DENR ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2016-08

WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES

AND

GENERAL EFFLUENT STANDARDS OF 2016(Approved on 24 May 2016

Published in Malaya on 30 May 2016)

LEZA A. ACORDA-CUEVASEnvironmental Management Bureau

Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Key Features of the Water Quality Guidelines

and General Effluent Standards of 2016

Section 1. Basic Policy

The basic policy was taken from RA 9275, which declared that the

State shall pursue a policy of economic growth in a manner

consistent with the protection, preservation and revival of the

quality of fresh, brackish and marine waters.

Section 2. Objectives

The objectives of the WQG and GES were defined to provide

guidelines for:

Classification of water bodies in the country

Determination of time trends

Evaluation of stages of deterioration/enhancement in water

quality

Evaluation of the need for taking actions in preventing,

controlling, or abating water pollution

Designation of water quality management areas (WQMA)

Setting the General Effluent Standards (GES)

Section 3. Scope and Coverage

The scope of the WQG was defined to apply to all water bodies

in the country (freshwaters, marine waters, and groundwater)

and be used for classifying water bodies; determining time

trends; evaluating stages of deterioration or enhancement in

water quality, and as basis for taking positive actions in

preventing, controlling, or abating water pollution; and

designating WQMA.

The scope of the GES was defined to apply to all point

sources of pollution, regardless of volume, that discharge to

receiving body of water or land and be used regardless of the

industry category.

Section 4. Definition of Terms

Most of the terms defined were taken from RA 9275. Some terms

defined were taken from issuances of DENR, Department of

Health, Philippine Statistics Authority, and Philippine Coast Guard

as well as from international agencies such as the United States

Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and Southern

Australia Environment Protection Authority.

Section 5. Classification of Water Bodies

The classifications of freshwater and marine waters were generally

adopted from DAO 1990-34 and DAO 1997-23, respectively with

some changes. These include the following:

Change of classification of waters used for agriculture, irrigation,

and livestock watering from Class D to Class C

Removal of Industrial Water Supply from Class C, Class D, and

Class SD

Defining Class D and SD for navigable waters

Section 6. Water Quality Guidelines

The WQG were categorized as primary or secondary

parameters.

Primary parameters are the required minimum water quality

parameters to be monitored for each water body.

Secondary parameters are other water quality parameters to be

used in baseline assessment as part of the Environmental

Impact Assessment and other water quality monitoring

purposes.

The WQG shall be applied to freshwaters, marine waters, and

groundwater.

Groundwater quality guidelines were defined to adopt the WQG

values depending on the intended beneficial use of the

groundwater.

Process on how to interpret WQG values were defined including

the minimum number of data sets for the interpretation.

Section 7. General Effluent Standards

The GES shall be enforced to all point sources of pollution,

regardless of volume, that discharge to receiving body of water

or land and be used regardless of the industry category.

Effluent used for irrigation and other agricultural purposes shall

conform to the Department of Agriculture Administrative Order

2007-26 or the Guidelines on the Procedures and Technical

Standards for the Issuance of a Certification Allowing for the

Safe Re-use of Wastewater for the Purposes of Irrigation and

Other Agricultural Uses.

The GES established the Significant Effluent Quality

Parameters per Sector consistent with the Philippine Standard

Industrial Classification (2009). With this, industries shall only

be required to monitor effluent quality parameters determined to

be significant to them.

GES values are maximum allowable limit.

In consideration for establishments with influent BOD greater

than or equal to 3,000 mg/L, separate effluent standards were

set but applicable only for establishments discharging to Class

C, Class D, Class SC and Class SD water bodies.

Section 8. Modification of WQG and GES

Modification of WQG and GES can be requested as long as a

clear and scientifically valid evidence having a probative value to

demonstrate that such modification is consistent with RA 9275 and

its Implementing Rules and Regulations is provided:

Designated Uses

WQG Values

Significant Effluent Quality Parameters per Sector and GES

Values

The said request for modification shall be submitted to the DENR

Secretary.

Section 10. Grace Period

Consistent with RA 9275, a grace period of not more than five (5)

years is provided in cases wherein:

Values for the GES have become stringent compared to the

values in DAO 1990-35. In such cases, DAO 1990-35 shall

apply during the grace period.

New significant effluent quality parameters were identified for the

sector

Section 9. Periodic Review

Review of the WQG and GES was defined as periodically and its

amendment shall be as necessary.

The grace period can only be given to establishments that

submit Compliance Action Plan and periodic status of

implementation to the DENR on the steps taken for the

establishment's compliance schedule within the prescribed

grace period.

Section 11. Prohibitions

Consistent with RA 9275, certain acts were prohibited.

Section 12. Fines, Damages, and Penalties

Fines, damages, and penalties was linked to Section 28 of RA

9275.

Section 13. Separability Clause

Stipulation was provided that in cases where a section or provision

is declared to be unconstitutional or invalid by a competent court,

the other sections or provisions shall remain to be in force.

Section 15. Effectivity

Effectivity of the provisions were defined similar to other issuances

of DENR.

Section 14. Repealing Clause

The Rules and Regulations of the National Pollution Control

Commission (1978), 1982 Effluent Regulations, and DENR

Administrative Orders 1990-34 and 1997-23 were repealed; while

DENR Administrative Order 1990-35 was modified accordingly.

NEW PARAMETERS FOR WQG AND GES

KEY CHANGES OF THE WQG AND GES

The following parameters are added in the WQG and GES:

Ammonia as NH3-N Nickel

Boron Zinc

Fluoride Benzo(a)pyrene

Selenium Trichloroethylene

Sulfate Benzene

Barium Toluene

Iron Ethylbenzene

Manganese Xylenes

CHANGE IN METHOD OF EXPRESSION

The method of expression for the following parameters were changed

and/or clarified:

Color – Changed unit to TCU from PCU

Nitrate – Changed expression to Nitrate as NO3-N from Nitrate as N

Copper – Changed expression to Dissolved Copper from total Copper

Cyanide – Changed to Free Cyanide from total Cyanide

KEY CHANGES OF THE WQG AND GES

CHANGE IN METHOD OF EXPRESSION

The method of expression for the following parameters were changed

and/or clarified:

Organophosphate as Malathion – Change expression to Malathion;

changed unit from mg/L to µg/L

PCBs – Clarified to be the sum of the 9 Aroclors and 19 Congeners

Phenol & Phenolic Substances – Clarified to be the sum

of 2-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol

KEY CHANGES OF THE WQG AND GES

WQG AND GES VALUES

Generally, WQG values became more stringent as a result of

updating it with the 2007 PNSDW.

Correspondingly, GES values became stringent since WQG is

used to derive its value through corresponding factors.

Parameters which became stringent are as follows:

a) Arsenic

b) Cadmium

c) Chromium

d) Lead

e) Mercury

KEY CHANGES OF THE WQG AND GES

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES

AND GENERAL EFFLUENT STANDARDS(DENR Administrative Order No. 2016-008)