Two-thirds of NZ's monitored river sites rated poorly for harmful E. coli

Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (Lawa) has painted an alarming - albeit sadly familiar - picture of 1700 of the country's rivers and lakes.

The data, published last week, revealed two-thirds of monitored river sites rated poorly for harmful E. coli, while nutrient pollution is turning 60 percent of our lakes into breeding grounds for algal and invasive plant growth.

There is no quick fix, says Dr Roger Young. One of the scientists involved in the Lawa project, he is also the Cawthron Institute's freshwater ecosystems manager.