Greenpeace is today conducting free drop-in water testing at Dunsandel, to enable Canterbury households to check their water for nitrate contamination.

Cantabrians are invited to bring 100mL of their bore water in a clean container to the Dunsandel Community Centre anytime between 10am - 2pm. Greenpeace is running the testing event in conjunction with the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers.

The testing comes as more health concerns are being raised over high levels of nitrate contamination in drinking water supplies, including adverse birth outcomes and increased rates of bowel cancers.

Greenpeace senior campaigner Steve Abel says the testing is an essential service for the community, and will help bolster understanding about nitrate contamination in New Zealand.

"Everyone should be able to trust that the water from their tap is clean and safe. Unfortunately, nitrate contamination is a growing concern for people in areas with intensive dairying, such as Canterbury, Southland and Waikato. Bore owners in these regions deserve to know what’s happening with their water," says Abel.

"Nitrate contamination of drinking water has been linked to health concerns ranging from bowel cancer to premature births. We know what is causing this spike in nitrate contamination in our drinking water: too much synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, too many cows, and too much cow urine.

"Central and local governments need to act fast to ensure safe drinking water for our communities by phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, lowering cow stocking rates and supporting farmers to shift to regenerative organic farming."

A second testing day is planned for 9am - 1pm, Sunday 30th May at Woodend Community Centre. With heavy rain forecast, Greenpeace is encouraging people to stay safe on the roads, and will advise if this event needs to be postponed.

Greenpeace is calling on the Government to lower the limit for nitrate contamination in water from 11.3mg/L to 0.87mg/L in line with international research, and act on it by phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, lowering cow stocking rates and supporting farmers to shift to regenerative organic farming.

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