Approved Water Quality Guidelines
Approved water quality guidelines are policy statements and apply all over B.C.
Water quality guidelines are used to:
- protect water values, including: aquatic life, wildlife, drinking water sources, agriculture (livestock watering and irrigation); and recreation
- inform water quality assessments
- support resource management decisions
- provide the basis for water quality objectives
- report on the state of water quality
- promote water stewardship
Guideline tools
Search for B.C. water quality guidelines by value/designated use and parameter.
View and download all B.C. approved and working water quality guidelines as a .csv file from the B.C. Data Catalogue.
View the most recent updates to B.C. water quality guidelines.
- Guideline update table (PDF)
Guideline summary reports
- View the Summary of Water Quality Guidelines: Aquatic Life, Wildlife & Agriculture (PDF)
- View the Summary of Water Quality Guidelines: Drinking Water Sources (PDF)
- View the Summary of Water Quality Guidelines: Recreation (PDF)
Guideline technical reports
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Technical Report (PDF)
- Appendix 1 (PDF)
- Appendix 2 (PDF)
- Cadmium User’s Guide (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
Calculate a copper guideline using the BC Biotic Ligand Model Software
- BC BLM Software (exe, 5 MB)
- BC BLM User's Manual (PDF, 1.7 MB)
Water quality guideline documents
- User's Guide (PDF)
- Technical Report (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Appendix 1 (xls)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Technical Report (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- Appendix 1 (xls)
- Appendix 2 (xls)
- Appendix 3 (xls)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Ammonia (Marine) Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Addendum to Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Addendum (March 2014) (PDF)
- Addendum (August 2017) (PDF)
- Technical Report (PDF)
- Companion Document (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Technical appendix (PDF)
- Appendix A (PDF)
- Appendix B Kennedy Report (PDF)
- Appendix B-1 (PDF)
- Appendix B-2 (PDF)
- Appendix B-3 (PDF)
- Appendix C (PDF)
- Appendix D (PDF)
- Appendix E (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Overview Report (PDF)
- Technical Appendix (PDF)
Guideline supplemental information
- View the water quality guidelines fact sheet
- View the water quality guidelines policy