Nitrate levels rise in many rural Canterbury water supplies
Monday 2 November 2026 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated In this story Environment Canterbury, Greenpeace
A survey of 358 wells by Environment Canterbury found that nitrate levels have increased in over half of rural Canterbury's water supplies over the last ten years. The 2025 annual survey reported that 10.6 per cent of the sampled wells exceeded the maximum acceptable value for nitrate-nitrogen in drinking water.
