Monitor your local streams with new testing kits
How healthy is your local stream? You can now find out with our easy-to-use Stream Health Monitoring Assessment Kits (SHMAK), available for community use across Waitaha Canterbury.
Landowners, schools, iwi, and community groups can now access testing kits to monitor the health of local streams and rivers.
We have nine SHMAK available for the community to book.
Developed by Earth Science New Zealand (formally known as NIWA) in partnership with Federated Farmers of New Zealand, SHMAK provides a simple yet scientifically robust way to assess stream and river health.
Tracking stream health for a better environment
The kits include tools to measure key water quality indicators such as nitrate, phosphate, E. coli, pH levels, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature. They also come with instructions to monitor fish, velocity and streamflow, stream habitat, and streambed composition.
Observing and understanding these indicators together can help you build a tangible picture of what’s happening in your catchment.
Our senior land management advisor, Anna Mehrtens, said healthy catchments were essential for clean water, native biodiversity, and recreational spaces.
“By monitoring changes over time, communities can detect pollution early, support conservation efforts, and contribute valuable data to regional research.”
Land management advisors use the kit to assess aquatic invertebrates which are an indicator of stream health
Instructions and educational resources — including downloadable guides and video tutorials — make it easy for users to collect and interpret their findings.
Results from SHMAK assessments could inform practical actions to improve stream health. For example, if water temperatures were too high, planting vegetation along stream banks could help cool the water and prevent harmful algae blooms.
Need to test your drinking water?
While SHMAK was designed for stream and river monitoring, those interested in testing drinking water were advised to follow separate procedures.
Book a testing kit: Learn more about how to test your water supply for contamination.