Water pollution happens when toxic substances mix

with water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans

degrading the quality of water and rendering it toxic
to humans or the environment.

Not only does this spell disaster for aquatic

ecosystems, the pollutants also seep through and
reach the groundwater, which might end up in our
households as contaminated water we use in our
daily activities, including drinking.
 World’s untreated Unsafe water kills Less than 1 percent of The global demand for
wastewater is dumped more people each the earth’s freshwater freshwater is expected
into the environment, year than war and all is actually accessible to to be one-third greater
polluting rivers, lakes, other forms of us. than it is now
and oceans. violence combined.
• Gets Polluted when contaminants—from pesticides and
fertilizers to waste leached from landfills and septic
systems—make their way into an aquifer, rendering it
unsafe for human use.

• Ridding groundwater of contaminants can be difficult to

impossible, as well as costly. Once polluted, an aquifer may
be unusable for decades, or even thousands of years. Ground water

• Groundwater can also spread contamination far from the

original polluting source as it seeps into streams, lakes, and
oceans.
• According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nearly half
of our rivers and streams & more than one-third of our lakes are
polluted and unfit for swimming, fishing, and drinking.

• Nutrient pollution, which includes nitrates and phosphates, is the

leading type of contamination in these freshwater sources. While
plants and animals need these nutrients to grow, they have become
a major pollutant due to farm waste and fertilizer runoff. Ground water

• Municipal and industrial waste discharges contribute their fair share

of toxins as well. There’s also all the random junk that industry and
individuals dump directly into waterways.
• Eighty percent of ocean pollution originates on land—
whether along the coast or far inland. Contaminants such as
chemicals, nutrients, and heavy metals are carried from
farms, factories, and cities.

• Marine debris, particularly plastic, are blown in by the wind

or washed in via storm drains and sewers. Our seas are also
Ground water
spoiled by oil spills and leaks and are consistently soaking up
carbon pollution from the air. The ocean absorbs as much as a
quarter of man-made carbon emissions.
• When contamination originates from a single source, the examples of
these are wastewater discharged legally or illegally by a manufacturer,
oil refinery, or wastewater treatment facility, as well as contamination
from leaking septic systems, chemical and oil spills, and illegal dumping.

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates point source

pollution by establishing limits on what can be discharged by a facility Ground water
directly into a body of water. While point source pollution originates
from a specific place, it can affect miles of waterways and ocean.
• contamination derived from diffuse sources

• These may include agricultural or stormwater runoff or debris blown

into waterways from land. This pollution is difficult to regulate, since
there’s no single, identifiable culprit.
Ground water
• It goes without saying that water pollution can’t be
contained by a line on a map.

• Result of contaminated water from one country spilling

into the waters of another.
Ground water
• Contamination can result from a disaster—like an oil
spill—or the slow, downriver creep of industrial,
agricultural, or municipal discharge.
 Access to adequate Drinking water from 30
Water pollution and
sanitation facilities is a percent of all groundwater
lack of proper
problem for more wells sampled in showed
sewage kills 55
than 30 million Filipinos nitrates levels above the WHO
people every day.
safety limit of 50 mg l-1 of
nitrate.
 Water is uniquely vulnerable to
pollution. Known as a “universal
solvent,” water is able to dissolve more
substances than any other liquid on
earth. It’s the reason why water is so
easily polluted. Toxic substances from
farms, towns, and factories readily
dissolve into and mix with it, causing
water pollution.
types of water pollutants
Organic pollutants
a) Oxygen Demanding wastes

• Domestic and municipal sewage, wastewater from food

processing industries, canning industries, slaughter
houses, paper and pulp mills, tanneries, breweries,
distilleries,

• These wastes undergo degradation and decomposition by

bacterial activity. The dissolved oxygen available in the
water body will be consumed for aerobic oxidation of
organic matter present in the wastewater.
types of water pollutants
Organic pollutants
b) Synthetic Organic Compounds

• Likely to enter the ecosystem through various manmade

activities such as production of these compounds, spillage
during transportation, and their uses in different
applications

• Include synthetic pesticides, synthetic detergents, food

additives, pharmaceuticals, insecticides, paints, synthetic
fibers, plastics, solvents and volatile organic compounds
(VOCs)

• Most of these compounds are toxic and bio refractory

organics i.e., they are resistant to microbial degradation.
types of water pollutants
Organic pollutants
c) Oil

• A complex mixture of hydrocarbons and degradable under

bacterial action, the biodegradation rate is different for
different oils, tars being one of the slowest

• Oil enters in to water through oil spills, leak from oil pipes,
and wastewater from production and refineries. .
types of water pollutants

pathogens
• Enter into water body through sewage discharge as a
major source or through the wastewater from industries
like slaughterhouses.

• Viruses and bacteria can cause water borne diseases,

such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, polio and infectious
hepatitis in human.
types of water pollutants
Nutrients and agricultural runoff
• The agriculture run-off, wastewater from fertilizer industry
and sewage contains substantial concentration of
nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. These waters
supply nutrients to the plants and may stimulate the
growth of algae and other aquatic weeds in receiving
waters.

• In freshwater systems, eutrophication is a process

whereby water bodies receive excess inorganic nutrients,
especially Nitrogen and Phosphorus, which stimulate
excessive growth of plants and algae.
types of water pollutants
SUSPENDED SOLIDS AND SEDIMENTS

• These comprise of silt, sand and minerals eroded from

land. These appear in the water through the surface
runoff during rainy season and through municipal
sewers.

