Private well owners are responsible for testing their own drinking water. Photo: RNZ/Rebekah Parsons-King
Canterbury's regional council will step up its efforts to promote the testing of private well drinking water, but has stopped short of funding testing events.
Environment Canterbury has approved staff recommendations to promote water testing of private wells, and conduct a pilot study of bores in one or more high risk areas.
The decision followed a notice of motion by councillor Vicky Southworth in November, requesting staff produce an updated report on running regionwide events to educate private well owners on the risks, including nitrates and E.Coli.
Council chief scientist Dr Tim Davie said running regionwide testing events would be expensive, while boosting efforts to raise awareness of the need to test private wells would be more cost-effective.
ECan already conducts water quality monitoring and Dr Davie said a science-led pilot study of private bores in selected areas would complement this work.
"It is not our role to test private wells, so what we can do is gather more data to help raise awareness."
He said the study would be funded from the council science investigations budget, from money that would have been spent on work to support the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement (RPS), the council's over-arching planning document.
In November, councillors voted to pause work on the RPS, after a Government directive to prevent councils from enacting a new water plan until a new National Policy Statement (NPS) on freshwater has been developed.
Council communications and engagement director Tafflyn Bradford-James said the awareness campaign would be funded from the existing communications budget.
Environment Canterbury councillors. Photo: Environment Canterbury
Chairperson Craig Pauling supported the recommendations: "I think this is good, let's get on with it."
Ngāi Tahu councillors Tutehounuku Korako and Iaean Cranwell referred their colleagues to a presentation from Te Rūnanga o Waihao to a November council meeting, which raised concerns about elevated nitrate levels in drinking water in South Canterbury.
"Yes, it is up to water suppliers to test their water, but it is up to ECan to ensure they have enough advice and assistance," Korako said.
He said it was concerning that marae were forced to warn visitors that drinking the water "could make people sick".
"What we are seeing is Papatuanuku [mother earth] crying out: 'you are doing something seriously wrong to my body'."
Councillor Grant Edge said it was essential to get the best science available to inform private well owners.
"New science is constantly becoming available and we need to keep following this up.
"In 2018, when we were in the final stages of preparing the Waimakariri Zone Implementation Plan addendum, there was a sudden panic with the realisation nitrates were getting into the groundwater passing under the Waimakariri River.
"That led to some new thinking around the impact of land use in the Waimakariri."
Environment Canterbury will conduct a pilot study of private drinking water bores in a selected high risk area, to complement its efforts to raise awareness of the need to test private wells. Photo: David Hill/North Canterbury News
While the recommendations were generally supported, councillors Claire McKay, David East, Ian Mackenzie, Peter Scott and John Sunckell questioned the need for a pilot study of private wells.
"I believe we have significant data at our fingertips and a simple desktop exercise would identify the areas needing to be addressed," Sunckell said.
ECan estimates between 25,000-30,000 private wells in Canterbury are used for drinking water, but the council did not hold data on all wells, as landowners did not need consent to take drinking water.
Private well owners are responsible for testing their own drinking water.
For more information on testing private wells, go to taumataarowai.govt.nz/for-water-suppliers/using-an-accredited-laboratory-to-test-your-drinking-water/.
Those on council drinking water supplies should contact their local council if they have any concerns.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
