Watercare chief executive Raveen Jaduram has resigned.

In July, Jaduram's $775,000 salary came under fire amid Auckland's water restrictions.
Auckland mayor Phil Goff was among those unimpressed at the size of the salary, saying no one on the ratepayer payroll should be paid more than the council chief executive, who earns $600,000.

The criticism stemmed from the most severe drought in Auckland's history, leading to emergency spending of $224 million to bolster the city's water supply, restrictions on using hoses and water blasters outdoors and a four-minute limit on showers.

Jaduram is the highest-paid boss at the Super City. He takes home 30 per cent more than the new chief executive of Auckland Council, Jim Stabback, who has the biggest job in the council group.

When Stabback begins work on September 1, his salary of $600,000 will be $98,000 less than his predecessor Stephen Town. Auckland Transport chief executive Shane Ellison, with a bigger and more complex job than Jaduram, is paid $565,000.

At the other council-controlled organisations, Regional Facilities chief executive Chris Brooks is paid $480,000 and Ateed chief executive Nick Hill is paid $425,000. Panuku boss Roger MacDonald was paid $645,000 before he resigned last November. He has not been replaced yet.

Jaduram's salary was up there with some of the biggest jobs and names in the public sector. He pockets more than the head of the Defence Force, Treasury and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who earns $471,000.

The highest-paid public sector boss is NZ Super Fund chief executive Matt Whineray who earns $1,065,000. Fletcher Building chief executive Ross Taylor is the highest-paid private sector boss with a salary of $5.6m in 2019.

Watercare has a history of fat salaries. Former Watercare board chairman Ross Keenan recalled Mark Ford returning to the water company after setting up the Super City on behalf of the Government.

"He came back on a high and thought he had done a very good job and it was time he was rewarded. He was comparing himself to Ralph Norris and felt his worth in the job was $1 million," Keenan said in July.

The retired businessman said he laughed at the suggestion and reminded Ford he was not in the private sector and should be rewarded with a salary below then-council chief executive Doug McKay.

When Ford left Watercare for health reasons in late 2014 shortly before he died, he was on a salary of $860,000.

Jaduram replaced Ford on a base salary of $510,000, rising to a possible $586,500. Between 2016 and 2019 his salary rose from $605,000 to $775,000.