The Green Party has announced a draft bill that will ensure people can easily check the safety of their public drinking water supply, no matter where they live.
“Nitrates in drinking water are not just a Canterbury issue. Increasingly, the whole country is starting to see the impact of nitrate pollution in their water supplies. The Green Party will change how water quality is reported so everyone can understand exactly what is coming out of the tap and end the Russian roulette,” Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson says.
The announcement follows the annual release of ECAN data showing nitrate pollution continues to increase in 59% of drinking water wells tested. 70% of all wells have nitrate concentrations that are associated with increases in colorectal cancer risk, even though they are within national drinking water standards.
The Green Party’s Bill, released today, will require Taumata Arowai to publish and update drinking water quality data online, introduce consistent standards for how the information is reported, and publish drinking water safety plans.
“Safe drinking water is a human right, but up to 100,000 people become sick each year here in Aotearoa from polluted drinking water.
“Nitrate pollution in our rivers is getting worse, and it’s costing ratepayers in Ashburton, Selwyn, Waimate, and Gore at least $17 million combined. Five schools in Otago, Canterbury, and Waikato have had to upgrade their water systems just so their children can have a safe drink of water at playtime.”
“The reckless changes to Resource Management laws by Luxon’s Government are set to increase pollution in rivers and aquifers. Every parent, teacher and community should be able to see water quality testing results as soon as possible, every time it’s tested," says Davidson.
“Some councils publish their drinking water data online, but many do not. This turns a glass of water into a postcode lottery. The Green Party will make sure water quality reporting is transparent, consistent, and accessible online.”
Green Party Environment spokesperson Lan Pham says, “We need to learn from previous incidents, such as the 2016 Havelock North campylobacter tragedy, which made thousands of people sick and caused at least four deaths, to minimise the chances of outbreaks happening again.”
“Public access to drinking water data will help communities and households know exactly what the story is, and make sure decision-makers are taking the responsibility they hold to protect drinking water sources seriously,” says Lan Pham.
The Bill builds on the Green Party's 'Drink Swim Fish' policy that will deliver clean drinking water, swimmable rivers and beaches, and healthy oceans for all New Zealanders, which was announced earlier this year.