Greenpeace raises alarm over looming public health crisis in Canterbury

Greenpeace is again raising the alarm over what it has labelled a ‘public health crisis’ in Canterbury after a drinking water testing event in Oxford on Sunday found more bore water supplies tested over the maximum allowable value of nitrate in drinking water.

The Greenpeace testing also found that the Darfield public water supply is now averaging around 6 mg/L of nitrate in drinking water - 1 milligram per litre more than when the organisation last tested the Darfield public water supply six months ago. Additionally, the Oxford Rural 1 public supply is still consistently testing at levels associated with an increased risk of preterm birth.

Greenpeace freshwater spokesperson Will Appelbe says, "Everyone should be able to safely drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap, without fear of getting sick. But sadly, the samples we tested in Oxford are not outliers, and many people in Canterbury are drinking water with levels of nitrate that put them at risk of increased health impacts.

"People in rural Canterbury are facing a looming public health crisis that’s been caused by the dairy industry. Nitrate contamination is a result of diffuse pollution from the intensive dairy industry. Put simply, there are too many cows in Canterbury, and nitrate from the oversized dairy herd is making its way into people’s drinking water.

"To compound the problem, right now, the Luxon Government is stripping away protections for lakes, rivers, and communities’ drinking water under the Resource Management Act.

"This is damning evidence that the Government is not acting in the best interests of rural communities - and in fact is knowingly putting them at increased risk of potential health impacts that include bowel cancer and preterm birth," says Appelbe.

A growing body of science has shown that long-term exposure to nitrate in drinking water at levels as low as 1 mg/L can increase the risk of developing bowel cancer. Additionally, the New Zealand College of Midwives advises that pregnant people should consider accessing an alternative water source if their water supply is testing at or above 5 mg/L, due to scientific evidence indicating that this level of nitrate contamination increases the risk of preterm birth.

"Nitrate contamination will get worse before it gets better - and that’s all the more reason to take action now to stop the pollution at its source," says Appelbe.

"That means phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use, and it also means less irrigation and fewer cows on farms. If Luxon’s Government won’t take these actions, then regional councils like Environment Canterbury must do so. It’s their responsibility to protect the residents of towns like Darfield and Oxford who are at increased risk of adverse health impacts due to nitrate contamination."