Wastewater Investment Accelerator

This RFI represents an opportunity to contribute to the development of a national programme that will significantly change how small wastewater (often referred to as ‘sanitary’ or ‘sewage’) treatment plants are procured, delivered and operated in New Zealand. “Local Water Done Well” was a national initiative that has created financially sustainable Water Service Organisations (WSOs). As a result, the number of WSOs in New Zealand reduced from approximately 70 to 40. In order to achieve greater efficiencies across the WSOs, the Government of New Zealand (represented by NIFFCo) is seeking to procure multiple wastewater treatment plants (on behalf of WSOs) in a voluntary coordinated procurement scheme. Water Service Delivery Plans completed by councils in 2025 indicate substantial investment in water infrastructure is required in the shorter term and over the coming decade. A proportion of this investment relates to the upgrade or replacement of wastewater treatment plants serving smaller to medium sized communities. This RFI primarily seeks to identify and evaluate suitable partners for the planning, procurement, deployment and operations and maintenance of modular wastewater treatment solutions for communities of fewer than 2,000 people, with the majority of the communities targeted by this initiative consisting of fewer than 500 people. Over time the opportunity may grow to larger treatment plants as well drinking water plants. The programme objective is to achieve compliance with wastewater environmental performance standards, while improving cost efficiency, scalability, and delivery timelines. You are not required to be a treatment technologies specialist in order to respond, and may be part of a consortium.