Greenpeace Aotearoa has tested a sample collected from the Gore town supply, which returned a result above 5 mg/L nitrate (NO3-N), a level associated with an increased risk of preterm birth.
Above this level of nitrate, the New Zealand College of Midwives recommends that pregnant people consider finding another source of water because of the increased risk of preterm birth.
The sample was collected on the morning of Wednesday 23 July and tested with an optical spectrometer, which is standard equipment for testing nitrate in the field, and followed the organisation’s standard testing procedures which have been externally reviewed by GNS science.
While the township’s do-not-drink notice has been lifted, Greenpeace freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe says there is still a risk to public health.
“Gore is not out of the woods yet and we’re concerned about the risk to pregnant people and babies in other rural communities. Many rural communities are experiencing nitrate contamination caused by intensive dairying.
Gore was issued a do-not-drink notice last Friday after the town supply exceeded the maximum allowable value (MAV) of 11.3 mg/L for nitrate. This was set in the 1950s to avoid blue baby syndrome, but it doesn’t take into account the more recent health science that has linked several health risks with long-term exposure to nitrate at levels below the current legal limits, including bowel cancer and preterm birth.
“We know the source of this pollution. It’s the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser in intensive dairy farming, led by Fonterra and their lobbyists at Federated Farmers. This is an industry that isn’t working for anyone except for the industry itself. Dairy pollution is contaminating people’s drinking water. Meanwhile, New Zealanders are paying through the nose for a block of butter at the supermarket.”
“But instead of taking action, Luxon’s government has proposed weakening freshwater protections at the behest of Federated Farmers – which will worsen the drinking water crisis.”
“It’s about time that Federated Farmers were accountable to the people of New Zealand. Fed Farmers are opposing every measure to protect freshwater, and they should do right by the rural communities whose drinking water that they and Fonterra have polluted.”
Call on Christopher Luxon to leave New Zealand’s freshwater protections alone
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