Water Quality

Water Quality Guidelines (Criteria) Reports

Guideline Executive Summary Reports
These consist of a table of the guidelines and a very brief discussion and rationale. There are no bibliographies or tables of original data.

Guideline Technical Background Reports
These often include a full literature review, an extensive bibliography and many large data tables. Some of these are quite large files and may run to 400 pages of text and tables.

We are currently updating documents that provide information on the derivation of Water Quality Objectives. We are also updating our existing sulphate and selenium guidelines. These documents will be posted in future so keep visiting our site for this new information

Please note:

For reviewers of B.C. draft water quality guidelines: all review comments received pertaining to draft guidelines will be posted and/or made available upon request to other reviewers and the public.
For water quality guideline development, B.C. does not use or endorse the use of species sensitivity distribution (SSD).protocols including that used as an option by the CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) Water Quality Task Group.

Water Quality Objectives Reports

Objectives Summary Reports
These contain an executive summary and tables of objectives and recommended sampling protocols. There are no data tables or extensive background data.

Objectives Technical Background Reports
These usually include a full literature review, an extensive bibliography and many large data tables. Some of these are quite large files and may run to several hundred pages of text and tables.

Water and Sediment Quality Monitoring Reports

These are an accumulation of reports dealing with either one time studies or sites where repeated measurements have been taken. Some of these reports deal with determining whether water quality objectives are attained.

Procedure Guides and Sampling Manuals

These documents outline everything from how to design a sampling program through to interpreting the data and how to develop water quality objectives.

Administration and Policy

Ministry Policy Statements Regarding Guidelines, Criteria and Objectives

Descriptions Type of Information Available in Each of These Categories

Water Quality Protection Documents

This work relates to best management practices, as well as looking at nutrients and drinking water protection.

Area Specific Studies (Regional and Local, Objectives, Studies and Monitoring Reports)

This link references available studies according to the geographical area of the province.

Aquatic Life Documents

These references look at different types of aquatic life.

Reference Documents

This allows one to search for reports according to author or look at provincial reference conditions.