Water Quality
Signs of improvement across Canterbury rivers
Some popular Canterbury swimming spots cleaner than a year ago, but it's a long drive to find somewhere safe to swim.
EPA chief scientist under fire over water quality comments
The newly appointed chief scientist at the Environmental Protection Authority is under fire for claiming the Waikato river is one of the five cleanest rivers in the world. Kathryn Ryan speaks to Dr… Audio
Havelock North water contamination inquiry under way
The government inquiry into the Havelock North drinking-water contamination has held its first hearing at the Hastings District Court. Video
Call to widen Havelock North probe into water quality
Outbreaks of waterborne illness will become more common if no effort is made to protect environmental sustainability, a public health professor has warned. Audio
Lake snow, 'the new didymo'
Nine to Noon examines the growing threat of Lake snow, the didymo like algal slime invading NZ's most iconic lakes.
Dr Don Robertson is the Chair of the Guardians of Lake Wanaka & a member of the… Audio, Gallery
Lack of effluent monitoring threatens health - Fish and Game
The government is failing to manage the risk of farming to human health because there is no tool to manage effluent run-off from farms, Fish and Game says.
Canterbury farmers blamed for poor water quality
Canterbury farmers are being blamed for the region's deteriorating rivers and poor water quality. Audio
A Stream Runs Through it
The Canterbury Waterway Rehabilitation Experiment or CAREX is co-led by Professors Angus McIntosh and Jon Harding from the University of Canterbury's Freshwater Ecology Research Group. CAREX has… Audio, Gallery
Eastland Groups CEO speaks to Wairoa council
Gates owner Eastland Group declined to be interviewed by Checkpoint and released a statement. Audio
Water petition with 12k signatures delivered to Parliament
Thirty people walked from Turangi to Parliament to present a petition calling to improve the quality of New Zealand's waterways. Video, Audio
Broken sluice gates muddy Hawke's Bay rivers
Wairoa District Council ratepayers are tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket due to broken sluice gates, which have caused silt to flow from the Waihi Dam into local rivers. Video, Audio
Water Quality - Marnie Prickett
Months of hard work and campaigning is coming to a head in Parliament today with the Choose Clean Water group arriving in the capital to present a petition on cleaning up our country's waterways… Audio
Heading down the Waimak
Large schools of kahawai are chasing krill in the Waimakariri River mouth in North Canterbury. The annual salmon run is about to start so it's a popular spot for local anglers. Fish and Game… Audio
Wanted: Farmers for groundwater study
Farmers in Canterbury are being invited to join a three-year research project on groundwater quality.
Beach water quality suffers after heavy downpours
Auckland's public health boss says heavy downpours are more likely to worsen water quality than the prospect of El Nino weather. Audio
Heavy downpours more likely to worsen water quality on beaches
Heavy downpours are more likely to worsen water quality and cause sickness on Auckland's beaches, rather than the prospect of El Nino weather and a swelling population. Audio
Mr Tuna - saving the rangitaiki’s taonga
Bill Kerrison is helping save our native longfin eels or tuna. Each year he traps and transfers eels and other native fish species past a series of dams on the Rangitaiki River in the Bay of Plenty… Video, Audio, Gallery
Chemical caps for Taupo farms could work across NZ.
Farmers near some of New Zealand's most polluted waterways could have their stock numbers capped. Audio
Dunedin's Healthy Harbour Watchers
Over the last decade secondary school students have measured the chemical and microbiological health of Otago Harbour Audio
Proposed new nitrate levels come with health warning
The Canterbury Medical Officer of Health says a proposed new limit on nitrate leaching from farms in the Selwyn District isn't strict enough and could jeopardise the region's drinking water. Audio