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Source: ONE News -
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A small country town is concerned a key to major economic development in Canterbury poisoned their water and could become a high environmental cost.
Dunsandel has its water tested since water from the town well became contaminated with faecal bacteria from animals.
Although experts say the treated water is safe to drink, local residents aren't convinced.
"Even though the bugs are dead, I'm still concerned about it," says local resident Peter Hills, who places the blame for the contamination on local farms.
"I think we all know in our hearts that it's dairy cows, because they're the ones that put large amounts of poo on the paddock. The dairy farmers are allowed to spray effluent on as well," says Hills.
Irrigation means the once arid land around Dunsandel is lush and green, and close to the town the new Synlait dairy plant employs 200 people.
The plant already exports 45,000 tonnes of dairy products a year and plans to expand.
"Lots of people live on farms locally or in the township, so that'll bring in money to the community no question," says John Penno from Synlait.
Expansion means more cows, however - something Penno understand is an issue for local residents.
"I guess the key question everyone in the province is asking is how fast should dairying continue to grow? We know it's having an impact.
"Our response is that it should continue to grow."
Local mayor Kelvin Coe supports ideas of expansion, and says that its easy to point the finger with no proof.
But others say the problem with accusing farmers of polluting the local water system is that there is no test to find out which animal the faecal bacteria is coming from.
"The danger is that intensive agriculture involving cows will continue un-abated, and that there'll be central irrigators in every paddock spraying effluent all over Canterbury," argues Hill, who wants dairy conversions halted until science can catch up.
Scientists agree, saying that while little steps forward are being made, they aren't being made fast enough to answer the problems people have and the questions scientists need to answer.
