Responding to the news that all councils' Local Water Done Well service delivery plans have now been assessed by the Department of Internal Affairs, Taxpayers' Union spokesman James Ross said:

"Councils undervaluing the cost of water investment by roughly $4,500 per household over the next decade shows they never had a proper grasp of the assets they owned or what it would take to fix them. If you're trying to explain why water services are in such poor shape, look no further."

"This is classic public sector behaviour, and the problem isn't limited to local government. The Prime Minister claimed last month that half of all government agencies don't have asset management plans at all, which hardly sets a robust example for councils to follow."

"With most councils now setting up new water entities, this has to be a chance for a full reset. You can't manage what you don't properly measure, and ratepayers cannot afford decades more of the same poor governance."

Denmark's Environment Minister is making moves to dramatically lower the legal limit for nitrate in drinking water, after a government-commissioned report recommended reducing the legal limit for nitrate contamination to 6 mg/L of nitrate (1.3 mg/L nitrate-nitrogen).

Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says New Zealanders deserve the same action.

"There's no secret playbook that the Danes are working from here. They don't know anything that we don't know - they're following the scientific evidence and choosing to prioritise people's health and access to safe drinking water over the economic interests of the agribusiness lobby."

"New Zealand is in the middle of a growing health crisis caused by nitrate contamination from intensive dairying. When will our Government recognise this and take action?"

New Zealand research indicates that elevated levels of nitrate contamination in drinking water could be causing up to 100 cases of bowel cancer every year, and leading to 40 deaths a year.

Communities are already affected

Appelbe says the situation in rural New Zealand is unacceptable.

"The fact of the matter is that many rural communities in New Zealand are unable to drink their water because of unacceptably high levels of nitrate contamination, and we know the cause of that pollution. It's the intensive dairy industry, led by Fonterra."

"Fonterra's oversized dairy herd and overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser is leading to escalating levels of nitrate contamination in drinking water, but today it's become clear that the writing is on the wall for the intensive dairy industry."

"Already, there are many drinking water wells and public town supplies in New Zealand that are above the nitrate limits proposed by the Danish. There are even private wells that are above our own - far too outdated - legal health limit. And it's going to get worse unless this Government puts the health of communities ahead of Fonterra's profits."

Greenpeace is urging the Government to take action by lowering the legal nitrate limit, stopping further dairy expansion, and phasing out the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser.

"There are simply too many cows. If Denmark can act on the science, so can we. People's health is on the line."

Greenpeace is deeply concerned about the future of Ashburton's town water supply, as testing on Sunday revealed that a sample had reached nitrate contamination levels of 9.65 mg/L.

"This sample from Ashburton's town water supply is dangerously close to the New Zealand Government's limit for nitrate contamination in drinking water," says Greenpeace freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe.

However, Appelbe notes that this limit is outdated and that there are calls from public health scientists to lower it, in line with findings from a growing body of international research.

"Long‑term exposure to nitrate in drinking water at levels much lower than the current health limit – and much lower than this sample from the Ashburton town supply – has been associated with significant health impacts, particularly for pregnant people."

A 2021 Californian study found that nitrate levels above 5 mg/L are associated with a 47 % increased risk of preterm birth. Above 10 mg/L of nitrate, the risk increased by 250 %. The New Zealand College of Midwives recommends that pregnant people consider an alternative source of drinking water if their supply is over 5 mg/L.

"Ashburton District Council and Environment Canterbury must make the community aware of the risk and provide an alternative safe source of water," says Appelbe. "Because right now, pregnant people in Ashburton could be drinking this water with no knowledge of the potential risks to them and their baby."

Greenpeace held water testing events over the last week in Gore, Waimate, and Darfield. It tested approximately 200 water samples over the three events, more than 100 of which were in Darfield.

Environment Canterbury's Annual Ground Water Quality Survey released in August shows that nitrate‑nitrogen contamination is worsening across 62 % of groundwater wells, while 18 % show no change in contamination and 20 % show a decrease, in sites where a ten‑year trend can be established.

"Even if we were to stop nitrate pollution immediately, Ashburton's water would likely still get worse before it gets better. That's why it's so important to act now to stop pollution at the source. But right now, Environment Canterbury isn't even trying to do that," says Appelbe.

"Since the start of this year, Environment Canterbury has approved – or is in the process of approving – more dairy expansions that will add another 35,000 dairy cattle to the Canterbury plains. More cows mean more nitrate pollution, and more rural communities with undrinkable water."

