A year ago, Environment Canterbury (ECan) took a historic step by declaring a Nitrate Emergency. But declarations don’t clean our aquifers. When ECan voted to declare a Nitrate Emergency, you publicly acknowledged that status quo management of our groundwater has failed. The community applauded that honesty, but we are still waiting for the systemic changes required to reverse this crisis. Why the delay?
With the water regulator, Taumata Arowai, now actively considering long-term health limits for nitrates, we cannot afford to slow progress further.
High nitrate levels threaten our health, ecosystems and Canterbury communities, both now and for future generations. We need real action at the source of pollution, not just words or more meetings.
ECan briefed councillors yesterday, 9 September 2026, on high nitrate levels in Canterbury, but there was no discussion of the responsible precautionary approach required under the RMA. Staff also did not discuss binding solutions to:
- Enact Polluter-Pays Frameworks: Stop forcing everyday ratepayers and private well owners to shoulder the immense financial burden of water treatment. Explore targeted levies so that high-risk nitrate polluters fund the cleanup.
- Impose Hard Regulatory Limits: Move past “good management guidelines”. Strengthen consent conditions to cap total nitrogen losses and progressify reduce to achieve a MAV of 2.5 mg/L Nitrate N as agreed to and actively halt expansion in oversaturated water zones.
- Protect Vulnerable Communities: Fast-track funding support for households relying on contaminated private bores in high-risk zones.
- Turn farm Environment plans to action plans to meet the agreed environmental limit of 2.5 mg/L Nitrate N.
Leadership means councillors making difficult decisions to protect the people they represent. Will you accept responsibility and liability for health issues caused by ongoing exposure to high nitrate levels, now and in the future if you don’t act? Will you stand with Canterbury families demanding clean drinking water, or will your inaction allow our lifelines and environment to deteriorate further?
Watch the staff nitrate presentations on ECan’s YouTube channel from 2:34:52:
9 September 2026 (Briefings/Workshops – Morning)
Keiller McDuff has written a great summary of the presentations. Read the full article here: Water regulator tells Canterbury Regional Council long-term nitrate limits being considered | RNZ. See a few quotes on next page.
“Dr Cheryl Brunton accepted there was a growing body of research linking health problems to nitrates in drinking water at levels lower than the current limit of 11.3 milligrams per litre.”
It was disappointing that ECan did not invite Dr Tim Chambers to the meeting to discuss the emerging research, noted by Dr Brunton, linking long-term nitrate exposure to bowel cancer.
“You are the elected representatives, you have a right and a duty to speak up for the values of your constituents and most people in this country believe in clean water and you are their representative, so please keep speaking out.” Green Peace
ECan could not show Greenpeace’s video during the presentation because of technical issues. Look out for a link when ECan or Greenpeace makes it available. It is well worth watching to understand the effects on fellow Cantabrians.
What was missing from the presentations:
The presentations also ignored the effects of high nitrate levels on rivers, lakes, fish, birds and insects. Research indicates short-term toxicity above 1 mg/L nitrate-N- nearly ten times lower than the levels discussed yesterday as a concern for human health. Applying Te Mana o te Wai as Canterbury’s planning standard would have supported a precautionary approach while the science develops.
People should be able to catch and eat fish, swim, and drink safely from local rivers and lakes. For many Cantabrians, that once-common experience is now a distant memory.
High nitrate levels have undermined these expectations and could eventually threaten milk sales, farmland values and an industry worth more than $20 billion. Dairy intensification-supported by substantial government subsidies-has shifted environmental and financial costs onto Canterbury’s ratepayers rather than dairy farms. Ratepayers may face billions of dollars in costs to repair damage they did not cause, which is unfair. Dilution appears to be preferred over reducing pollution at its source, risking further harm to already degraded rivers by diverting their life-giving flows from one degraded river to another on life support. This approach also threatens the $20 billion tourism industry, which depends on New Zealand’s clean, green image-an image that no longer reflects conditions in Canterbury.
The Attorney-General has permitted councillors with financial interests in PC8 to debate and vote on the final decision. They should instead follow Councillor Scott’s example at the Opua Dam meeting and step aside when their past involvement as polluters creates a clear conflict of interest. Canterbury will be watching to see whether those granted special permission to vote act with integrity or allow personal financial interests to influence their participation and vote on the final decision.
Dr Trolove on Linkedin the below on the 10th September
}S 30. Functions of regional councils under the ACT, (RMA 1991): (c) (i) – (iv) are quite clear about the duty of regional councils to maintain or enhance a region’s water, quantity, quality, and freshwater ecosystems.
ECan has singularly failed to perform these functions choosing instead to facilitate intensive irrigated dairying leading to the likely extinction of Stokell’s smelt and severely degraded lowland freshwater ecosystems which are now often posted as unswimmable. It seems after over allocating the use of its region’s freshwater by 134% and creating a public health Nitrate Emergency due to diffuse nitrate pollution through consents to discharge onto land, the council’s focus now appeared to be on shifting the narrative to “this is not our problem”.
I guess this is not unexpected when the governance of ECan is controlled by a majority of councillors who hold or otherwise benefit from consents to use water or discharge onto land.
The 2026 nitrate maps especially Appendix 1 page 29 gives lie to ECan’s “Legacy Issue” excuses.
Ecosystem health and public health are BOTH critical elements of sustainable development.
Background videos
🇳🇿 New Zealand: Polluted Paradise PI | People & Power
Nitrate levels in drinking water linked to preterm birth, new NZ study finds | Stuff.co.nz
Behind New Zealand’s ‘100% Pure’ Image lies a Dirty Truth | Foreign Correspondent
Ian Mackenzie – Lagmhor School nitrate levels caused by historical cropping
Nitrate levels in Christchurch water
Dairy farming on the Plains: was it a big mistake?
Karl Dean – ‘Blame game’: What’s responsible for Lagmhor school nitrate numbers? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auc5r_BL2yg
Watch the documentary: Something in the Water
Your thoughts
Paul Hodgson – President NZSAA