| Req ID | Category | Intent | Legal Status | Name | Subdomain(s) | Context | Conditions | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #Q001 | administrative | health | recommended | Public Health Decision Balancing | recreational water | Public health decisions should balance health risks with the enjoyment and exercise that comes from these activities. | high | |
| #Q002 | reporting | health | guidance | Issuance of Advisory | recreational water | If the level of risk is too high, the authorities may issue an advisory. | If the level of risk is too high | high |
| #Q003 | administrative | operational | recommended | Consult Technical Documents | recreational water | the individual guideline technical documents should be consulted for the most current and complete information. | high | |
| #Q004 | administrative | health | recommended | Environmental Health and Safety Survey (EHSS) | recreational water | An environmental health and safety survey (EHSS) is recommended as the foundation for designing and implementing an effective risk management plan. | high | |
| #Q005 | monitoring | health | recommended | EHSS Frequency | recreational water | An EHSS should be conducted on an annual basis, just before the start of the swimming season. | high | |
| #Q006 | monitoring | health | guidance | Shortened EHSS Surveys | recreational water | Shortened surveys may also be carried out throughout the swimming season to help interpret monitoring results. | throughout the swimming season | high |
| #Q007 | administrative | health | recommended | Monitoring Plan Development | recreational water | Using the data from the EHSS, a well-structured and documented monitoring plan should be developed. | high | |
| #Q008 | administrative | health | guidance | Cyanobacteria Management Plan | recreational water | Areas that are at greater risk for cyanobacteria impacts may need a cyanobacteria management plan in place. | Areas that are at greater risk for cyanobacteria impacts | high |
| #Q009 | reporting | health | mandatory | Public Information Access | recreational water | The public also need access to information on the recreational water areas they are visiting, including any existing water quality hazards and the steps they can take to protect themselves. | high | |
| #Q010 | monitoring | health | recommended | Fecal Source Identification | recreational water | Responsible authorities are encouraged to identify the sources of fecal contamination impacting a recreational water area to aid in public health decisions and to inform remediation prioritization to improve water quality. | high | |
| #Q011 | corrective_action | health | recommended | Actions on BAV Exceedance | recreational water | If E. coli or enterococci concentrations exceed the established BAVs, this should trigger actions. | If E. coli or enterococci concentrations exceed the established BAVs | high |
| #Q012 | reporting | operational | recommended | Summarizing Fecal Indicator Data | recreational water | Summarizing fecal indicator data using geometric means is recommended for looking at water quality trends. | high | |
| #Q013 | administrative | health | recommended | Cyanobacteria Monitoring Plan Inclusion | recreational water | This monitoring should be included as part of the overall risk management plan for a recreational water area. | high | |
| #Q014 | prohibition | health | recommended | Avoidance of Primary Contact Activities | recreational water | Primary contact activities in recreational waters should be avoided where a planktonic bloom has developed, or the guideline value for total microcystins is exceeded. | where a planktonic bloom has developed, or the guideline value for total microcystins is exceeded | high |
| #Q015 | reporting | health | recommended | Issuance of Swimming Advisory | recreational water | A swimming/contact advisory should be issued as a precaution. | where a planktonic bloom has developed, or the guideline value for total microcystins is exceeded | high |
| #Q016 | reporting | health | recommended | Duration of Advisory | recreational water | Once issued, an advisory should remain in place until the associated health risk has returned to an acceptable level. | Once issued | high |
| #Q017 | reporting | health | guidance | Seasonal Advisory for Reoccurring Blooms | recreational water | In areas with a history of reoccurring blooms, advisories may be left in place for the season once a bloom occurs, particularly if the water conditions change quickly or there are limited resources to conduct frequent inspections. | In areas with a history of reoccurring blooms | medium |
| #Q018 | monitoring | health | recommended | Benthic Cyanobacteria Monitoring | recreational water | Guideline values have not been developed for benthic cyanobacteria; however, monitoring is still recommended. | high | |
| #Q019 | monitoring | health | recommended | Visual Assessment of Benthic Mats | recreational water | In clear shallow areas, the presence of benthic mats should be visually assessed. | In clear shallow areas | high |
| #Q020 | reporting | health | recommended | Advisory Against Benthic Mat Contact | recreational water | In areas where benthic mats can be reached, individuals should be advised to avoid these areas, including keeping pets away from the impacted areas. | In areas where benthic mats can be reached | high |
| #Q021 | monitoring | health | guidance | Testing Trigger for Microbiological Pathogens | recreational water | Testing may be carried out if epidemiological or other types of evidence (for example, visible signs of deterioration) suggest that it may be informative. | if epidemiological or other types of evidence suggest that it may be informative | high |
| #Q022 | administrative | health | recommended | Preventive Risk Management Implementation | recreational water | To reduce the risk of human exposure to both enteric and non-enteric pathogens, a preventive risk management approach should be implemented. | high | |
