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Knowledge Hub / The Network / Water conservation / Fixing leaks / Leaks by the Numbers

Leaks by the Numbers

Wellington Water, on behalf of our council owners, 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 Wellington Water, 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.

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.

Scroll down to see the current leaks in each city, or find full reporting linked below.

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. South Wairarapa's leak reporting is still being reviewed, and will be made available as soon as possible. 

 

Metropolitan Region

We're close to a sustainable level
325 Target Backlog*
387 Current Backlog
1720 Backlog as of Jan 1 2024

Lower Hutt

Currently funded to the end of FY2024/25
We're at a sustainable level
110 Target Backlog*
87 Current Backlog
403 Backlog as of Jan 1 2024

Upper Hutt

Current funding forecast to be depleted by January 2025
We're at a sustainable level
44 Target Backlog*
29 Current Backlog
275 Backlog as of Jan 1 2024

Wellington City

Currently funded to the end of FY2024/25
We're close to a sustainable level
133 Target Backlog*
241 Current Backlog
936 Backlog as of Jan 1 2024

Porirua

Current funding forecast to be depleted by April 2025
We're at a sustainable level
38 Target Backlog*
30 Current Backlog
106 Backlog as of Jan 1 2024


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.