Approved Water Quality Guidelines

Ambient water quality guidelines are used to:

• protect water values, including: aquatic life, wildlife and their habitats, drinking water sources, agriculture (livestock watering and irrigation); and recreation;
• provide the basis for the evaluation of ambient water quality and environmental impact assessments to inform resource management decisions (e.g., wastewater discharge limits);
• provide the basis for water quality objectives; and
• report to the public on the state of water quality and promote water stewardship.

View the water quality guidelines fact sheet or water quality guidelines policy for more information.

Guideline Tools

An online application to easily look-up BC water quality guidelines for aquatic life, wildlife, agriculture, drinking water sources and recreation.

• Guideline Look-Up Table

Access all BC approved and working water quality guidelines as a .csv file in the BC Data Catalogue.

• Guideline .csv file

Guideline Summaries

• View the Summary of Water Quality Guidelines: Aquatic Life, Wildlife & Agriculture (PDF)
• View the Summary of Water Quality Guidelines: Drinking Water Sources (PDF)

Note: The guidelines provided in the source drinking water quality guideline (SDWQGs) document are the most up to date SDWQGs and replace the SDWQGs within the overview and technical documents listed under "Guidelines" below.

• View the Summary of Water Quality Guidelines: Recreation (PDF)