Testing our wastewater for drugs

Wastewater drug testing is coming to Taupo¯, with the scheme to be rolled out across New Zealand.

The expansion of Police and ESR’s pilot programme will mean wastewater testing is rolled out to 38 sites, including Taupo¯, across the 12 Police districts this month. The scheme will capture 80 per cent of New Zealand’s population.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush says wastewater testing is crucial to Police’s understanding of drug consumption in communities.

“Expanding the programme to regional New Zealand and other major centres will help us continue to build a better picture of the prevalence of illicit drug use in New Zealand communities as well as the subsequent social harm.”

Wastewater testing has been conducted by ESR at Rosedale in Auckland, Christchurch and Whangarei since 2016.

Analysis of samples from these sites has revealed extensive and diverse patterns of drug use, and has significantly enhanced understanding around the demand and supply of illicit drugs and the impact on individual communities where testing was undertaken.

Over the past 18 months, 1.5kg of methamphetamine was estimated to have been consumed on average each week across the three test sites.

This translates to an estimated $2 million a week in social harm.

“Expanding the number of sample locations will help us identify differences in drug use between geographic regions and will act as an early warning system for emerging risks,” says Mr Bush.

The drugs currently tested for are methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, MDMA and fentanyl.

Cannabis will be introduced in Northland and across Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland and ephedrine and pseudoephedrine will be introduced at all sites as part of the rollout.

Results from the new testing sites will help inform prevention and treatment strategies, allow comparison with international data and measure the effectiveness of education and enforcement.

The new sites are expected to begin being testing by the end of the month.