• Leads to the siltation, reduces storage capacities of

reservoirs.
types of water pollutants
Inorganic pollutants

• Non-biodegradable and Persist in the environment

• These pollutants include mineral acids, inorganic

salts, trace elements, metals, metals compounds,
complexes of metals with organic compounds,
cyanides, sulphates, etc.
types of water pollutants
Thermal pollution
• Considerable thermal pollution results due to discharge
of hot water from thermal power plants, nuclear power
plants, and industries where water is used as coolant.

• As a result of hot water discharge, the temperature of

water body increases. Rise in temperature reduces the
DO content of the water, affecting adversely the aquatic
life. This alters the spectrum of organisms, which can
adopt to live at that temperature and DO level.
types of water pollutants
radioactive pollutants
Originates from:

• Mining and processing of ores

• Use in research, agriculture, medical and industrial
activities, such as I131, P32, Co60, Ca45, S35, C14, etc.
• Radioactive discharge from nuclear power plants and
nuclear reactors, e.g., Sr90, Cesium Cs137, Plutonium
Pu248, Uranium-238, Uranium-235,
• Uses and testing of nuclear weapons.
Effects of water pollution
On humans

Contaminated water can also

Water pollution kills. In make you ill. Every year, unsafe
fact, it caused 1.8 million water sickens about 1 billion
deaths in 2015. people.
Effects of water pollution
On the environment

Algae bloom, the proliferation of newly Chemicals and heavy metals from industrial
introduced nutrients stimulates plant and algae and municipal wastewater contaminate
growth, which in turn reduces oxygen levels in waterways as well. These contaminants are
the water. toxic to aquatic life.
DAO 2016-08
WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES AND GENERAL EFFLUENT STANDARDS OF 2016

Basic Policy
• Pursue Economic Growth in a manner consistent
with the protection, preservation, and revival of the
quality of our fresh, brackish and marine waters.

Objective
• Provide Guidelines Ground water
• Determine Trends
• Evaluate the needs
• Designation of Water Quality Management Areas
• Set Standards
DAO 2016-08
WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES AND GENERAL EFFLUENT STANDARDS OF 2016
UPDATES MADE:

• Classification of water bodies

• Water quality Monitoring and assessment to determine
trends and stages of deterioration of water quality
• Industrial/Commercial compliance monitoring
• Issuance of Discharge Permit
Ground water
• Issuance of Notice of Violations and CDO to facilities
found in violation of RA 9275
• Sets the General Effluent Standards (GES)
• Designation of Water quality management area
Republic Act No. 9275: The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004

BACKGROUND
• An Act Providing for a Comprehensive Water Quality Management
and for Other Purposes”, also known as the Philippine Clean Water
Act of 2004 (CWA), was signed by former President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo on March 22, 2004. It took effect on May 6, 2004.

• Law applies to water quality management in all water bodies. It

primarily applies to the abatement and control of pollution from land-
based sources. The water quality standards and regulations and the
civil liability and penal provisions under the law shall be enforced
irrespective of sources of pollution.
Republic Act No. 9275: The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004
National water quality status report
1. The location of water bodies, their quality, taking into account
seasonal, tidal and other variations, existing and potential uses and
sources of pollution per specific pollutant and pollution load
assessment
2. Water quality management areas, and water classification

Integrated Water Quality Management Framework (IWQMF)

1. Assessment of policies and institutional arrangements and capacities
relevant to water quality management including the strategy of
devolution to LGUs
2. Management strategies
3. Sustainable financing strategies
4. Performance monitoring
Republic Act No. 9275: The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004

Water Quality Management Area (WQMA) Action Plan

1. Goals and targets including sewerage or septage program
2. Schedule of compliance to meet the applicable requirements of this
Act
3. Water pollution control strategies or techniques
4. Water quality information and education program
5. Resource requirement and possible sources
6. Enforcement procedures of the plan
7. Rewards and incentives
Republic Act No. 9275: The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004
Categories of point and non-point sources
1. Identification and evaluation of the nature and extent of non-point sources of
pollution
2. Processes, procedures, and methods to control pollution resulting there from Point
source means any identifiable source of pollution with specific point of discharge into
a particular water body.

Classification and re-classification of water bodies

1. Existing quality of the body of water
2. Size, depth, surface area covered, volume, direction, rate of flow and gradient stream
3. Most beneficial existing and future use of said bodies of water and lands bordering
them.
4. Vulnerability of surface and groundwater to contamination from pollutive and
hazardous wastes, agricultural chemicals and underground storage tanks of
petroleum products
Republic Act No. 9275: The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004

Local Government Units (LGUs) are responsible for:

1. Monitoring of water quality
2. Emergency response
3. Compliance with the framework of the Water Quality Management Action
Plan
4. To take active participation in all efforts concerning water quality
protection and rehabilitation
5. To coordinate with other government agencies and civil society and the
concerned sectors in the implementation of measures to prevent and
control water pollution.
Republic Act No. 9275: The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004

National water quality management fund

1. Finance containment and clean-up operations of the government in water
pollution cases
2. Guarantee restoration of ecosystems and rehabilitation of affected areas;
3. Support research, enforcement and monitoring activities
4. Provide technical assistance to the implementing agencies
5. Grant rewards and incentives
6. Support information and educational campaign
7. Such other disbursements made solely for the prevention, control or abatement
of water pollution and management and administration of the management
areas in the amounts authorized by the Department.
Republic Act No. 9275: The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004

Water pollution permits and charges

Considers:
1. To provide strong economic inducement for polluters to modify their
production or management processes or to invest in pollution control
technology in order to reduce the amount of water pollutants
generated
2. To cover the cost of administering water quality management or
improvement programs
3. Reflect damages caused by water pollution on the surrounding
environment, including the cost of rehabilitation
4. Type of pollutant