Greenpeace Aotearoa will test drinking water for nitrate free of charge in Gore on 28 November, from 1pm to 5.30pm at the James Cumming Community Centre, the group said on Wednesday 11 November.
The testing is aimed mainly at households that rely on private bores. Councils check public supplies for nitrate, but bore owners are responsible for testing their own water.
Greenpeace said up to 20,000 people in Southland could be exposed to nitrate in their drinking water at unsafe levels.
People who want their water checked need to bring 200ml of tap water in a clean container. Greenpeace said its scientists would test the sample while people waited, and the process took about 15 minutes.
Greenpeace freshwater spokesperson Rhiannon Mackie said the group offered the tests because people had a right to know whether their tap water could be a risk to their health.
"Access to clean, healthy water in New Zealand shouldn't be a postcode lottery. But the sad truth is that regions like Southland and Canterbury are in crisis, thanks to unsafe levels of nitrate contaminating the drinking water supply," Ms Mackie said in a statement.
She said a growing body of overseas research linked nitrate exposure to a higher risk of bowel cancer and preterm birth.
"A growing body of international evidence links exposure to nitrate contamination to an increased risk of bowel cancer and preterm birth, at levels much lower than the current New Zealand health limit," she said.
Ms Mackie said most of the people exposed lived in rural areas.
Greenpeace wants the pollution stopped at its source. Ms Mackie said that meant farming practices needed to change, with a move away from dairying that relies heavily on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and towards ecological and regenerative farming.
"No matter who we vote for or where we live, we all want to be able to swim in the local river and drink the water out of our kitchen taps," she said.
What happens next
The Gore session runs from 1pm to 5.30pm at the James Cumming Community Centre. The Greenpeace release lists the date as Sunday 28 November, but 28 November 2026 falls on a Saturday, so people planning to attend should check the day with Greenpeace before setting out.
More information on the free testing programme is on the Greenpeace Aotearoa website.
Comments
Sign in or join free with your Southland Noticeboard account to comment.
Comments appear straight away under your display name; your email is never shown. Keep it civil, on topic and lawful: no abuse, no personal attacks, and nothing that could prejudice a court case. The newsroom removes comments that break the community rules.