Technical Alliance Technical Leaders Group and Technical Support Group Confirmed in June 2014 Seven person TLG; approx. 80 experts on TSG Purpose: provide environmental, economic, cultural and social information about the Waikato and Waipa rivers and the effects of different land management scenarios Scope: the four contaminants N, P, sediment, microbes

Technical Overview Four contaminants – why important? Policy cycle and the role of technical input Water quality state and trends Sources of contaminants and how to mitigate What next for the Technical Alliance

Why the four contaminants? Relevance Pathogens (E. coli) Human health: safe swimming, waka ama, kai gathering, boating, angling etc Cultural acceptability (measure of faecal pollution) Livestock health: drinking water Domestic & industrial use: treatment needs Sediment: Suspended sediment Water clarity Turbidity Aesthetics, safe swimming, waka ama, kai gathering, boating, angling Cultural acceptability Ecosystem health (light, primary production, visual feeders - fish, birds) Sedimentation: drainage/flooding, dam volume Nutrients: Nitrogen (TN, Nitrate, DIN) and Phosphorus (TP, DRP) Promotes plant growth – e.g., nuisance algal blooms with aesthetic, toxic (cyanobacteria) and ecosystem health impacts Nitrogen toxicity: Ammonium & nitrate Toxic to aquatic life

Technical Overview Four contaminants – why important? Policy cycle and the role of technical input Water quality state and trends Sources of contaminants and how to mitigate What next for the Technical Alliance

The policy cycle and technical input Healthy Rivers Policy Process CSG Focus Statement/Vision & Strategy e.g., safe to swim, take food, provide well being May be ‘enriched’ narrative below that Desired Values Determining water quality levels (N, P, Sed., bacteria) consistent with Desired Values Scenario Analysis – looking at future options for limiting point and non-point losses from land to ensure water quality is consistent with desired Values Integrated assessment across Values to provide CSG with social, economic, cultural & ecological analysis CSG deliberations CSG outcomes Assess options against Values & risk Consensus? Seek further scenarios? TLG advises, using: National objectives Existing information Experts input TLG, using experts for: Predictive modelling Non-market valuation studies

Vision & Strategy: Te Ture Whaimana Te Ture Whaimana included in 2009 Deed of Settlement Prevails over other legislation, including the National Policy Statement Te Ture Whaimana requires, amongst other things, that: The Waikato River and its tributaries are restored and protected Is suitable for swimming over its entire length Should not be required to absorb further degradation The avoidance of cumulative adverse effects Provides important guidance to the work of the TLG

The policy cycle and technical input Healthy Rivers Policy Process CSG Focus Statement/Vision & Strategy e.g., safe to swim, take food, provide well being May be ‘enriched’ narrative below that Desired Values Determining water quality levels (N, P, Sed., bacteria) consistent with Desired Values Scenario Analysis – looking at future options for limiting point and non-point losses from land to ensure water quality is consistent with desired Values Integrated assessment across Values to provide CSG with social, economic, cultural & ecological analysis CSG deliberations CSG outcomes Assess options against Values & risk Consensus? Seek further scenarios? TLG advises, using: National objectives Existing information Experts input TLG, using experts for: Predictive modelling Non-market valuation studies

Illustration of stepping through the process Value: Swimmable Attribute: Bacteria (E.coli/100ml) Attribute Levels: Swimmable (<540); Not swimmable (>540) Current State: % sites in following categories Main-stem sites of: Swimmable Not swimmable Upper Waikato 100% 0% Waipa Lower Waikato 20% 80% Scenario Analysis: Assess options for reducing faecal bacteria input to meet swimmable level – wastewater treatment, denying stock access to streams, feed pads, etc. Provide options analysis to CSG for their deliberations

Technical Overview Four contaminants – why important? Policy cycle and the role of technical input Water quality state and trends Sources of contaminants and how to mitigate What next for the Technical Alliance

State and Trends in Water Quality State – what is the contaminant concentration and is it above or below a guideline or ‘bottom line’? Trend – is it improving, stable or deteriorating?

Water quality monitoring network Quality assured and reliable data Sampled regularly since 1992 Over 50 sites in Waikato/Waipa Allows ‘time and space’ analysis

Water quality trends at Waikato & Waipa River sites, 1993-2012 Improving  Stable  Deteriorating

State: water clarity from Taupo to Port Waikato

State: Waikato River (main-stem) bacteria Not-swimmable 540 cfu/100 ml Swimmable

State: Tributaries and Waipa bacteria

State: Lake algae (chlorophyll a) mg m-3 D National Bottom Line

State: Lake nitrogen Total N (mg m-3) D National Bottom Line

Summary of Water Quality Upper Waikato main-stem high water quality due to purity of water from Lake Taupo Waipa and Lower Waikato main-stem often low water quality Tributary streams often have low water quality Lowland lakes have very low water quality

Technical Overview Four contaminants – why important? Policy cycle and the role of technical input Water quality state and trends Sources of contaminants and how to mitigate What next for the Technical Alliance

Sources of N and P NITROGEN PHOSPHORUS This demonstrates the contribution of different land use to N entering streams in the Waikato. Niwa data

How do contaminants move from land to water? P fertiliser P to stream P Rock mineral P N in urine N as gas Leached N Atmospheric N N fixation/N fertiliser N slips & soil erosion bank & gully erosion Runoff livestock excreta sediment bugs

Some tools in the mitigation toolbox Point source treatment enhancements Farm nutrient management budgets, timing, targeting Target farm hotspots (80/20 rule) e.g. wintering pads/herd shelters dairy effluent treatment, storage and irrigation erosion control tree planting raceway/track runoff managed fence seeps and wetlands grass filters in swales riparian setbacks Match land use to capability trees vs livestock vs fodder crops livestock type/system

Mitigations work (…to varying levels) For example: Nitrate removal in a small protected wetland @ Whatawhata In Out

Technical Overview Four contaminants – why important? Policy cycle and the role of technical input Water quality state and trends Sources of contaminants and how to mitigate What next for the Technical Alliance

What next for the Technical Alliance? Much is known, but more targeted work required on: Maatauranga Maori related to the effects of the four contaminants Developing water quality states consistent with the Values Groundwater age and nitrogen fate Economic analyses of future scenarios (farm-scale to regional) Social and cultural impact assessment of future scenarios