The ways and wonder of WATER- part 2: the practice of water wisdom

摘要

In March 2003, Hamilton taps flowed with smelly, musty water because of warm temperatures and higher than normal algal blooms in the Waikato River. Last year the pipeline taking Waikato water to Auckland was shut down after a chemical-laden truck exploded, spilling part of its consignment into the river. Auckland's other supplies draw from open reservoirs or rivers that receive toxic and faecal runoff. Herbicide spraying near reservoirs and riverbanks adds toxins. In January of 1999, a study reported that NZ has "the highest incidence of waterway Campylobacter jejuni in the world". At about 280 cases per 100,000 people, this rate is twice the UK's and three times the Australian and Canadian incidence. Experts pointed to farm and wildlife effluent entering water supplies.