ENVISCI 223 – ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

MODULE 06: WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT

OBJECTIVES
1. Determine the different water quality standards under R.A. 9275,
2. Be familiar with the Philippine National Standard for Drinking Water (PNSDW), and
3. Identify different sources of water supply.

6. WATER QUALITY STANDARDS

 The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 (Republic Act 9275) aims to protect the country’s water
bodies from pollution from land-based sources. It provides for a comprehensive and
integrated strategy to prevent and minimize pollution through a multi-sectoral and
participatory approach involving all stakeholders.
 The DENR is the lead agency that is mandated explicitly by the Clean Water Act (CWA) to take
the lead role in ensuring the implementation of the law. It has been tasked to develop policies
and guidelines in support to the implementation of the CWA.
6.1. DENR Administrative Order No. 34 Series of 1990
ENACTED: 1990
SUBJECT: Revised Water Usage and Classification/Water Quality Criteria Amending Section Nos.
68 and 69, Chapter III of the 1978 NPCC Rules and Regulations
OVERVIEW: Water classification is the primary component in water quality management for
which goals/objectives of each of the water bodies are met. Three activities are
involved namely: establishments of water bodies beneficial use, identification of water
quality indicators (or criteria pollutants) and water quality suitable for each use. In the
Philippines classification is an especially important component of water quality
management since the application of effluent standards are dependent on this
classification. This administrative order classifies water bodies into five (5) classes, ie.
AA, A, B, C, D for inland fresh waters and four (4) classes for marine and coastal water,
i.e. SA, SB, SC and SD.
6.1.1. Water Usage and Classifications
Table 1. Fresh Surface Water (river, lakes, reservoir, etc.)

Classification Beneficial Use

Public Water Supply Class I. This class is intended primarily for waters having
watersheds which are uninhabited and otherwise protected and which require
Class AA only approved disinfection in order to meet the National Standards for Drinking
Water (NSDW) of the Philippines.
Public Water Supply Class II. For sources of water supply that will require complete
Class A treatment (coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection) in order to meet
the NSDW.
Recreational Water Class I. For primary contact recreation such as bathing,
Class B swimming, skin diving, etc. (particularly those designated for tourism purposes).
1) Fishery Water for the propagation and growth of fish and other aquatic
resources;
Class C 2) Recreational Water Class II. (Boating, etc.)
3) Industrial Water Supply Class I (For manufacturing processes after treatment)
1) For agriculture, irrigation, livestock watering, etc.
Class D 2) Industrial Water Supply Class II (e.g. cooling, etc.)
3) Other inland waters, by their quality, belong to this classification.

Classification Beneficial Use

1. Waters suitable for the propagation, survival, and harvesting of shellfish for
commercial purposes;
2. Tourist zones and national marine parks and reserves established under
Class SA Presidential Proclamation No. 1801; existing laws and/or declared as such by
appropriate government agency.
3. Coral reef parks and reserves designated by law and concerned authorities.
 ENVISCI 223 – ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
MODULE 06: WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT
1. Recreational Water Class I (Areas regularly used by the public for bathing,
swimming, skin diving, etc.);
Class SB 2. Fishery Water Class I (Spawning areas for Chanos chanos or “bangus” and
similar species).
1. Recreational Water Class II (e.g. boating, etc.)
Class SC 2. Fishery Water Class II (Commercial and sustenance fishing);
3. Marshy and/or mangrove areas declared as fish and wildlife sanctuaries;
1. Industrial Water Supply Class II (e.g. cooling, etc.)
Class SD 2. Other coastal and marine waters, by their quality, belong to this classification.

6.2. Philippine National Standards of Drinking Water of 2007

 Potable water – water that can be consumed in any measured amount without concern for
adverse health effects. Potable water does not necessarily taste good
 Palatable water, which is pleasing to drink, is not necessarily safe.
6.2.1. Microbiological Quality
 Microbiological agents are important to public health and may also be significant in modifying
the physical and chemical characteristics of water.
6.2.1.1. Public Health Implications
 Drinking water supplies should be free from contamination by human and animal excreta,
which can contain a variety of microbial contaminants. Microbiological parameters are indices
of potential waterborne diseases and, in general, are limited to bacteria, viruses, and
pathogenic protozoa. The major interest in classifying and issuing standards is the
identification, quantification, and evaluation of organisms associated with waterborne
diseases. Practically, all pathogenic organisms that can be carried by water originate from the
intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals.
6.2.1.2. Microbiological Indicators of Drinking Water Quality
 Frequent examinations for fecal indicator organisms remain as the most sensitive and specific
way of assessing the hygienic quality of water. Fecal indicator bacteria should fulfill certain
criteria to give meaningful results. The tests required to detect specific pathogens are
generally exceedingly difficult and expensive, so it is impractical for water systems to routinely
test for specific types of organisms. A more practical approach is to examine the water for
indicator organisms specifically associated with fecal contamination.
 An indicator organism essentially provides evidence of fecal contamination from human or
warm-blooded animals. The criteria for an ideal organism are as follows:
a. Always present when pathogenic organism of concern is present, and absent in clean,
uncontaminated water.
b. Present in large numbers in the feces of humans and warm-blooded animals.
c. Respond to natural environmental conditions and to treatment process in a manner
similar to waterborne pathogens of interest.
d. Readily detectable by simple methods, easy to isolate, identify and enumerate.
e. Ratio of indicator/pathogen should be high
f. Indicator and pathogen should come from the same source (gastrointestinal tract),
 No organism fulfills all the criteria for an indicator organism, but the coliform bacteria fulfill
most. The coliform group of bacteria (also called total coliforms) is defined as all the aerobic
and facultative anaerobic, gram-negative, nonspore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria that
ferment lactose with gas formation within 48 hours at 35°C.
 This definition includes E. coli (Escherichia coli), the most numerous facultative bacteria in the
feces of warm-blooded animals, plus species belonging to the genera: (1) Enterobacter, (2)
Klebsiella, and (3) Citrobacter. E. coli is the indicator organism for fecal contamination.
 Water intended for human consumption should contain no indicator organisms. However,
pathogens more resistant to conventional environmental conditions or treatment technologies
may be present in treated drinking-water in the absence of E. coli or total coliforms. Protozoa
and some enteroviruses are more resistant to many disinfectants including chlorine and may
remain viable and pathogenic in drinking-water following disinfection process.
 Generally, total coliform must be less than 1.1 most probable number (MPN) per 100 mL
sample.
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MODULE 06: WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT
6.2.2. Physical Properties
 Relate to the quality of water for domestic use and are usually associated with appearance of
water, its color or turbidity, temperature, and in particular, taste and odor.
 Chemical characterization of drinking water includes the identification of its components and
their concentrations. Water treatment plants monitor for a variety of inorganic and organic
constituents, including chloride, fluorides, sodium, sulfate, nitrates, iron, manganese, and more
than 120 organic chemicals.

