Greenpeace tests revealing high nitrate levels labelled ‘misleading’
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Ashburton residents are being assured their water is safe to drink following claims from Greenpeace.
Greenpeace said its preliminary analysis of 107 samples from the Ashburton area had "extremely concerning" levels of nitrate contamination.
The claims resulted in a flood of concerned residents contacting the Ashburton District Council, which has assured residents connected to its 12 public drinking water supplies that the water is safe to drink, and that it complies with nitrate levels in the national drinking water standards.
The council constantly monitors and tests its water supplies, which service about 70% of the district’s population, chief executive Hamish Riach said.
Environment Canterbury director of science Dr Tim Davie labelled Greenpeace’s portrayal of drinking water testing as “misleading”.
Greenpeace used statistics based on a single Danish study rather than New Zealand’s Drinking Water Standards, set by the Ministry of Health and Taumata Arowai, Davie said.
“It’s also important that people understand that the Greenpeace samples were taken mostly from private wells on rural properties and not the main Ashburton town drinking water supply."
Greenpeace Aotearoa lead campaigner Christine Rose said the "extremely concerning" levels of nitrate contamination are the result of intensive dairying in the region.
"What we’re seeing here in Ashburton is totally unacceptable.
"The Government needs to take urgent action to address nitrate contamination at the source, to protect the health of rural communities.
"That means regulating the intensive dairy industry by phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, and halving the dairy herd."
But Davie said the increase in nitrate concentrations was “a result of more than a century of all types of agriculture and meat processing on the Canterbury plains”, and would take some time to address.
That was because it took a long time for nitrate-rich water to move through the groundwater system.
“The well-known issue of elevated nitrate concentrations is a key driver for change in agricultural practices in the Ashburton plains, leading to better environmental outcomes.
“We have been working on this closely with the farming community for over five years, through the nitrate leaching restrictions in our plans driving better farming practices.”
Greenpeace’s test results had 11% of the 107 samples exceeding the current nitrate standard of 11.3 mg/l, all from private bores in the Ashburton area.
It was not reported specifically where the samples were taken from or if locations were verifiable.
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I can be written, I can be spoken, I can be exposed, I can be broken. What am I?
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
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48.3% Yes
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49.8% No
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2% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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