Water quality in Taranaki is a notable environmental issue for many stakeholders with concerns about the potential impact from dairy farming in New Zealand and petrochemical industries.
[2] Nationally, deterioration in freshwater quality has been associated with increases in dairy cattle numbers and in use of nitrogen fertiliser.
[3] TRC advise that dairying had not increased in Taranaki since 2000 and water quality is good and getting better.
[5] A review by Fish & Game and Forest & Bird found that many measures intended to control pollutants from dairying had not been implemented.
[8] In 2019, Taranaki Regional Council reported that freshwater quality had deteriorated further, with only two of the fifteen sites tested meeting the standards for swimmability.