Resources
Papers & Presentations
Browse papers and presentations from the LEI team, covering our work, research and lessons learned over the years.
NZ Land Treatment Collective Conference Papers
2026
Landscape Matters: From System Failure to Public Health Risk in Coastal Tauranga
Hamish Lowe, Stefi Romero
2025
Nutrient Use and Accumulation in Soil from Biosolids Application to Land
Katie Beecroft, Maria Gutierrez Gines, Lesley Smith, Stefi Romero
Importance of Understanding Environmental Effects on the Receiving Environment
Hamish Lowe, Sam Morris
2024
OMG What's happening with the Beneficial Use of Biosolids and other Organic Materials on Land?
Katie Beecroft
Managing Extremely High Rainfall & Wastewater Volumes at Foxton's Land Treatment System
Phil Lake, Hamish Lowe
Gibbston Valley Station - Using the Hills
Brian Ellwood
2023
Lake Coleridge - 20 Years On
Brian Ellwood
Combining Site Testing and Technology for Discharge Resilience
Katie Beecroft, Brian Ellwood, Hamish Lowe, Cathy Campbell
Effect of Storage and Nitrogen Removal Efficiency on Nitrate Leaching from Land Treatment Systems
Sam Morris, Hamish Lowe
2022
Guidelines of Beneficial Use of Organic Materials on Productive Land – An Update
Maria J Gutierrez Gines, Katie Beecroft
2021
Foxton Wastewater Challenges
Phil Lake
2019
2018
Implications of Climate Change on Land Treatment Systems
Hamish Lowe, Jane Petch, Katie Beecroft
Determination of Land Suitability for Wastewater Irrigation Using a Multi-Layered GIS Approach
Katie Beecroft, Angela Lane, Sian Cass
2017
Kaikoura Emergency Response and Recovery - How Resilient is Your Wastewater System
Rob Potts, Steff Toemmers
Small Community Collective Biosolids Strategy - Lower North Island
Jacqui Horswell, Hamish Lowe, Katie Beecroft, Jennifer Prosser, Virginia Baker, Jamie Ataria, Rob Potts, Peter Hill, Grant Northcott, Brett Robinson
2016
On-site Wastewater Training – Where Are We At?
Jane Petch, Hamish Lowe, Brett Marais
Enhancing Beneficial Re-Use of Biosolids: A Practical Guide to Community Engagement
Jacqui Horswell, Virginia Baker, Peter Hill, E. R. (Lisa) Langer, James Ataria, Alan Leckie, Joanna Goven, Hamish Lowe
Groundwater Monitoring: Are We Getting the Full Picture?
Katie Beecroft, Hamish Lowe, Sian Cass
How Much Municipal Waste Passes Through Land in New Zealand?
Sian Cass, Hamish Lowe
2015
Wastewater Treatment and Land Treatment in Highly Variable Holiday Locations - Case Studies of Two Queenstown Lakes Projects
Rob Potts, Brent Hawthorn, Melanie Heather
High Rate Land Application as a Solution for Seasonality
Katie Beecroft, Hamish Lowe, Sian Cass
2014
Marrying Together Wastewater Application & Land Management in a Nutrient Sensitive Catchment
Rob Potts
Combined Land and Water Discharge: Optimising Environmental Outcome for the Discharge Environment
Katie Beecroft, Hamish Lowe
Monitoring Pathogens on Pasture Derived from Treated Wastewater & Biosolids Application
Sian Cass, Hamish Lowe
2013
Should Your Community Use Land Treatment & How Much of It?
Hamish Lowe, Katie Beecroft, Erin Ganley
It's All Good - Beneficial Biosolids Use in Practice
Sarah Smith, Rob Potts, Katie Beecroft
Understanding Groundwater in Land Treatment Systems
Katie Beecroft, Hamish Lowe, Erin Ganley
2012
Small Community Sewer Retrofits; Are There Any Lessons?
Hamish Lowe, Peter Hill, Katie Beecroft
Small Community Wastewater System Design - Balancing Stakeholder Interests
Katie Beecroft, Hamish Lowe, Peter Hill
The Contract is Harder
Peter Hill, Hamish Lowe, Katie Beecroft
2011
Combined Land and Water Discharges - The Way of the Future?
