Pipe dreams and dirty streams: The politics of legitimising centralised urban water infrastructure

Abstract

The objective of this research was to understand how and why centralised urban water infrastructure is legitimised, despite acknowledgement of its flaws and established alternatives. This research was motivated by criticism of traditional, centralised forms of urban water management on the basis of their negative social and environmental impacts, and the resulting emergence of sustainable management alternatives. The investigation was carried out using a qualitative case study of Auckland's proposed Central Interceptor. A dataset was formed using publicly available documents from the stakeholders involved in the city's urban water management. The dataset was analysed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Drawing on the case study and academic literature, several possible explanations for the legitimation of centralised infrastructure were found. Firstly, in some cases, the convenience of centralised networks and the public's lack of exposure to their negative impacts means they are not perceived to be illegitimate, and they do not need to be justified. Secondly, arguments for their legitimacy are based in technocratic decision making and proposed by supposedly a-political experts. These arguments are presented with objective, quantifiable proof that is difficult to dispute and assumed to be unbiased. Thirdly, infrastructure can be legitimised through discourse that presents the threat of emergency or promise of sustainability. The negative impacts of traditional management are used to justify its continued implementation. According to the literature, the incentives to legitimise centralised infrastructure appear to lie in the political and economic advantages they confer. The findings of this case study align with this to some degree. The importance of nuanced local political dynamics was highlighted for their role in perpetuating problematic environmental management practices. Further insight could be gained by investigating the impact of power dynamics within urban water management and their influence on the continued legitimacy of centralised water infrastructure.