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
- Guideline look-up table
- Emerging contaminants tool
- Guideline download (csv)
- Guideline update table (PDF)
Guideline summary reports
Guideline technical reports
- Technical Report (PDF)
- Appendix 1 (xls)
- Appendix 2 (xls)
- 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)
- Technical Report - Aquatic Life (PDF, 1 MB)
- Technical Report - Marine Aquatic Life & Agricultural Uses (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Guideline supplemental information
- View the water quality guidelines fact sheet
- View the water quality guidelines policy