"Environment Canterbury must immediately stop dairy expansions, and phase out the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser to protect rural communities' drinking water here in Canterbury. They declared a nitrate emergency in September, and it's time they put their money where their mouth is."

"Absolutely unacceptable". That's Greenpeace's reaction to water testing results today which revealed more Canterbury public water supplies are contaminated with nitrate at levels above those associated with reproductive risk.

Greenpeace finished its latest round of free drinking water testing for nitrate contamination in Darfield today. The organisation tested more than 110 water samples and found that the Darfield town water supply was above levels associated with reproductive risk.

Greenpeace campaigner Will Appelbe says "It is absolutely unacceptable that people in these communities are drinking water that is above levels associated with reproductive risks. No one should have to worry about whether the water they're drinking could be harming them - or their baby - but right now, people on the Darfield and Springfield town supplies are exposed to potentially harmful levels of nitrate in their water."

The Darfield supply averaged 5.45 mg/L, with all 31 samples from the town supply which were unfiltered reading above 5 mg/L.

Greenpeace also found that 9 private bores in the region were testing well above the legal limit for nitrate in drinking water, with the highest reading at 15.1 mg/L.

Rural communities on private bores are the most at risk of high nitrate levels in New Zealand.

"Everybody should have access to clean, safe drinking water," says Appelbe. "However, the intensive dairy industry has taken that away from many rural communities. They profit from pollution and everyone else pays."

Selwyn District Council has estimated that establishing a new water source with low levels of nitrate could cost more than $400 million.

Appelbe says that's unacceptable. "It's Fonterra and their executives - like their CEO Miles Hurrell - who have pushed for these intensive and extractive methods of farming. They have profited from cramming as many cows onto the land as possible, using huge quantities of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser to grow enough grass for all the cows. They should be the ones who pay for the contamination caused by their dairy herd."

"Environment Canterbury isn't off the hook either. They have enabled intensive dairy expansion, approving the addition of 35,000 dairy cows to the Canterbury dairy herd just this year. As the regional council, they're responsible for ensuring everyone has access to clean, safe drinking water, and right now they're not doing that."

"The last council declared a nitrate emergency in response to the unfolding health crisis that we're witnessing here in Canterbury. It's time for Environment Canterbury to follow through and take action to stop nitrate from getting into drinking water in the first place - and that means tackling dirty dairy's pollution."

Greenpeace Aotearoa is sounding the alarm over the nitrate level in Gore's town supply following the organisation's drinking water testing event held in the township today.

The organisation found the town supply was at approximately 4.8 mg/L nitrate contamination – approaching the level associated with an increased risk of preterm birth.

Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says, "Here in Gore, the town drinking water supply is contaminated with unacceptably high levels of nitrate, and it could be putting pregnant people at risk. Everyone, no matter where they live, should be able to safely drink the water out of their kitchen tap, but pregnant residents of Gore can't do that because of an increased risk of preterm birth."

"The intensive dairy industry, led by Fonterra, is responsible for worsening drinking water contamination in Aotearoa. In Canterbury, the regional council has already declared a nitrate emergency. Other areas of intensive dairying are likely to follow – especially Southland."

"We have a clear instance of drinking water disparity here in Aotearoa. Rural New Zealanders have less access to safe, clean drinking water than those living in big cities – and that is absolutely unacceptable. People who have done nothing to contribute to the contamination are forced to clean up the water pollution caused by Fonterra's intensive dairying practices."

"Ultimately, we need to stop nitrate pollution at the source. The Government must lower the cap on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, and reduce the number of dairy cows allowed on the land. Ultimately, we need to transition away from intensive dairying, towards more ecological farming practices that protect people's access to safe drinking water."

Greenpeace will be in Waimate and Darfield this weekend providing free drinking water testing. Details for these events are below.

