Greenpeace Aotearoa has announced that it will soon release a new documentary that takes an ‘in-depth look into the dirty secret of Canterbury’s freshwater pollution’.

Greenpeace campaigner Will Appelbe says, "For decades, Canterbury’s lakes, rivers, and drinking water have been heading on a rapid downhill trajectory as a result of industry polluters. But ilt’s not too late to turn that around. People across Canterbury are fighting back to protect their access to fresh water - and that’s the story we’ve told through this documentary."

There will be an advance screening of the documentary at Lumiere Cinemas, Christchurch, at 6pm on Thursday 3rd April. Tickets are free, but there will be limited seats available.

Appelbe, who is himself a Canterbury resident, says, "We know that no matter where they live or who they vote for, New Zealanders want to be able to go swimming in the local rivers, fishing in the lakes, and to be able to drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap. But these fundamental Kiwi values are being eroded by the ongoing pollution of fresh water by the intensive dairy industry."

"Central to NZ’s freshwater crisis is the fact that Waitaha Canterbury has the most polluted water in the country. We are a hot spot for contaminated drinking water, unswimmable rivers, and lakes choked with algal bloom. It shouldn’t be this way. Those who are responsible for protecting the health of water in this region have failed drastically.

"Environment Canterbury has a responsibility to protect freshwater that’s used to source drinking water. Despite knowing about this issue, nitrate contamination is only getting worse in Canterbury. We’re coming up to local body elections later this year, and we expect safe drinking water to become a major election issue."

Greenpeace is also running two town hall events in Canterbury - in Ashburton on the 4th April, and Methven on the 6th April - to provide free drinking water testing for nitrate contamination.

"We know that elevated levels of nitrate in drinking water have been linked to increased human health risks by a growing body of international science. This includes an increased risk of bowel cancer and pre-term birth, at levels much lower than what the NZ government allows to be present in drinking water."

"We provide this free drinking water testing so that everyone - no matter where they live - knows whether the water coming out of their tap is safe to drink. Ultimately, though, this is simply a bandaid over a bullet wound. We need to stop the nitrate pollution at the source - the intensive dairy industry - if we want to have any shot at improving water quality in the Waitaha."

Information about Greenpeace’s free drinking water testing programme can be found here.

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