ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE W4
Hardness - used to express the properties of highly mineralized
WATER QUALITY
Water is one of the four essential elements. It covers about 71%
of the earth’s surface. It popularly represents life because plants
and animals need water to survive. If there is no water, there
would be no life on earth.
Water can be classified as
Furthermore, water quality describes the condition of the water,
including chemical, physical, and biological characteristics,
necessary to assure its suitability for a particular purpose such as
drinking, swimming, washing etc. The different parameters for
water quality are:
I. CHEMICAL PARAMETERS
a. pH - measures of amount of hydrogen ions that is present in the
water (acid: <7, neutral =7, and base: >7). The safe pH for drinking
water ranges from 6.5 to 8.5.
• high pH = bitter taste and decreases the effectiveness of
chlorine disinfection
• low pH = water will corrode or dissolve metals and other
substances.
b.
(calcium and magnesium) waters. Hardness up to 300 mg of
calcium carbonate per liter is safe, but more than that may bring
about laxative effect. Soft water (hardness < about 100 mg/L) has
a greater tendency to cause corrosion of pipes, resulting in the
presence of certain heavy metals, such as cadmium, copper, lead,
and zinc.
c. Dissolved Oxygen (Do) And Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
• Dissolved oxygen (DO) - oxygen in water which is available for
species’ use. The higher the concentration of dissolved oxygen,
the better the water quality. The minimum value is 5.0 mg/L.
Potable Water - safe to drink, pleasant to taste, and usable for
domestic purposes
Palatable Water - aesthetically pleasing and the presence of
chemicals do not cause a threat to human health
Contaminated or Infected Water - contains unwanted physical,
chemical, biological, radiological substances, or pathogenic
organisms and unfit for drinking or domestic use
• Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) - amount of oxygen consumed
by microorganisms in breaking down organic matter or waste in
water. Higher BOD indicates more oxygen is required thus there
is less available for oxygen- demanding species to feed on and
signifies lower water quality. Inversely, low BOD means less
oxygen is being removed from water, so water is generally purer.

d. Ions and Cations
Table 1: The Effects of Ions and Cations
a. Radioactive Substances - wastes from nuclear power plants,
industries, or medical research using radioactive chemicals and
mining of uranium ores or other radioactive materials which
release beta, alpha, and gamma radiation when undergoing decay.
- Gross alpha activity – 0.1 Bq/L (Becquerel/Liter) - Gross beta
activity – 1 Bq/L
b. Toxic Substances
• Toxic Organic Substances - man-made pollutants such as
insecticides, pesticides, solvents, detergents, and disinfectants
• Toxic Inorganic Substances - even in trace amounts can be a
danger to public health. Some are from natural sources, but many
are from industrial activities or improper management of
hazardous waste. Examples are metallic compounds like heavy
metals (cadmium, lead, mercury, silver, arsenic) and nonmetallic
compounds namely, nitrates and cyanides.
II. PHYSICAL PARAMETERS
A. Turbidity – cloudiness of water and the ability of light to pass
through water caused by suspended material (clay, sand, algae,
silt, plankton) or particulates in water. The more total suspended
solids in the water, the murkier it seems and the higher the
turbidity. According to WHO (World Health Organization),
turbidity of drinking water should not exceed 5 NTU
(nephelometric turbidity unit).
B. Color – imparted by decayed materials from organic matter
(vegetation) and inorganic matter (soil, stones, and rocks).
• Apparent color - measured in water that contains suspended
matter
• True color - measured in water samples from which particulate
matter has been removed. The maximum allowable TCU (True
Color Units) for drinking water is 15.
C. Taste and Odor – caused by foreign matter such as organic
materials, inorganic compounds, or dissolved gasses and may come
from natural, domestic, or agricultural sources.
D. Temperature –High water temperature enhances the growth of
microorganisms. On the other hand, cool water (10-15 OC) is
generally more palatable than warm water.
III. BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS
a. Bacteria – 0 bacteria per 100 mL of water
• Fecal coliform – indicates that water has been contaminated
with the fecal material of man and animals
• Escherichia coli -type of fecal bacteria found in the intestine of
animals and a strong indicator of sewage or animal waste
contamination
b. Algae - primarily nuisance organisms in the water supply
because of the taste and odor problems they create and can cause
serious environmental and public health problems; for example,
blue-green algae can kill cattle and other domestic animals if the
animals drink water containing those species
c. Viruses - smallest biological structures known to contain all
genetic information necessary for their own reproduction and
waterborne viral pathogens are known to cause infectious
hepatitis and poliomyelitis
d. Protozoa - single-celled microscopic animal], consume solid
organic particles, bacteria, and algae for food, and they are in
turn ingested as food by higher level multicellular animals
Human actions or activities on land also affect the quality of our
water. To establish control and safety over the use of water, the
following legal bases of water consumption standards are imposed:
WATER QUALITY REGULATIONS
P. D.1067, otherwise known as the Water Code of the Philippines.
The Code covers underground water, water above the ground,
water in the atmosphere and the waters of the sea within the
territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines. Its objectives are:
(a) To establish the basic principles and framework relating to the
appropriation, control and conservation of water resources to
achieve the optimum development and rational utilization of these
resources;
(b) To define the extent of the rights and obligations of water
users and owners including the protection and regulation of such
rights;
(c) To adopt a basic law governing the ownership, appropriation,
utilization, exploitation, development, conservation and protection
of water resources and rights to land related thereto; and
(d) To identify the administrative agencies which will enforce the
law.
Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9275 titled “An Act Providing for a
Comprehensive Water Quality Management and for Other
Purposes”
It is also known as the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 (CWA),
was signed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on
March 22, 2004. The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004
(Republic Act No. 9275) aims to protect the country's water
bodies from pollution from land-based sources (industries and
commercial establishments, agriculture and community/household
activities)
The following are the prohibited acts under R.A. 9275:
1. Discharging or depositing any water pollutant to the water body,
or such which will impede natural flow in the water body
2. Discharging, injecting or allowing to enter into the soil, anything
that would pollute groundwater
3. Operating facilities that discharge regulated water pollutants
without the valid required permits
4. Disposal of potentially infectious medical waste into sea by
vessels
11. Refusal or failure to submit reports and/or designate pollution
control officers whenever required by the DENR in accordance
with this Act
12. Directly using booster pumps in the distribution system or
tampering with the water supply in such a way to alter or impair
the water quality
13. Operate facilities that discharge or allow to seep, willfully or
through grave negligence, prohibited chemicals, substances, or
pollutants listed under R.A. No. 6969, into water bodies.
14. Undertake activities or development and expansion of
projects, or operating wastewater treatment/sewerage facilities
in violation of P.D.1586 and its IRR.

5. Unauthorized transport or dumping into waters of sewage Remember, clean water is an important factor in a healthy
sludge or solid waste. ecosystem because it supports diversity of plants and wildlife
while poor water quality can pose health risks.
6. Transport, dumping or discharge of prohibited chemicals,
substances or pollutants listed under Toxic Chemicals, Hazardous
and Nuclear

7. Wastes Control Act (Republic.Act No. 6969)

8. Discharging regulated water pollutants without the valid

required discharge permit pursuant to this Act

9. Noncompliance of the LGU with the Water Quality Framework

and Management Area Action Plan

10. Refusal to allow entry, inspection and monitoring as well as

access to reports and records by the DENR in accordance with
this Act