Waimate: Saturday 22nd November, Waimate Event Centre, 10 am‑4 pm

Darfield: Sunday 23rd November, Darfield Recreation Centre, 11 am‑4 pm

Greenpeace Aotearoa will run more free drinking water testing events in areas most at risk of nitrate contamination this November. The organisation is announcing that it will be testing drinking water in Gore - where nitrate levels in the town water supply escalated rapidly over the weekend - and in Waimate and Darfield in Canterbury.
Both Waimate and Gore have been put under ‘do not drink’ notices in the last year due to unsafe levels of nitrate in the public water supply. The Selwyn District - where Darfield is located - has also seen concerningly high levels of nitrate, with the Darfield town supply consistently testing at levels associated with an increased risk of pre-term birth.
Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says, "In the wake of Environment Canterbury’s recently declared ‘nitrate emergency’, and dairy conversions restarting en masse, the issue of drinking water pollution has captured the attention of people across the South Island.
"Everyone, no matter where they live, should be able to safely drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap. But right now, many in rural communities aren’t able to do so without risking their health, and still more are in the dark about potential nitrate contamination in their drinking water."
A growing body of scientific evidence has linked nitrate contamination in drinking water with several health risks. These include bowel cancer, preterm birth, and at high levels, blue baby syndrome.
Appelbe says, "Communities are concerned about the quality of their drinking water, and Greenpeace aims to empower them to take action as needed. We run these free testing events so that everyone, no matter where they live, can know whether their water is safe to drink."
"Those most at risk of nitrate-contaminated drinking water are those in rural communities, where there is a high concentration of dairying - as the intensive dairy industry and synthetic nitrogen fertiliser are the main drivers of nitrate contamination.
"Those on private bores - who currently bear both the responsibility of testing their drinking water, and the cost of removing contamination if there is any - are more at risk than those on town supplies, but we test both private bore and town water."
Details for each of the water testing events are below:
Gore:
Thursday 20th November, 10am-4pm
James Cumming Community Centre
Waimate:
Saturday 22nd November, 10am-4pm
Venue to be confirmed.
Darfield:
Sunday 23rd November, 11am-4pm
Darfield Recreation Centre
 

A move by the Government to automatically extend existing short-term water permits in Otago by five years is a big win for local farmers and common sense, Federated Farmers says.

"Otago farmers have been facing huge uncertainty about their access to water, with unworkable consent periods of six years or less," Federated Farmers Otago president Luke Kane says.

"Without confidence they will be able to access water, many of those farms have become totally unbankable or unsellable - there's just too much risk.

"This completely undermines local farmers’ ability to seek finance, grow their business, or manage succession planning for the next generation."

Many consents to take water to grow crops, grow grass for animals, or undertake other farming activities were due to expire, with renewal prospects costly and uncertain.

"With these amendments to the RMA, consents granted since March 2020 for periods of less than six years will be automatically rolled over for another five years," Kane says.

"The extension will give farmers some breathing space and confidence to continue investing in their businesses and making environmental improvements, but it’s still only a short-term fix.

"While an 11-year consent is better than five years, the timeframes are still far too short for farmers wanting to invest in the long-term viability of their businesses and rural communities.

"What we need to see in the Government’s overhaul of resource management laws is much longer consent terms for farmers - like those offered to other local businesses."

The amendment also requires Otago Regional Council to create a simplified consent pathway for longer-term permits that may need replacement before new planning rules are in place.

Discharge provisions that are currently unclear and unenforceable must be revoked.

Federated Farmers North Otago president Otto Dogterom says it was always completely impractical and unworkable to have six-year consents for farmers.

"Farmers and their banks can’t justify the substantial investment needed in infrastructure that enables more efficient use of water with such short security of supply.

"We’ve been sitting in limbo for far too long, getting increasingly concerned as the deadline for consent expirations crept closer and closer. Finally, we have a short-term fix.

"These changes will give local farmers some much-needed short-term certainty that they’re going to have access to the water they need to keep farming.

"Now we can turn our attention to working with the Government to make sure next year’s RMA reforms deliver a longer-term fix with longer-term consents for water access."

Dogterom says Federated Farmers had pushed hard for this holding solution, and also acknowledged ORC’s efforts to achieve this practical and pragmatic outcome. 
 

Next week, municipal water suppliers from across New Zealand will go head-to-head in Nelson to compete for the ‘Best Tasting Tap Water’ title.

All municipal water suppliers in New Zealand have been invited to compete in the IXOM National Water Taste Test and submit a sample of their finest drop to the Water Industry Operations Group of New Zealand (WIOG). The award for New Zealand’s Best Tasting Tap Water will be decided on 29 May at the annual WIOG conference.

The National Water Taste Test, sponsored by IXOM, is a fun way to raise awareness of the quality of drinking water in New Zealand, and to recognise the efforts of local water operators and their teams to deliver valuable water services to their communities.

The winner of the IXOM National Water Taste Test will earn the ‘Best Tasting Tap Water’ title and have bragging rights over the other water suppliers in New Zealand for the next 12 months.

