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Water Supply in New Zealand Industry Data and Analysis
The Water Supply industry in New Zealand has shown strong revenue growth over the past five years, predominantly due to supportive government policies and consistent population growth. Performance has also been influenced by rainfall, affecting the agricultural sector, which constitutes almost two-thirds of the country’s water consumption. High export market prices have led to increased production by farmers, increasing demand for water supply. This trend was exacerbated in 2023-24, when rainfall reached historically low levels, forcing farmers to rely on irrigation from water mains. Overarching all these trends has been consistently strong growth in variable volumetric water charges, charged to end users based on metered water usage. Annual expansions have consistently outpaced inflation, driving up real revenue. In total, revenue is expected to expand at an annualised 7.4% over the five years through 2025-26 to $1.6 billion, including an anticipated jump of 6.8% in 2025-26. Despite revenue growth, surpluses remain tight as most water suppliers are government or government-owned entities that reinvest profit back into capital expenditure. An exception is the Auckland region, where Watercare split from its affiliation with the Auckland Council in July 2025.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Water Supply industry in New Zealand includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released July 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Water Supply industry in New Zealand operates under the ANZSIC industry code D2811NZ. Water supply service providers filter, treat and supply water to households and businesses. Industry firms also supply water to agricultural businesses for agricultural irrigation. Related terms covered in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand include turbidity, groundwater, surface water and aquifer.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Water Supply industry in New Zealand include Fixed water service charges, Volumetric water service charges and Other water services.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand include Watercare, Wellington Water and Christchurch City Council.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Water Supply industry in New Zealand.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Water Supply industry in New Zealand.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Water Supply industry in New Zealand.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Water Supply industry in New Zealand in 2026?
The market size of the Water Supply industry in New Zealand is $1.6bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand in 2025?
There are 175 businesses in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand, which has grown at a CAGR of 5.3 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Water Supply industry in New Zealand?
The Water Supply industry in New Zealand is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Water Supply industry in New Zealand?
The Water Supply industry in New Zealand is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Water Supply industry in New Zealand grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Water Supply industry in New Zealand has been growing at a CAGR of 7.2 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Water Supply industry in New Zealand over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Water Supply industry in New Zealand is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand?
The biggest companies operating in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand are Watercare, Wellington Water and Christchurch City Council
What does the Water Supply industry in New Zealand include?
Water reservoir operation and Water distribution by pipelines are part of the Water Supply industry in New Zealand.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand?
The company holding the most market share in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand is Watercare.
How competitive is the Water Supply industry in New Zealand?
The level of competition is very low and steady in the Water Supply industry in New Zealand.
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