WATER

RESOURCES
WATER CLASSIFICATION
and
BEST BENEFICIAL USE
(DAO 34 Series of 1990)
 Water Classification
Fresh Surface Waters
- rivers
- lakes
- reservoirs

Coastal and Marine Waters

 Fresh Surface Waters
Class AA – Public Water Supply Class I
- Intended primarily for waters having
watersheds which are uninhabited and
otherwise protected and which require
only approved disinfection in order to
meet the NSDW of the Philippines
 Fresh Surface Waters
Class A – Public Water Supply Class II
- For sources of water supply that will
require complete treatment
(coagulation, sedimentation, filtration,
and disinfection).
 Fresh Surface Waters
Class B – Recreational Water Class I
- For primary contact recreation such as
bathing, swimming, diving, etc.
(particularly those designated for
tourism purposes.
 Fresh Surface Waters
Class C
Fishery Water - the propagation and
growth of fish and other aquatic
resources
Recreational Water Class II (Boating,
etc.)
Industrial Water Supply Class I – for
manufacturing processes after
treatment
 Fresh Surface Waters
Class D
For agriculture, irrigation, livestock
watering, etc.
Industrial Water Supply Class II (e.g.
cooling, etc.)
Other inland waters, by their quality,
belong to this classification
 Coastal and Marine Waters
Class SA
• Water suitable for propagation, survival and
harvesting of shellfish for commercial
purposes.
• Tourist zones and national marine parks and
reserves established under existing laws
and/or declared as such by appropriate
government agency
• Coral reef parks and reserves designated by
law and concerned authorities.
 Coastal and Marine Waters
Class SB
• Recreational Water Class I – areas regularly
used by the public for bathing, swimming,
diving, etc.
• Fishery Water Class I – spawning areas for
Chanos-chanos of ‘Bangus’ and similar
species
 Coastal and Marine Waters
Class SC
• Recreational Water Class II –for boating
• Fishery Water Class II – for commercial and
sustenance fishing
• Marshy and/or mangrove areas declared as
fish and wildlife sanctuaries
 Coastal and Marine Waters
Class SD
• Industrial Water Supply Class II (e.g. cooling)
• Other coastal and marine waters by their
quality belong to this classification
 Surface Water
• Surface water is water on the ground or in a
stream, river, lake, sea or ocean; as opposed
to groundwater
• Important sources of public water supplies
because of the high withdrawal rates they
can normally sustain
 Seawater
• Sea water is water from sea or ocean
• On average, sea water in the world's oceans
has a salinity of ~3.5%
• Seawater can be turned into drinkable
(potable) water by one of a number of
desalination processes.
 Groundwater

Water that has percolated downward from

the ground surface through the soil pores.
• Not as susceptible pollution as surface water
but once polluted, restoration is difficult and
long term.
 Reclaimed Wastewater
Water that has been treated sufficiently
for direct reuse in industry and
agriculture and for limited municipal
reclamation.
 Water Use
Consumptive – renders water unavailable for
future use; either because of evaporation,
extreme pollution, or seepage underground;
until the hydrologic cycle returns as rain.

Non-consumptive – leaves the water

available (after treatment if necessary) for
reuse without going through the hydrologic
cycle.
 Water Quality Criteria
Minimum criteria for surface waters
1. All surface waters shall be free from domestic,
industrial, agricultural, or other man-induced non-
thermal components of discharges
That settle to form putrescent deposit or create
nuisance
That float as debris
That produce color, odor, taste, turbidity
That are acutely toxic
That are present in concentrations which are
carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic
That pose serious danger to public health
 Water Quality Criteria
Minimum criteria for surface waters
2. Thermal component of discharges which
alone, or in combination with other
discharges or components of discharges
• That produce conditions so as to create
nuisance
• That increase the temperature of the
receiving body of water (RBW) so as to cause
substantial damage or harm to the aquatic
life or vegetation therein or interfere with the
beneficial uses assigned to the RBW.
 Water Quality Criteria
Minimum criteria for Fresh Waters
Conventional and other pollutants affecting
aesthetics and oxygen demand
Color Oil and grease
Temperature Nitrate as nitrogen
pH Phosphate as phosphorous
Dissolved oxygen Phenolic substances
5-day BOD Total coliforms
Total suspended solids Fecal colifirms
Total dissolved solids Chloride
Surfactants Copper
Factors Affecting Availability
and Quality of Water