During judging, water samples are subjected to a blind taste test and rated according to the ‘Water Tasting Wheel’. The Wheel outlines some of the attributes water professionals use when assessing water such as colour, clarity, odour and taste. Think ‘wine tasting’ without needing to spit out the samples and you won’t be far wrong. 

“Many of us turn on taps for a drink, to cook and to shower, with little thought about the complexities involved in operating and maintaining the water infrastructure,” said Joshua McIndoe, Chair, WIOG. “The competition highlights the dedication of individuals and organisations that work tirelessly to provide their communities with safe, high-quality drinking water every day.”

Mr McIndoe also acknowledged IXOM’s ongoing support of the National Water Taste Test. “IXOM’s steadfast commitment to the industry enables us to continue running this competition and celebrate the critical work of water service providers across the country,” he said.

“IXOM is proud to be the sponsor of the prestigious 2025 National Water Taste Test competition,” said Sean Eccles, General Manager New Zealand, IXOM. “IXOM is a leading supplier of water treatment chemicals to the water sector. With over 100 years of expertise, IXOM locally manufactures and supplies chemicals to water treatment plants all over New Zealand. We strive to raise standards and innovate across the industry, and help to ensure everyone has access to safe, clean and great-tasting drinking water.”

And, in the ultimate showdown, the 2025 winner of the IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water title will go on to represent New Zealand against Australia’s reigning champion in the IXOM Trans-Tasman Water Taste Test, which will be held in New South Wales, Australia in July.

Community consultation supports Hamilton City Council forming a joint water company with Waikato District Council to deliver water services.

In December last year, Hamilton councillors unanimously agreed to consult on forming a Council-Controlled Organisation (CCO) with its neighbouring council. The CCO would deliver drinking water and wastewater services with stormwater managed by each council, under contract to the CCO.

The proposal was in response to government concerns about under-investment in waters infrastructure, nationally. Successive governments have driven water reforms requiring councils to work together to create bigger organisations which can drive efficiencies and over time, make critical waters infrastructure more affordable for ratepayers.

Hamilton City Council put two options to its community; forming a CCO with Waikato District or forming an in-house business unit and continuing to manage water itself. Council was clear the in-house business unit option was only provided because the government required a second option be provided to the community. Forming a business unit was not supported by councillors.

A month-long consultation ending at the end of April saw more than 18,000 views of waters and rating information on Council’s website. More than 280,000 people were reached on social media and more than 3,000 emails were sent to people who had sought more information.

Of the 221 formal submissions received, 74 per cent said forming a joint waters company was the best option for the city. A number of organisations submitted including the Property Council of New Zealand and the University of Waikato.

In its submission, the University said forming a waters CCO was a “strategic move that will help address the current constraints and support the continued growth and success of Hamilton”.

The Property Council said a CCO would help ensure a consistent approach to asset management and planning.

“A CCO will also enable improved planning and implementation for increased network capacity. This should result in a more resilient and flexible system.”

Around 30 submitters have asked to speak to Councillors about their submission. Hamilton City Council will hear them tomorrow (Tuesday, 6 May).

Waikato District Council will receive feedback on its waters proposal until May 11, as part of its 2025-2034 Long-Term Plan consultation process. Both councils will make a final decision on how to provide future water services in June this year.

Click here to read the agenda and submissions in full.

Greenpeace Aotearoa is announcing more free drinking water nitrate testing events, after ECan failed to vote on providing free water testing for rural communities. The organisation says it will be in Ashburton and Methven in early April to continue to provide certainty around whether people’s drinking water is safe.

Greenpeace’s Canterbury-based freshwater spokesperson Will Appelbe says, "Safe healthy drinking water is a fundamental human right, but for many in Canterbury that right has been eroded, as their drinking water has been contaminated with nitrate by the dairy industry.

"No one should be worried that they’ll get sick by drinking the water coming out of their kitchen tap, but that is unfortunately the reality here. We want to ensure that people are aware of the risks associated with nitrate and that they know what’s in their water."

At levels of nitrate above 11.3 mg/L - New Zealand’s maximum allowable value of nitrate in drinking water - nitrate contamination can cause blue baby syndrome if that water is used to make infant formula.

However, a growing body of science has shown increased health risks associated with much lower levels of nitrate in drinking water, including risks of bowel cancer and pre-term birth. The New Zealand College of Midwives advises that pregnant people should find an alternative water source, if their water is over 5 mg/L of nitrate, due to the risk of pre-term birth.

