The government is pushing ahead with its three waters reform programme, the biggest shakeup in local government in decades.

It comes as residents in two coastal Otago towns are still unable to drink their tap-water because of lead contamination, fragile pipes in Wellington continuing to break and some beaches remain unswimmable.

So what will the plan require of councils?

Kathryn speaks with Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta, who’s been working on these reforms for several years.