ANZECC water quality guidelines - October 2000
An Introduction to the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality
The Overview of the Guidelines, found on the Environment Australia website, is a good place to start if you are unfamiliar with their extent and application, both in Australia and New Zealand.
Volume 1 - The Guidelines
This document updates the 1992 ANZECC Water Quality Guidelines and has been modified to take the New Zealand context into consideration. Specifically, this document:
- outlines the important principles, objectives and philosophical basis underpinning the development and application of the guidelines
- outlines the management framework recommended for applying the water quality guidelines to the natural and semi-natural marine and fresh water resources in Australia and New Zealand
- provides a summary of the water quality guidelines proposed to protect and manage the environmental values supported by the water resources
- provides advice on designing and implementing water quality monitoring and assessment programs
- has been revised using data, relevant literature, and other information available to at least 1996.
Volume 2 – Aquatic Ecosystems – Rationale and Background Information
Aquatic ecosystems vary considerably within and between tropical and temperate zones. The Water Quality Guidelines provide guidelines for biological and physico-chemical indicators of water and sediment quality that will protect the ecological health of aquatic ecosystems, both freshwater and marine.
Volume 3 – Primary Industries – Rationale and Background Information
The Water Quality Guidelines can be used at a broad level to help define water quality objectives for catchments where irrigation use is prevalent. They can also help individual irrigators assess the suitability of water for their uses, and possible mitigation measures to reduce any impacts.
In some regions of New Zealand groundwater is increasingly relied upon (in addition to surface water) for stockwater and irrigation. So the guidelines provided in the Water Quality Guidelines for the livestock and irrigation industries are applicable (where appropriate) to both surface water and groundwater quality.
Last updated: 24 April 2012