"Unfortunately, it’s really hard for people - especially in rural communities - to find out the nitrate level of their drinking water," says Appelbe. "The cost of using a conventional testing service can be prohibitive, and for those who are not on council-monitored water supplies, they bear the burden of paying for testing.

"It’s deeply unfair that rural communities must pay to test whether their water is free from pollution they didn’t create. Nitrate pollution is a consequence of the intensive dairy industry’s overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, and a dereliction of duty from Environment Canterbury and successive governments - but it’s the community that’s picking up the tab.

"Environment Canterbury’s recent decision to roll out a pilot study to test for nitrate levels is a decent measure, but they fell short of providing region-wide nitrate testing events for private well owners, who must continue to pay out of pocket to check if their water is safe to drink. It’s incredibly concerning that the regional council, which is responsible for protecting source water - and therefore drinking water - from pollution, is failing to provide this critical service.

"Greenpeace is committed to continuing to provide free water testing for nitrate contamination - because everyone, no matter where they live, who they vote for, or where they source their water from, should have access to safe healthy drinking water."

Greenpeace will be testing drinking water in Ashburton from 10:30am-4:30pm on Friday 4th April at the Ashburton Events Centre, and then in Methven from 1pm-5pm at the Mt Hutt Memorial Hall.

[Statement issued on behalf of Wellington City, Porirua City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt City and Greater Wellington Regional Councils.]  

Today representatives of the shareholding councils of Wellington Water Limited (WWL), along with iwi leaders, met to discuss the implications of WWL efficiency and value for money reports for water reform.

All members of the Wellington Water Committee agree that it is utterly unacceptable that the operations and maintenance costs incurred by Wellington Water do not represent good value for ratepayer money. Members unreservedly apologise to the people of the Wellington region for the high costs identified and the failure to provide oversight on appropriate practices and organisational culture to ensure competitively priced services.

"The impact on our communities is simply intolerable and it cannot continue," said Councillor Ros Connelly, Acting Chair of the Wellington Water Committee. "We will be urgently convening a meeting of the WWL Committee where the reports, implications and response can be confirmed, and we will ensure clear accountability going forward."

All those in attendance reconfirmed a commitment to the need for water reform and for Wellington Water Limited to develop a robust transition plan so that a new entity can start off on the right footing.

"As part of the transition planning, further work will be done to test the cost assumptions being used to inform planning for the new water organisation. These assumptions must be robust and reliable in preparation for our water services delivery plan being submitted by 3 September 2025," Connelly said.

The Extraordinary Wellington Water Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday at 3pm. 

Greenpeace says high levels of nitrate contamination in Waimate town water supply should be a major red flag for all Cantabrians, as once again, Waimate residents have been issued a ‘do not drink’ notice.

Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says, "Everyone, no matter where they live, should be able to safely drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap without worrying that they’ll get sick.

"But for the people of Waimate, that’s simply not the case - once again, their water is undrinkable due to levels of nitrate thanks to dairy industry pollution."

In 2022, more than 600 residents of the Waimate District had their water shut off after nitrate levels in the Waihao and Waikakahi East rural water scheme exceeded the maximum allowable value.

Appelbe says, "At levels of nitrate-nitrogen above 11.3mg/L, there is a high risk of babies developing blue baby syndrome if they are fed formula made with the nitrate-contaminated water, and this can be fatal. That’s why this is New Zealand’s maximum allowable value of nitrate in drinking water - but even at lower levels of nitrate, a growing field of international science indicates that there are significant health risks.

"Those include a risk of preterm birth for pregnant people consuming water with more than 5 mg/L of nitrate-nitrogen, and an increased risk of bowel cancer linked to long-term exposure to nitrate at levels as low as 1 mg/L.

"This is not the first time this has happened in Waimate, and unless those responsible for the pollution are forced to stop polluting, it won’t be the last. Nitrate levels in drinking water will get worse if we don’t address the pollution at the source, and that’s the intensive dairy industry.

"This should be of grave concern for Waimate residents, and also shows that Environment Canterbury has failed in its responsibility to limit activities that pollute drinking water.

"Simply put, New Zealand has too many dairy cows, especially in Canterbury, and they’re polluting the water we drink. Ultimately, we need far fewer cows on farms, and to see Environment Canterbury enforcing a phase-out of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser."