Hei Mahi Mara
Water restrictions and high levels of chlorination are expected to last for some time as the Christchurch City Council repairs the water infrastructure. This is an unfortunate part of the new “normal” for those of us living in the shaky city, and reinforces how lucky we were to have had our previous pure water supply.
For the organic gardener, the current watering restrictions should be only a minor inconvenience if compost has been applied regularly, as compost enables the soil to retain moisture more efficiently, supporting plant growth and health for longer.
At present, the key issue for my garden is the impact of high chlorine levels on the plants in my tunnel house. After some research, I discovered that while a minute amount of natural chlorine in water can be beneficial for plants, the industrial application of chlorine to city water supplies can potentially have detrimental effects on plant growth. Chlorine kills not only the bad bugs in the water but also the beneficial moulds, fungi and bacteria in the soil, which support the health and growth of plants by aiding nutrient uptake. Additionally, high chlorine levels can be toxic to plants themselves. 
It appears to me the impact of the chlorinated water on the plants in my tunnel house has been significant, so I stopped using tap water to irrigate tunnel house plants. We do not drink chlorinated tap water either, because it made my whānau feel ill. Instead we get our drinking water from a neighbour’s uncontaminated well.
There are three main ways to eliminate chlorine from water. The first is to boil it for a few minutes, cool it and then use it for pot-plants and humans. Second, you can leave the water in an open container for 24 to 48 hours so that the chlorine gas can evaporate. Third, you can install a chlorine water filter.
For the time being I have opted for option two – the least expensive approach – by filling a barrel of water beside my tunnel house and watering by hand. However, this still leaves the problem of irrigating the outdoor gardens, and I suspect I will have to install an expensive filter on the outdoor tap if the council continues to chlorinate the water at current levels.
Whether I need to purchase a filter will also depend upon how dry the summer is, and therefore how often the garden will need watering. This is complicated by the fact that at the time of writing this article, the council has put a Level 3 watering restriction on the city, because the earthquake-damaged water infrastructure is under extreme pressure. This will mean only irrigating with hand-held hoses (no sprinklers), and only on designated days; with even-numbered properties on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and odd-numbered properties on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
We have learned the hard way in this city that we can live without many of life’s comforts, but not the most basic of all –
a regular and clean water supply. Mind you, I think it will be a lot easier to live with hand-held watering than without a working sewage system – the next most basic of infrastructure needs. For once I am hoping that summer will be cool with regular rainfall, because if the council goes to Level 4 restrictions, it will mean a ban on all outdoor watering, and the slow death of my garden.
Earthquake silt has also posed problems for gardeners in Ōtautahi, with many opting to move to raised bed gardens. For my garden however, that is not feasible due to its size; nor is it necessary as so far, the impacts from residual silt in the topsoil have been minor.
Mid-summer is the time for sowing successive vegetables like lettuce, spring onions, and beans for the autumn harvest. It is also the time to start planting out the winter garden with leeks, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, silver beet, broad beans and spinach, as they need the boost of the summer warmth (and occasional watering) to get established for the winter months.
Some recent good news is the launch of the Ngāi Tahu authentic indigenous foods website. It gives Ngāi Tahu whānau and papatipu rūnanga the ability both to purchase traditional mahinga kai, and to promote their own sustainable development and sell their own mahinga kai resources. Each product has its own unique traceable code, which can be entered into the website to find out more about the product and producers through text, photographs and video.
The kaupapa (philosophy) of the mahinga kai system is designed to ensure that the mahinga kai products are based on the key principles of hauora (health), kaitiakitanga (sustainable management), whanaungatanga (fairness), kaikōkiritanga (care) and tikanga (cultural ecological wisdom). The purpose of these principles is to provide guidance to the producers on how to produce mahinga kai in a culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable manner. This ensures customers are purchasing an authentic, indigenous, healthy and high quality product. This kaupapa is designed to help create a circle of sustainability that supports the social, cultural, economic and environmental traditions of Ngāi Tahu within our traditional and contemporary mahinga kai resources.
It is in these times of adversity that we need to draw on these traditions and the history behind them, to remind ourselves where we have come from, the trials and tribulations we have faced as a people and as an iwi, where we belong, and where our future will be.
“Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei” (for us, and those after us).
Ngāi Tahu Mahinga Kai Website:
www.authenticindigenousfoods.co.nz/
Christchurch City Council Water Restriction Notices:
www.ccc.govt.nz/homeliving/
watersupply/ourwater/index.aspx
Chlorine effects on water:
www.ehow.com/facts_6610758_
effect-chlorinated-water-plants_.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask
NZ Garden Chlorine Filter:
www.nzfilterwarehouse.com
Video on garden water filter:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcDxjQszXPw
Food Matters Documentary:
www.foodmatters.tv
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