Offshore aquifer found off South Island could help New Zealand tackle droughts

Rare discovery made of freshwater aquifer that could contain as much as 2,000 cubic kilometres of water

An aquifer has been discovered under the Pacific ocean off New Zealand's coast, with scientists saying some of the South Island could draw on it for their main freshwater supply.

Joshu Mountjoy, a marine geologist at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa), said the discovery was one of the few times a significant offshore aquifer had been located anywhere in the world. As climate change begins to bite it could become a crucial source of freshwater for nearby drought-prone regions such as the Canterbury plains.