Downstream change to water quality

Within this topic:

• Changes in arsenic • Changes in bacteria levels • Changes in nitrogen • Changes in turbidity

Ever wondered how water quality changes down the length of the Waikato River, from its source at Lake Taupo to its mouth at Port Waikato?

Check out the pictographs showing downriver changes in:

• turbidity (the murkiness of the water)
  
• Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria (an indicator of human health risk)
  
• nitrogen (a nutrient that encourages the growth of nuisance plants and algae)
  
• arsenic (a heavy metal present in the river from geothermal fluids).

For a more detailed explanation of these terms check out the glossary.This pictograph has been derived from data collected over the 2004-2008 period (median values).