Fonterra says 16 farms it has consents to spread wastewater on are predominately cow-free, cut and carry farms - or as it puts it - farms whose primary use is "nutrient management". Some studies have shown a significant association between nitrates (at levels as low as 0.87mg/L) in drinking water and colorectal cancer. Fonterra has supplied two Canterbury homes with water systems because of nitrate in the ground water, and another house with a UV filter. RNZ's efforts to gather resource consents and monitoring results from wastewater farms nationwide found some consents don't require monitoring. The message - what happens on a wastewater farm doesn't stay on a wastewater farm - is something she's eager for the public to understand.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 08, 2021 18:22 UTC