John MacDonald: Who can we believe about nitrates in the water?

How interested are you in the quality of your drinking water?

For example, would you like to be able to look up your address and get credible, reliable information from an official source about the nitrate levels in the water coming through your taps?

I would. Because I just don’t know whether to believe some of the alarming stuff that’s been coming out of Greenpeace this week about the nitrate situation or not.

Let’s bring in Associate Professor Tim Chambers from the University of Canterbury - who is saying today that it is a government responsibility to provide up-to-date information on nitrates in the water.

He’s been involved in a large study looking into the link between nitrates and premature births, which has compared birth records with nitrate levels in drinking water supplies where these kids have been born.

He can’t say too much about the findings because they’re still being peer-reviewed. But he is saying that we deserve to know more.

He says: “We have advocated for this for a long time. Lots of other countries do this. You can type in your address and it takes you to the supply you’re on and the latest readings.”

I think this would be a brilliant thing to do here. In fact, I think it’s an essential thing to do here with all the noise - and, potentially, exaggeration - that’s coming from Greenpeace.

Or is it an exaggeration? If it is exaggerated, then we deserve better access to information.

Here’s one example of what Greenpeace has been saying this week. It says it’s tested 110 water samples and has found that the Darfield water supply is above the levels that are considered safe for pregnant women.

“Absolutely unacceptable,” is what one of its campaigners is saying about that.

If it’s true, I’d agree. But I heard about someone who had their water tested by an independent lab and it was fine. But their neighbour had Greenpeace test theirs and the levels were through the roof, apparently.

This is why I think the Government and councils are obliged to give us free and open access to data. Because we are at risk of being unnecessarily spooked by scaremongering by the likes of Greenpeace. At the same time, we’re also at risk of being misled by councils telling us that everything’s fine and there’s nothing to see here.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Question, how interested are you in the quality of your
drinking water? Does it ever a curt you think?

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (00:20):
I wonder what's in this stuff? For example, would you
like to be able to look up your address, go online,
look up your address and get credible, reliable information from
an official source about the night trate levels and the
water coming through your taps? I would. I'll tell you
why I would, because I just don't know whether to

(00:41):
believe some of the alarming stuff that's been coming out
of Greenpeace this week about the night trate situation or not.
I don't know. And look, before you accused me of hypocrisy, yes,
I was very critical of the political stunt by a
few outgoing ECM councilors the other month pushing for that
night trate emergency to be declared, and it was declared.

(01:03):
But I ripped into them because it was all just
not always It didn't offer any leadership or ideas or
what to do next or how to help us know
how bad the situation actually is. Whereas let's bring in
Associate Professor Tim Chambers from the University of Canterbury, who
was saying today that it is a government responsibility to

(01:25):
provide up to date information on night trates in the
drinking water. He's been involved, he's interested in this. He's
been involved in a large study looking into the link
between night trates and premature births. And next study has
compared birth records with night trate levels and drinking water
supplies where these kids have been born, where the mothers

(01:45):
have been drinking the water. He can't say too much
about the findings because they're still being pair reviewed, but
he is saying that we deserve to know more. He says,
o quietum. We have advocated for this for a long time.
Lots of other countries do this. You can type in
your address and it takes you to the supply you're

(02:06):
on and the latest readings. Now, I think this would
be a brilliant thing to do here. In fact, I
think it's an essential thing to do here. With all
the noise and potentially all the exaggeration that's coming from
the likes of Greenpeace, well especially Greenpeace this week about
night trate levels and our drinking water. Or is it

(02:28):
exaggeration so to mate? And if it is, exaggerated, then
we deserve better access to information. Now, doctor Michael Baker,
who you will remember from the COVID days, he even
wants us to lower the acceptable level of night trates
in drinking water.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
So that's why there's a lot of evidence collection and
trying to set a level that is much safer. And
it's almost certainly it's below the current maximum Allouvel value
in New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
As to what Greenpeace has been saying this week, one
example here we go. It says it's tested one hundred
and ten water samples and has found that the Darfield
water supply is above the levels considered safe for pregnant women.
Absolutely unacceptable, that's the Quite. Absolutely unacceptable is what one
of its campaigners is saying about that. Now, look, if

(03:15):
it's true, I would agree, But Jess was telling me
about someone she knows who had their water tested by
an independent lab and it was considered fine, it was
considered safe, but the next door neighbor had Greenpeace come
round and do its testing and the levels were through
the roof apparently. And this is why I agree with
Professor Tim Chambers at Canterbury University that we should all

(03:38):
be able to go online and check the latest nitrate
level readings in our drinking water in our area, and
in fact, I think the government and councils are obliged
to do it because we are at risk, aren't we
of being unnecessarily spooked by scare mongering by the likes
of Greenpeace, especially someone is pregnant. How do you interpret that?

(03:59):
At the same time, though, we're also at risk of
being misled by counsels telling us on everything's fine, there's
nothing to see here now. For me, I tend to
look at some of the stuff Green Piece has been
putting up this week and I think it's just more
of the usual extremist and alarmist carry on, and without
access to credible, scientifically rigorous data, I've got no idea

(04:22):
whether they're exaggerating or not. I should be able to
find that out. And that's why I agree with the
expert from the university who says we deserve better, who
says it is a government responsibility to provide up to
date information on night trate levels in our drinking water
and do what some other countries do and make it
possible for us to go online see the most update

(04:43):
night levels in the water that we are using for
drinking and washing.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
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