ANZECC water quality guidelines - Download the guidelines
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.
Outlines of each of the three volumes are also available from the Environment Australia website through the links provided below. Each chapter can be downloaded in PDF format.
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.
Important information for users deriving aquatic ecosystem trigger values for nitrate
Chapter 1 – Introduction (PDF 217 KB)
Chapter 2 – A framework for applying the guidelines (PDF 316 KB)
Chapter 3 – Aquatic ecosystems (PDF 838 KB)
Chapter 4 – Primary industries (PDF 493 KB)
Chapter 5 – Guidelines for recreational water quality and aesthetics (PDF 240 KB)
Chapter 6 – Drinking water (PDF 201 KB)
Chapter 7 – Monitoring and assessment (PDF 441 KB)
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.
Chapter 8.1 – Biological indicators (PDF 308 KB)
Chapter 8.2 – Physical and chemical stressors (PDF 726 KB)
Chapter 8.3 – Toxicants (PDF 691 KB)
Chapter 8.3 – Toxicants continued (PDF 1.22 MB)
Chapter 8.4 – Sediment quality guidelines (PDF 330 KB)
Chapter 8.5 – Priorities for research and development (PDF 290 KB)
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.
Chapter 9.1 – Introduction (PDF 147 KB)
Chapter 9.2 – Water quality for irrigation and general use (PDF 765 KB)
Chapter 9.3 – Livestock drinking water guidelines (PDF 333 KB)
Chapter 9.4 – Aquaculture and human consumers of aquatic food (PDF 561 KB)
