2.1.3.

1 Water Quality Guidelines & General Effluent Standards

Water Quality Guidelines and General Effluent Standards (WQG-GES) is a

guideline issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of

the Philippines pursuant to Section 19e and 19f of the Republic Act 9275, also known as

the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, and Executive Order 192. It is mandated to

protect, preserve, and revive the quality of different bodies of water; provide guidelines

for the classification of water bodies; determine time trends; evaluate stages of

deterioration or enhancement in water quality; and serve as a basis in preventing,

controlling or abating water pollution. Specifically, Water Quality Guidelines (WQG) refer

to the numerical values of physical, chemical, biological, and bacteriological or

radiological parameters which are used to categorize water resources and their use.

Moreover, General Effluent Standards (GES) are the restriction on quantities, rates, and

concentrations of physical, chemical, or biological parameters of effluent which a source

is allowed to discharge into a body of water according to the classification of the receiving

water body.

Reference: Department of Environment and Natural Resources. (24 May, 2016). Water

Quality Guidelines and General Effluent Standards. [online] Available at:

https://pab.emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/DAO-2016-08-WQG-and-GES.pdf