Erosion
Flooding

Drought
 Water Supply Problems

Unequal distribution of accessible

water

Rapidly rising demand

Pollution of water supplies

 Traditional Approaches to Water
Shortages
• Groundwater withdrawals
• Dams and reservoirs
 Impacts of Excessive Groundwater
Withdrawals
Groundwater overdraft leads to saltwater
intrusion
Saltwater
Intrusion
 Impacts of Excessive Groundwater
Withdrawals
Groundwater overdraft drains swamps
and ponds at times drying them up
completely.
 Impacts of Excessive Groundwater
Withdrawals
• When water is withdrawn, the soil compacts
and sinks, a process called subsidence.
• Excessive withdrawal of water threatens the
long-term prospects for irrigated agriculture
 Impacts of Dams and Reservoirs
Positive Effects:
• Help prevent recurrent catastrophic
floods
• Generate electricity
• Provide needed water for farms and
cities during drought periods
• Increase certain forms of recreation
 Impacts of Dams and Reservoirs
Negative Effects
Inundate wildlife habitat, farmland, and
towns
Reduce stream flow into the ocean
resulting in changes in salt
concentration of receiving waters
Reduction in the flow of nutrient-rich
sediment to coastal waters
 Meeting Present and Future Demands
• Water conservation
• Water recycling
• Restoration
• Education: Learning to use water
wisely
How Water is Used in a Typical Household
 FLOODING
Problems and Solutions
 Causes of Flooding
• Heavy rainfall
• Precipitation that do not evaporate
either runoff or percolate into the soil
Forest and grasses retard water flow and
promote percolation
Heavily vegetated watershed s act as
sponges.
Light vegetation increases surface runoff
and, hence flooding.
 Causes of Flooding
• Stripping of vegetation by farmers,
urban planners, and developers
• Increasing number of highways,
shopping centers, office buildings, and
homes, which greatly increase the
amount of impermeable surface
 Controlling Flooding
• Dams
• Watershed management
• Zoning
EL NIŇO SOUTHERN
OSCILLATION
(ENSO)
 El Niňo
• El Niño is an unusual warming of the
tropical Pacific Ocean that occurs
irregularly at about 3-6 year intervals in
response to large scale weakening of
the trade winds that normally blow
westward from South America toward
Asia.
 El Niňo
• Eastern South Pacific is dominated by an
eastern center of high pressure
• Lower pressure prevails to the west
• Pressure difference causes the trade winds
to blow east to west
• Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) – pressure
difference
• Negative SOI - the trade winds may relax or
sometimes even reverse
• Relaxation of the trade winds may allow
warm water to appear at the surface of South
America
• This warm water not only kills off marine life,
but also affects the atmosphere directly
above it causing convection, which can
cause intense rainfall in a region that is
normally dry.
 Teleconnections
• Droughts in Central America, Philippines,
Southern India, Indonesia, Africa, and
Australia.
• Large scale bush fires and forest in Australia
and Kalimantan (Borneo).
• Flooding is more prevalent in the United
States, Cuba, Northern Peru, Southern Brazil,
Northern Argentina, Eastern Paraguay,
Bolivia, and Western Europe.
 Impacts of ENSO
• Australia-Drought and devastating brush
fires
• Indonesia, Philippines-Crops fail, starvation
follows
• India, Sri Lanka-Drought, fresh water
shortages
• Tahiti-6 tropical cyclones
• South America – Fish industry devastated
• Decrease in nutrients off Peru- fewer fish
 Impacts of ENSO
• Across the Pacific - Coral reefs die
• Colorado River basin-Flooding, mud slides
•

• Gulf states-Downpours cause death,

property damage
• Peru, Ecuador – Floods, landslides
• Southern Africa-Drought, disease,
malnutrition