Who we are
WaterWatch is provided by Metrico Limited, a New Zealand company based in New Plymouth, on behalf of your council or water utility. Your utility remains responsible for your water connection, your meter and your bill; Metrico operates the WaterWatch service that lets you see that information clearly.
In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" mean Metrico Limited. We handle your information in accordance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.
What we collect
- Account details – your email address and a password (stored in protected, encrypted form), plus your notification preferences.
- Property and meter links – the Property ID and meter number you enter when you claim a meter, which connect your account to your water connection.
- Meter readings and derived figures – readings from your water meter, supplied by your utility's metering system, and the usage, cost estimates, comparisons and leak indicators we calculate from them.
- Details you choose to add – such as your household make-up on the Insights tab, used only to show typical-usage comparisons and savings estimates.
- Technical information – the basic device and log information needed to run the service securely, such as app version and sign-in records.
We collect what's needed to show you your own water information – and we don't go looking for anything else.
What we use it for
- Showing your usage, estimated costs and billing comparisons in the app.
- Watching your meter for unusual, continuous flow and alerting you to possible leaks.
- Showing how your usage compares with the previous quarter and with similar households in your area.
- Supporting you – for example when you claim a meter, move house, or contact support.
- Keeping the service secure, reliable and working properly.
We don't sell your information, we don't share it for advertising, and we don't use it for anything beyond the features you see in the app.
Area comparisons use anonymised data
The "compared to your area" figures are built from aggregated, anonymised usage statistics. They show typical patterns for groups of households – they never reveal any individual property's usage to anyone else, and your neighbours cannot see yours.
Shared meters
If your property shares a meter, WaterWatch shows you your share of that meter's usage and cost, based on the split your council applies. Other properties on the same shared meter see their own share – not yours, and not the personal details of your account.
Who we share it with
- Your council or water utility – they already hold your connection, meter and billing records; WaterWatch works with that same information to display it to you, and to help their support teams assist you when you ask.
- Service providers – trusted providers who host and help us run the service, bound to protect your information and use it only for that purpose.
- Where the law requires it – if we're legally required to disclose information, we'll do so only to the extent required.
We never sell or rent your personal information to anyone.
How we protect and store it
Your information is encrypted in transit, passwords are stored using one-way encryption, and access within Metrico is limited to those who need it to operate the service. Your data is hosted in Australasia.
How long we keep it
We keep your account information while your account is active. If you close your account, we remove your personal details within a reasonable period, keeping only what we must retain to meet legal obligations or what your utility must keep as part of its own records. Meter readings themselves are part of your utility's records of your water connection and are governed by their retention practices.
Your rights and choices
- Access and correction – under the Privacy Act 2020, you can ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct it.
- Your data, exportable – you can export your readings and billing data as a CSV from the Readings tab at any time.
- Notifications – you control alert and notification settings from the Profile tab.
- Closing your account – you can ask us to close your account and remove your personal details.
If you have a concern about how we've handled your information, please contact us first – we'll do our best to put it right. You can also complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
Changes to this policy
If we make meaningful changes to this policy, we'll update this page and the date at the top, and let you know in the app when the changes are significant.
How to contact us
Questions about privacy or this policy: contact@metrico.co.nz
Metrico Limited, New Plymouth, New Zealand · Telephone +64 20 4159 2056
For questions about your water connection, readings or bill, your utility's contact details are under Support in the app's Profile tab.