DENR ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO.

2016-08
WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES
AND
GENERAL EFFLUENT STANDARDS OF 2016
(Approved on 24 May 2016
Published in Malaya on 30 May 2016)

LEZA A. ACORDA-CUEVAS
Environmental Management Bureau
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
 Key Features of the Water Quality Guidelines
and General Effluent Standards of 2016

Section 1. Basic Policy

The basic policy was taken from RA 9275, which declared that the
State shall pursue a policy of economic growth in a manner
consistent with the protection, preservation and revival of the
quality of fresh, brackish and marine waters.
Section 2. Objectives

The objectives of the WQG and GES were defined to provide

guidelines for:

Classification of water bodies in the country

Determination of time trends
Evaluation of stages of deterioration/enhancement in water
quality
Evaluation of the need for taking actions in preventing,
controlling, or abating water pollution
Designation of water quality management areas (WQMA)
Setting the General Effluent Standards (GES)
Section 3. Scope and Coverage

The scope of the WQG was defined to apply to all water bodies
in the country (freshwaters, marine waters, and groundwater)
and be used for classifying water bodies; determining time
trends; evaluating stages of deterioration or enhancement in
water quality, and as basis for taking positive actions in
preventing, controlling, or abating water pollution; and
designating WQMA.

The scope of the GES was defined to apply to all point

sources of pollution, regardless of volume, that discharge to
receiving body of water or land and be used regardless of the
industry category.
Section 4. Definition of Terms

Most of the terms defined were taken from RA 9275. Some terms
defined were taken from issuances of DENR, Department of
Health, Philippine Statistics Authority, and Philippine Coast Guard
as well as from international agencies such as the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and Southern
Australia Environment Protection Authority.
Section 5. Classification of Water Bodies

The classifications of freshwater and marine waters were generally

adopted from DAO 1990-34 and DAO 1997-23, respectively with
some changes. These include the following:

Change of classification of waters used for agriculture, irrigation,

and livestock watering from Class D to Class C
Removal of Industrial Water Supply from Class C, Class D, and
Class SD
Defining Class D and SD for navigable waters
Section 6. Water Quality Guidelines

The WQG were categorized as primary or secondary

parameters.
Primary parameters are the required minimum water quality
parameters to be monitored for each water body.
Secondary parameters are other water quality parameters to be
used in baseline assessment as part of the Environmental
Impact Assessment and other water quality monitoring
purposes.
The WQG shall be applied to freshwaters, marine waters, and
groundwater.
 Groundwater quality guidelines were defined to adopt the WQG
values depending on the intended beneficial use of the
groundwater.

Process on how to interpret WQG values were defined including

the minimum number of data sets for the interpretation.
Section 7. General Effluent Standards

The GES shall be enforced to all point sources of pollution,

regardless of volume, that discharge to receiving body of water
or land and be used regardless of the industry category.

Effluent used for irrigation and other agricultural purposes shall

conform to the Department of Agriculture Administrative Order
2007-26 or the Guidelines on the Procedures and Technical
Standards for the Issuance of a Certification Allowing for the
Safe Re-use of Wastewater for the Purposes of Irrigation and
Other Agricultural Uses.
 The GES established the Significant Effluent Quality
Parameters per Sector consistent with the Philippine Standard
Industrial Classification (2009). With this, industries shall only
be required to monitor effluent quality parameters determined to
be significant to them.
GES values are maximum allowable limit.

In consideration for establishments with influent BOD greater

than or equal to 3,000 mg/L, separate effluent standards were
set but applicable only for establishments discharging to Class
C, Class D, Class SC and Class SD water bodies.
Section 8. Modification of WQG and GES

Modification of WQG and GES can be requested as long as a

clear and scientifically valid evidence having a probative value to
demonstrate that such modification is consistent with RA 9275 and
its Implementing Rules and Regulations is provided:

Designated Uses
WQG Values
Significant Effluent Quality Parameters per Sector and GES
Values

The said request for modification shall be submitted to the DENR

Secretary.
Section 9. Periodic Review

Review of the WQG and GES was defined as periodically and its
amendment shall be as necessary.
Section 10. Grace Period

Consistent with RA 9275, a grace period of not more than five (5)
years is provided in cases wherein:

Values for the GES have become stringent compared to the

values in DAO 1990-35. In such cases, DAO 1990-35 shall
apply during the grace period.
New significant effluent quality parameters were identified for the
sector
 The grace period can only be given to establishments that
submit Compliance Action Plan and periodic status of
implementation to the DENR on the steps taken for the
establishment's compliance schedule within the prescribed
grace period.

Section 11. Prohibitions

Consistent with RA 9275, certain acts were prohibited.

Section 12. Fines, Damages, and Penalties

Fines, damages, and penalties was linked to Section 28 of RA

9275.

Section 13. Separability Clause

Stipulation was provided that in cases where a section or provision

is declared to be unconstitutional or invalid by a competent court,
the other sections or provisions shall remain to be in force.
Section 14. Repealing Clause

The Rules and Regulations of the National Pollution Control

Commission (1978), 1982 Effluent Regulations, and DENR
Administrative Orders 1990-34 and 1997-23 were repealed; while
DENR Administrative Order 1990-35 was modified accordingly.

Section 15. Effectivity

Effectivity of the provisions were defined similar to other issuances

of DENR.
 KEY CHANGES OF THE WQG AND GES
NEW PARAMETERS FOR WQG AND GES
The following parameters are added in the WQG and GES:

Ammonia as NH3-N Nickel

Boron Zinc
Fluoride Benzo(a)pyrene
Selenium Trichloroethylene
Sulfate Benzene
Barium Toluene
Iron Ethylbenzene
Manganese Xylenes
 KEY CHANGES OF THE WQG AND GES
CHANGE IN METHOD OF EXPRESSION

The method of expression for the following parameters were changed

and/or clarified:

Color Changed unit to TCU from PCU

Nitrate Changed expression to Nitrate as NO3-N from Nitrate as N

Copper Changed expression to Dissolved Copper from total Copper

Cyanide Changed to Free Cyanide from total Cyanide

 KEY CHANGES OF THE WQG AND GES
CHANGE IN METHOD OF EXPRESSION

The method of expression for the following parameters were changed

and/or clarified:

Organophosphate as Malathion Change expression to Malathion;

changed unit from mg/L to g/L

PCBs Clarified to be the sum of the 9 Aroclors and 19 Congeners

Phenol & Phenolic Substances Clarified to be the sum

of 2-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol
 KEY CHANGES OF THE WQG AND GES
WQG AND GES VALUES

Generally, WQG values became more stringent as a result of

updating it with the 2007 PNSDW.
Correspondingly, GES values became stringent since WQG is
used to derive its value through corresponding factors.
Parameters which became stringent are as follows:
a) Arsenic
b) Cadmium
c) Chromium
d) Lead
e) Mercury
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES

AND GENERAL EFFLUENT STANDARDS
(DENR Administrative Order No. 2016-008)