6.2.2.1. Taste and Odor

 Pure water is always tasteless and odorless.
 If any type of taste and smell is present, it may indicate water pollution.
 Foreign matter such as organic compounds, inorganic salts, or dissolved gases can cause taste
and odor in water.
 Certain types of algae, especially the blue-green algae, can also impart foul tastes and odor.

6.2.2.2. Temperature
 The temperature is not directly used to evaluate whether water is drinkable or not. However,
in natural water systems like lakes and rivers, the temperature is a significant physical factor
that determines water quality.
 The most desirable drinking waters are consistently cool and do not have temperature
fluctuations of more than a few degrees.
 Most individuals find that water having a temperature between 10 – 15°C is most palatable.

6.2.2.3. Color
 Pure water is colorless; colored water can indicate pollution.
 Color can also show organic substances.
 Color can also be caused by inorganic metals such as iron or manganese.
 Dissolved organic material from decaying vegetation and inorganic matter may cause color.
 Excessive blooms of algae or growth of aquatic microorganisms may also impart color.
 The maximum acceptable level for the color of drinking water is 15 TCU (True color unit).

6.2.2.4. Turbidity
 Pure water is clear and does not absorb light.
 If turbidity appears in the water, it may indicate water pollution.
 Turbidity is caused by the presence of suspended material such as clay, silt, finely divided
organic materials, plankton, and other particulate material in water.
 Particles may harbor microbiological contaminants that are harmful to human health or that
decrease the effectiveness of disinfection.

6.2.2.5. Solids
 Total solids ( ) pertains to the sum of total suspended solids ( ) and total dissolved solids
( ) that can be found in water.
 Suspended solids are those that can be retained on a water filter and can settle out of the
water column onto the stream bottom when stream velocities are low. They include silt, clay,
plankton, organic wastes, and inorganic precipitates such as those from acid mine drainage.
 Dissolved solids are those that pass through a water filter. They include some organic
materials, as well as salts, inorganic nutrients, and toxins.
 If water is filtered to remove suspended solids, the remaining solid in the water indicates the
total dissolved solids. If the dissolved solids in the water exceed 300 mg/L, it adversely affects
living organisms as well as industrial products.
 The concentration of dissolved solids in stream water is important because it determines the
flow of water in and out of the cells of aquatic organisms. Also, some dissolved inorganic
elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur are nutrients essential for life. Low
concentrations of total solids can result in limited growth of aquatic organisms due to nutrient
deficiencies. Elevated levels of total solids, however, can lead to eutrophication of the stream
or increased turbidity. Both eutrophication and increased turbidity result in a decrease in
stream water quality.
 Elevated concentrations of total solids may indicate the presence of agricultural activities,
dredging, or mining upstream from your sample site.
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MODULE 06: WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT
6.3. Water Classification by Sources
 Although salt water is used as a drinking water supply, freshwater is the preferred source.
 Potable water is conveniently classified as to its source: (1) groundwater; (2) surface water.
6.3.1. Groundwater Sources
 Groundwater is pumped from well drilled into aquifers.
 Aquifer - a geologic formation that will yield water to a well in sufficient quantities to make
the production of water from this formation feasible for beneficial use; permeable layers of
underground rock or sand that hold or transmit groundwater below the water table
 The quantity and quality of water available depends on the type of geological formation
forming the aquifer and the properties of the contaminant, itself.
 Drinking-water wells can be shallow (less than 50 ft) or deep (greater than 50 ft).
 In general, the deeper the well, the greater the level of protection from contamination, deep
wells only provide protection when the wells are properly designed and operated so that
surface contamination is prevented.
6.3.2. Surface Water Sources
 Surface water includes rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
Groundwater Source Surface Water Source
Constant composition Varying composition
High mineral content Low mineral content
Low turbidity High turbidity
Low or no color Color
May be bacteriologically safe Microorganisms present
No dissolved oxygen Dissolved oxygen
High hardness Low hardness
H2S, Fe, Mn Tastes and odors
Possible chemical toxicity Possible chemical toxicity