Annual groundwater quality survey shows little change

Environment Canterbury released its annual groundwater quality survey for 2018. While public drinking water supplies are safe, it confirms that a few private wells are sometimes below drinking water standards.

The report (pdf) summarises the current state of groundwater quality throughout the region and provides analysis of trends over the past decade.Groundwater Science Manager Carl Hanson said each spring, when groundwater levels are usually highest, Environment Canterbury collects samples from wells to help understand the state of the resource and assess changes in water quality over time.“The data in the latest report is what we expected,” he said. “The results are similar to most years, noting that these are ‘snapshot’ surveys.Read more