Western News: July 09, 2020

6 Thursday July 9 2020
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
WESTERN NEWS
News
​There’s something in the water for Katherine
• By Bea Gooding
KATHERINE RUTTER has
achieved a rare feat by having her
research published in a national
scientific publication.
The 16-year-old Rangi Ruru
Girls’ School student’s paper was
published in the NZ Journal of
Hydrology in a bid to improve
the quality of the city’s drinking
water.
With the guidance of her
mother, Helen, she studied
nitrate trends in groundwater
across Canterbury and felt
proud that their findings
were presented to local water
committees and Environment
Canterbury.
“I was definitely proud. For
me, it was never something I
thought I’d do,” she said.”
“It started out as a science day
project in year 10, looking at
levels of nitrate, whether it’s high
or low in some areas or what
might be the cause of it.”
Her mother is a senior
hydrogeologist, focusing on
the region’s groundwater, the
movement of it and its minerals.
It was her that entrusted
Katherine to take the research
further, working together to
develop it into a paper.
Nitrate-nitrogen concentration
data was obtained from ECan
for the science fair project,
which identified anomalies
and patterns such as potential
sources of contamination.
Results confirmed the
influence of the Waimakariri
River recharge and limitation of
land-use intensification in the
Christchurch-West Melton zone
kept nitrate concentrations low.
Concentrations were higher
within the Selwyn-Waimakariri
zone, in some cases due to land
use activities or local soil and
water conditions.
“I’m interested in it because of
the relevant implications it has
for our society and where we are
in NZ,” said Katherine.
About three-quarters of
Christchurch’s groundwater
comes from the Waimakariri
River, reaching a zone from which
the city takes its drinking water.
“Too many nitrates can have
adverse effects on our health,
especially in babies,” she said.
“When it’s too high, they
don’t have enough oxygen
going through their body and
because they’re so young it can
be severe.”
High concentrations in
drinking water may prevent
blood from delivering oxygen
within the body effectively,
in some cases causing infant
methemoglobinemia – or “Blue
baby syndrome.”
She was well on her way towards
IMPROVEMENTS:
Katherine Rutter, 16, has
published her first scientific
paper on the state of
Christchurch’s drinking water.
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
a career in science, but instead
of hydrology, she wanted to
pursue astronomy – particularly
astrophysics, cosmology and
celestial mechanics.
Her advice to other young
people with the same drive was
simple.
“Look at something that
interests you and find a mentor.
Do what you like otherwise
it will start to feel like it’s
something you have to do.”
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