The local government minister says he's called Wellington's mayor for a please explain over huge water bills for residents, which are forecast to hit almost seven grand a year by the end of the decade. One of the region's mayors says that figure is horrendous and unaffordable, and she's worried it will drive people out of the region. Wellington's new water entity, Tiaki Wai, is a council-controlled organisation taking over Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua City Councils water assets from July. It's warning residents of steep rises in charges as the organisation tries to fix old, failing infrastructure. Ellen O'Dwyer reports.