I am always very upset when I read about our beautiful freshwater streams and rivers getting more and more polluted. But at the same time I read how farmers are more and more to blame and that they just don't care what they are doing to the streams. My worry is how are they to know what they are doing to streams if there is now individual way of measuring the changes.
I grew up on a farm and was always concerned with our native wildlife of all forms, and in resent years my father has started to convert almost half his 42 acres back into native bush and wetland. However he still has no way to know haw this is effecting the two spings or the stream they feed through his property.
I believe that if you went up to many farmers they would love to know how healty they water is as they and their animals need to drink it.
What we need to a small and cheap kit that anyone can use to check the water themselves, then you will see that individual farmers would look more at how thier farming methods effect the freashwater.
I believe that though this small scale/individual campaign we would get more change for the better than all the government policy change could ever do.
Now I ask, who is willing to help in this and where can we get a kit to test freshwater ourselves?
Forest & Bird » Other
Our freshwater and small scale change, can you help?
(5 posts)-
Posted 8 months ago #
-
Kia ora Julianne,
Whenever I have moved house in the past I always take a sample of the drinking water, and sent it away for testing. For peace of mind.
Farmers could do the same with their creek water. I would send it to Hills labs, or NZ labs, but ring them first.
Hope this is of some help.Posted 8 months ago # -
Thanks kukupa.
While I do know of these test, what I was thinking of is the home test that you can do yourself for a low cost and gives you the results in minutes. The whole sending away is good for some but most farmers will see it as a hassle, whereas a home test kit like a pool test kit is one they can do agian and again on a regular basis alowing them to see how a individual spray of fertalizer or pestaside does to the water.Posted 8 months ago # -
There's a group called WaiCare in Auckland (part of Auckland Council I think) who do water testing. I think they have kits so you can do your own. Here's their website http://www2.northshorecity.govt.nz/Water/restoration/wai_care.html, and Watercare in Auckland teach kids how to test water, so maybe they could help with getting a kit?
Posted 8 months ago # -
I'll try again with a link https://www.waicare.org.nz/About-Wai-care/aboutwaicare.aspx
Posted 8 months ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.