Emerging contaminants - Current status in New Zealand

Dr Becky Macdonald C.Eng, Jacobs NZ Ltd,

Dr Claire Conwell, Jacobs NZ Ltd

This paper provides insight into the status of monitoring of emerging contaminants (EC)in New Zealand. The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) is currently undertaking a much larger study into the current status of chemical contaminants (CC)monitoring across New Zealand with the outcomes expected to be published in 2022.

The investigation was conducted by Jacobs, with input from Cawthron and Streamlined Environmental Ltd. This paper provides an overview on how information on ECs isgathered by councils through resource consents and SoE monitoring and included datafrom active land-fill leachate, municipal wastewater, and stormwater discharge consents. Key finding has been that there is a considerable amount of information on ECs contained in the ‘grey-literature’ area, meaning that it is not readily discoverable. For example, data held in technical assessments supporting consent applications, but not part of consent conditions.

The paper includes three case study examples of monitoring programmes undertaken by councils in New Zealand:

• Case study One: Auckland Council Regional Sediment Contaminant Monitoring Programme (RSCMP)

• Case Study Two: Tauranga City Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council

• Case Study Three: Wellington City Council, Owhiro Bay catchment water quality issues