Hamish Lowe, Jon Roygard, Katie Beecroft
2010
A Process for Identifying Land Suitable for Land Based Treatment of Wastewater on Erodable Slopes
Sharn Hainsworth, Katie Beecroft, Hamish Lowe, Alistair Broughton
Development of a Hydraulic Regime for Land Treatment of Municipal Wastewater on Erosion Prone Slopes
Katie Beecroft, Hamish Lowe, Sharn Hainsworth, Alistair Broughton
Caring Dairying - An Opportunity to Enhance Sustainable Dairy Farm Management
Hamish Lowe, Hugh Jellie, Jenny Massey, Jeremy Savage
2009
Treatment of Farm Effluents in New Zealand's Dairy Operations
N.S. Bolan, S. Laurenson, H. Lowe, J. Luo, P.H.Hill, J. Sukias
2008
Determining Minimum Lot Areas for Sustainable On-Site Wastewater Discharge
Jaye Hill, Hamish Lowe
Wastewater Discharge Options for Queenstown - Trials and Tribulations
Rob Potts, Martin O'Malley
What Do We Really Know About How Our Domestic Wastewater is Treated?
Barry Lynch, Hamish Lowe
Research Priorities in the Field of Land Application
Jacqui Horswell, Hamish Lowe, Alison Lowe
2007
Movement of Phosphorus in Soil at the Rotorua Land Treatment System
Huirong Hu, Hailong Wang, Katie Beecroft, Guna Magesan, Nanthi Bolan
The Sustainable Management of Sewage Wastewater Irrigation to Pasture
Seth Laurenson, Nanthi Bolan, David Horne, Iris Vogeler, Hamish Lowe
Overview of Current Research Projects in the Field of Land Application
Jacqui Horswell, Hamish Lowe
Facelift for Cheese Plant - Puhoi Soil Hydraulic Experience
John Lavery, Hamish Lowe
Retrofitting a Decentralised System: The Waipatiki Experience
Hamish Lowe, Jaye Hill, Keith Peacock, Brent Hawthorn, Rachel Landon
2006
Wastewater Treatment and Land Treatment at Jack's Point Development Queenstown
Rob Potts, Ken Gousmett
Developing Regional Policy for On-site Wastewater Systems - Problems to be Addressed
Hamish Lowe, James Li
Fractionation and Mobility of Phosphorus in a Sandy Forest Soil Amended with Biosolids
Jingjun Su, Hailong Wang, Katie Beecroft, Guna Magesan, Chengxiao Hu, Mark Kimberley, Michael Schruer
2005
A Risk Management Framework for Land Treatment Systems
James Li, Hamish Lowe
Farmed Landscapes Research Centre (FLRC) Workshop Proceedings
2026
Designing Whole Farm Mitigation Solutions
Hamish Lowe
'Barn Storming' - The Use of Barns in Managing Environmental and Animal Health
Jimena Rodriguez, Hamish Lowe
What You Get from Infield Lysimeters at an Industrial Site
Jimena Rodriguez, Hamish Lowe, Brian Ellwood
2024
What About the Landscape? How LUC is Considered in FWFPs
Jimena Rodriguez, Katie Beecroft
Healthy Waterways vs Climate Change
Sam Morris
Utilising LIDAR in Farm Plans
Millie Taylor
What's in a Farm Plan? How Can We Work Together to Deliver the Needed Content
Hamish Lowe, Jimena Rodriguez, Sam Morris
2023
2022
A New Opportunity for Intensive Farming Using Wastewater to Improve the Environment
Hamish Lowe, Phil Lake
2020
Conceptual Framework to Enable Coordinated Solutions for Climate Change and Water Quality
Brian Ellwood
2019
Incorporating Biosolids and Wastewater as a Soil Amendment into Nutrient Budgets and the Associated Environmental Management Considerations
Brian Ellwood, Britt Paton, Hamish Lowe, Sian Cass
How to Get More Bang for your Buck from Mitigation Installations that Reduce Contaminants Entering Waterways
Sian Cass, Hamish Lowe
2016
The Conundrum of Realising Fertiliser Benefits of Wastewater for Greater Sustainability - Opportunity v Reality
