Water Quality Guidelines Online - Introduction
To run this package you need to understand the concepts and procedures contained in the published guidelines
This web-site has been designed as a 'ready reckoner' for those familar with the published guidleines to quickly and easy
get access to the lists of trigger values that have been published for various Environmnetal Values/ Designated Uses for water. It is paricularly useful
for those interested in comparing guidelines listed for various uses (eg comparing the guideline values for Copper for Drinkling water,
Irrigation, Livestock Drinking Water, and for Ecosystem protection - Sediments, Freshwater Toxicants and Marine Toxicants).
Extensive references are provided to page numbers etc. in the published guideines and sit would be useful to have a copy available to refer to.
Links for the key documents are provided below.
A useful general introduction to the Water Quality Guidelines can be found at:
A brief summary of the key concepts is provided on the following pages. You can choose to run though all
of the sections, or select and 'click on' a topic that you may want a 'refresher' for.
Other pages describe how to use this package
Outlined below are the contents and site map.
'Help' buttons on the various guideline lists, redirect the user to these pages.
Outline of Water Quality Management Strategy
This includes:
* Define the Primary Management Aims
* Determine Appropriate Set of Water Quality Guidelines
* Define Water Quality Objectives ( Targets ) to be Achieved
* Establish Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting Programs
* Develop, Initiate and Review Management Response Strategy
Definitions and Concepts
This includes:
* Objectives of the Water Quality Guidelines
* Environmental Values
- Environmental Protection and Designated Uses of Water
* Water Quality Guideline ( 'Trigger Value' )
* Water Quality Objectives and Targets
* Decisions Frameworks ('Trees' ) and Tailoring Guidelines
for Local Conditions
Additional details are available and all the decision trees for the
various guideline lists can be accessed here. Links to the decison
trees are also provided on the relevant page displaying the guidelines.
The Process of Getting the Guidelines Online
This outlines the structure of the database and online lists and the way
information has been re-organised and modified for online display.
The Online Guideline Value Lists
This provides details on the guideline value lists and their relationships.
It also outlines the various guideline categories used for each list.
Navigating and Searching
This describes the search tool that allows you to quickly find
a stressor, toxicant or contaminant name. A preview window shows
closely related names on the list before and after that found.
Prefixes are used to group the related names. You can click on
other names in the preview window. You can enter names to search
for and the search engine will find all corresponding entries in the
list. This search facility is on each of the guideline list pages.
The list of names included on each page only includes those for
which guidelines have been published. All the names are included
on the pages that display all the guidelines simultaneously.
The Main Select and Search Page
This describes the entry point and main navigation page for the online
display of the guidelines.
You select a stressor, toxicant or contaminant name by searching for it
(e.g. Copper).
Next you select the Guideline list for which you want information
(e.g. Irrigation).
Next you will be asked to nominate the region and ecosystem type
for which you require information for ecological protection.
This is needed because there are separate guidelines for
physico-chemical stressors for various regions and ecosystems.
Although all the other guidelines apply nationally, this nomination
is required to make sure you get the correct information for
comparisons between guidelines.
You can also by-pass the name search and go straight to the guideline
list.
Layout for Display of a Single Guideline List
This describes the layout for the guideline list for a single
Environmental Value (e.g. Irrigation, or Drinking Water)
Layout for Display of ALL Guideline Lists
This describes the layout for the display of all guidelines
for all the lists. It uses a condensed format and not all the
information is displayed, however you can quickly link back
to the single list pages to get these details.
Decision Trees and Targeting Guidelines for Local Conditions
The published guidelines provide risk-based decision frameworks
the allow users to weigh-up their options if guideline values
are exceeded. Various options can be taken before undertaking
remedial action. Local conditions may be ameliorating the
effects of the toxicant or stressor. Likewise local species
may be particularly tolerant of the coditions or perhaps very
sensitive. These decision trees outline the options that can be taken.
Levels of Protection & Unacceptable Levels of Change
A level of protection is a level of quality desired by stakeholders
and implied by the selected management goals and water quality
objectives for the water resource. The water quality objectives may
have been derived from default guideline values recommended for
protection of particular ecosystem condition at a specified level
e.g. 'High Conservation', 'Slightly Modified', or they may represent
an acceptable level of change from a defined reference condition
(say 5% of species affected). Guidelines for four levels of protection
are provided for toxicants. The trigger values for Physical/Chemical
stressors apply for Slightly-Moderately Disturbed ecosystems. For high
conservations the target is no tdetectable change from natural variation.