Research Programme: Tools for Water Quality
Programme Abstract:
The major aims of this research are to determine the impacts of land use change on surface and ground water quality, particularly with respect to microbial quality, and to provide tools for sustainable management of water resources.
Māori Outcome Statement:
The research in this programme is focused on water contamination, particularly faecal contamination. This is of interest to Māori because of collection of Mahinga kai in waterways. We have good contact with iwi near our research centres, particularly Ngai Tahu, and have meetings with them to inform them about our research progress and results. There is Ngai Tahu representation on the IRAP Steering Group (Objective 5).
Objective Leader: Dr Lester Sinton
This objective will develop practical "animal faecal microbe reservoir" models for the key indicator and pathogenic enteric microbes from grazing animals and waterfowl in New Zealand. These models will assist water managers in estimating microbial inputs to natural waters from animals such as cows, sheep and ducks, and thus the likely effects of changes in land use on microbial water quality. This will help to manage and mitigate animal pollution of natural waters in New Zealand.
Objective 2 - Discrimination of Human, Animal and Bird Faecal Pollution in Water
Objective Leader: Dr Brent Gilpin
This objective will develop tools to distinguish sources of faecal contamination in water - is the source human, farm animal, wild animals or bird? The persistent characteristics of each of the markers developed will be determined in conjunction with Objective 1. The tools developed, in conjunction with sampling guidelines, will enable interventions to be prioritised and targeted to the actual sources of contamination, resulting in imporovements to water quality.
Objective 3 - Pesticide Contamination of Groundwater Systems
Objective Leader: Murray Close
This objective will characterise the leaching mobility and persistence of different pesticides through soil and subsoil profiles. This will assist in the protection of groundwater quality by providing farmers, agricultural consultants, and water managers with essential information on the potential range of common pesticides to reach the groundwater table.
Objective 4 - Modelling Contaminant Transport in the Subsurface Environment
Objective Leader: Murray Close
This objective focuses on modelling the movement of microbial contaminants in alluvial gravel and pumice sand aquifers at a range of scales; the impact of irrigated dairying on microbial groundwater quality, and the determination of aquifer characteristsics. It feeds into the integrated model being developed as part of the IRAP project (Objective 5). This research will improve our understanding of, and our ability to model, the transport and fate of groundwater contaminants in the unsaturated and saturated zones, and will enable better management of our groundwater resources.
Objective 5 - Impact of Land Use on Groundwater Quality
Objective Leader: Murray Close
This objective is part of a multi-agency collaborative project: Integrated Research for Aquifer Protection (IRAP). This objective will determine factors influencing the transport of nitrate through, and transformations in, the vadose zone. This objective will also improve the prediction of the effects of increasing human population density and associated septic tank inputs, from intensification of land uses, on groundwater quality.