Hamish Lowe, Sian Cass, Jacqui Horswell, Cameron Mars
2014
Feasibility Study
Supported by Ministry for Primary Industries
Feasibility of Using Nutrient-Rich Wastes in Nurseries and for Managing Sites with Exotic and Native Plantings
Jo Cavanagh and Robyn Simcock, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research; Simeon Smaill and
Jianming Xue, Scion; Hamish Lowe and Jen Prosser, Lowe Environmental Impact; Maria J. Gutiérrez Ginés, ESR; Brett Robinson, University of Canterbury
Jianming Xue, Scion; Hamish Lowe and Jen Prosser, Lowe Environmental Impact; Maria J. Gutiérrez Ginés, ESR; Brett Robinson, University of Canterbury
Local Government Magazine
LEI Article Prepared for April 2012 Edition
Greywater - Part of a Water and Sewage Saving Solution
Katie Beecroft, Hamish Lowe, Jacqui Horswell, Alma Siggins
Water Quality Improvement in the Waiwiri Catchment
LEI worked with Horowhenua District Council and research scientists from ESR and Canterbury University on an exciting project to improve water quality in the Waiwiri catchment.
Final Report (2023): Water Quality Improvement in the Waiwiri Catchment through Strategic Establishment of Native Ecosystems with Bioactive Properties Used at a Land Treatment Site
Alexandra Meister, Brett Robinson, María Jesús Gutiérrez-Ginés. Reviewed by Hamish Lowe.
The following publications and presentations derived from this project:
The potential of Myrtaceae species for the phytomanagement of treated municipal wastewater.
Meister, A., Gutiérrez-Ginés, M. J., Lowe, H., & Robinson, B (2023). Plants, 12(15), 2844. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12152844
Nutrient balance in soil-plant systems after 30 years of wastewater irrigation
Gutiérrez-Ginés, M. J., Robinson, B., & Lowe, H. (2023, March 21-23). [Accepted for presentation]. New Zealand Land Treatment Collective Conference, Blenheim.
Native vegetation: a new paradigm for wastewater land application systems?
Meister, A., Lowe, H., Gutiérrez-Ginés, M. J., Rodriguez, J., Bourke, M., & Robinson, B. (2022). Water New Zealand Conference & Expo, 18-20 October 2022, Christchurch.
Soil-plant interactions of New Zealand native vegetation irrigated with treated municipal wastewater.
Meister, A. (2022). [Doctoral thesis, University of Canterbury]. UC Research Repository.
Native vegetation to manage nutrients in wastewater land application schemes
Meister, A., Gutiérrez-Ginés, M. J., Gaw, S., Dickinson, N., & Robinson, B. (2021, May 4-6). [Conference presentation]. New Zealand Land Treatment Collective Conference, Palmerston North.
Native vegetation for the land treatment of municipal wastewater – an update from “The Pot”
Meister, A., Cass, S., Bohm, K., & Gutiérrez-Ginés, M. J. (2019). Putting waste to work. A Centre for Integrated Biowaste Research Publication. Issue 21, Nov 2019. pp 2-3.
The Pot at Levin part of a nationwide study
Horswell, J., Gutiérrez-Ginés, M. J., & Robinson, B. (2019). Putting waste to work. A Centre for Integrated Biowaste Research Publication. Issue 20, June 2019. pp 2.
Manuka and kanuka for the land-treatment of municipal wastewater – an update.
Gutiérrez-Ginés, M. J. (2018). Putting waste to work. A Centre for Integrated Biowaste Research Publication. Issue 18, June 2018. pp 3.
Manuka and kanuka for the land-treatment of municipal wastewater.
Gutiérrez-Ginés, M. J. (2017). Putting waste to work. A Centre for Integrated Biowaste Research Publication. Issue 16, Oct 2017. pp 6.