A fresh campaign to protect rural communities from nitrate-contaminated drinking water

Recent tests show nitrate levels exceeded levels associated with reproductive risks and cancers at a number of South Island locations - including Waimate's Glenavy, Canterbury's Darfield and Southland's Gore.

Greenpeace campaigner, Will Appelbe says rural areas are most at risk - because of intensive dairy farming.

He says 80 percent of Kiwis have safe levels of nitrate, but that leaves a sizeable proportion who aren't safe.