aotearoa means more than consultation, it’s about co-governance hand in hand with mātauranga Māori, and ensuring decisions are made with mana whenua, not just about them. The checklist helps councils reflect on how they are upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi, embedding cultural values into their strategies, and fostering trust through long-term, reciprocal relationships.
   
   
6. Evaluate financial sustainability and cost efficiency
   
   With budgets under pressure, financial sustainability is crucial. The checklist encourages councils to evaluate opportunities for reducing operational costs through water loss prevention, make smart investments that defer capital expenditure, and align spending with service goals. This is especially important for councils like Christchurch preparing Water Services Delivery Plans under the new framework.
   
   
7. Plan for innovation and future needs
   
   Water management systems must adapt to growing demands, climate pressures, and technological changes. The checklist helps councils assess their readiness for digital transformation, scalable monitoring systems, and internal capability through upskilling.

Your path to effective water management starts here

Download this checklist to provide a structured roadmap for councils like yours to assess current practices and uncover opportunities for improvement. 

Regularly revisiting these questions ensures a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to water management, supporting compliance, cost efficiency, and community trust.

Your responses can form the basis of a water strategy that is future-ready, culturally inclusive, and environmentally responsible. 

As regulations, populations, and technologies evolve, so too should your systems.

About ADR

We provide water monitoring, measurement, and management solutions to many of New Zealand’s largest local government bodies, commercial organisations, private body corporates, and rural water schemes. 

Our clients choose us because they want greater confidence that their investment in water management will deliver today and into the future.

Keen to find out more about our products? Explore our range of Ultrasonic Smart Meters, and don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like to learn more about them.