| #Q023 | monitoring | health | recommended | Routine Monitoring for Fecal Indicators | recreational water | This should include routine monitoring for fecal indicator organisms. | high | |
| #Q024 | reporting | health | recommended | Swimmer's Itch Warnings | recreational water | Warning signs should be posted in recreational water areas where cases of swimmer's itch have been reported. | where cases of swimmer's itch have been reported | high |
| #Q025 | prohibition | health | recommended | Prohibition of Pesticide Treatment for Plants and Algae | recreational water | Actions that involve trying to remove these organisms from natural waters or to treat them using pesticides may be harmful to the aquatic environment and are discouraged. | when dealing with aquatic vascular plants and algae | high |
| #Q026 | administrative | health | recommended | Consultation with Responsible Authority | recreational water | The responsible authority should be contacted for further guidance on these subjects where necessary. | where necessary for managing other hazards | high |
| #Q027 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Execution of Collection Procedures | recreational water | All collection procedures and laboratory analyses should be carried out as directed by the responsible authority. | high | |
| #Q028 | monitoring | health | recommended | Requirements for Microbiological Testing | recreational water | If testing is necessary, it should be conducted by qualified staff in laboratories with proper biosafety level, design, equipment, and procedures. | If testing is necessary | high |
| #Q029 | prohibition | health | recommended | Temperature Avoidance | recreational water | Avoid recreating for time-temperature combinations that appreciably increase or decrease core body temperature. | high | |
| #Q030 | prohibition | health | recommended | UVR Exposure Avoidance | recreational water | Avoid overexposure to UVR and protect yourself from excessive heat. | high | |
| #Q031 | corrective_action | health | recommended | Hazard Identification and Removal | recreational water | Check for hazards in the water and on the beach, remove hazards or post warnings, when required. | when required | high |
| #Q032 | monitoring | health | recommended | Chemical Contaminant Assessment | recreational water | Assess on a case-by-case basis, taking local factors into account. | when considering organic and inorganic chemicals | high |
| Req ID | Category | Intent | Legal Status | Name | Subdomain(s) | Limit Type | Limit Value | Context | Conditions | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #P001 | microbiological | health | guideline | E. coli | recreational water | requirement | <= 235 cfu/100 mL | Fresh water Beach Action Value (BAV) | Primary contact activities | high |
| #P002 | microbiological | health | guideline | Enterococci | recreational water | requirement | <= 70 cfu/100 mL | Marine and fresh water Beach Action Value (BAV) | Primary contact activities | high |
| #P003 | microbiological | health | guideline | Enterococci | recreational water | requirement | < 1000 cce/100 mL | Marine and fresh water Beach Action Value (BAV) | Primary contact activities | high |
| #P004 | microbiological | health | guidance | E. coli | recreational water | requirement | 126 cfu/100mL | Geometric mean concentration indicating location may represent greater level of risk and may not be suitable for primary contact recreation | Consistently higher than this value | high |
| #P005 | microbiological | health | guidance | Enterococci | recreational water | requirement | 35 cfu/100mL | Geometric mean concentration indicating location may represent greater level of risk and may not be suitable for primary contact recreation | Consistently higher than this value | high |
| #P006 | microbiological | health | guidance | Enterococci | recreational water | requirement | 470 cce/100mL | Geometric mean concentration indicating location may represent greater level of risk and may not be suitable for primary contact recreation | Consistently higher than this value | high |
| #P007 | chemical | health | guideline | Total microcystins | recreational water | unknown | 10 μg/L | Direct measure for cyanotoxins (health-based value) | Planktonic cyanobacteria and cyanobacterial toxins | high |
| #P008 | microbiological | health | guideline | Total cyanobacteria cells | recreational water | unknown | 50000 cells/mL | Indicators of the potential presence of cyanotoxins | Planktonic cyanobacteria | high |
| #P009 | microbiological | health | guideline | Total cyanobacterial biovolume | recreational water | unknown | 4.5 mm3/L | Indicators of the potential presence of cyanotoxins | Planktonic cyanobacteria | high |
| #P010 | chemical | health | guideline | Total chlorophyll a | recreational water | unknown | 33 µg/L | Indicators of the potential presence of cyanotoxins | Planktonic cyanobacteria | high |
| #P011 | physical | health | recommended | pH | recreational water | unknown | 5.0 - 11.0 pH | Physical characteristics that may affect the suitability of an area for recreational activities | pH values outside this range may cause skin and eye irritation | high |
| #P012 | physical | health | guidance | Temperature | recreational water | unknown | <= 15 °C | Unprotected immersion in water <= 15 °C is considered potentially life-threatening | Cold water temperatures | high |
| #P013 | physical | aesthetic | recommended | Turbidity | recreational water | unknown | < 50 NTU | Values below this level should maintain water clarity and ensure aesthetic acceptability | Aesthetic characteristics that may affect the suitability of an area for recreational activities | high |
| Req ID | Category | Name | Context | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #D001 | A | acceptability (parameter type) | high | |
| #D002 | ALARA | as low as reasonably achievable | high | |
| #D003 | AO | aesthetic objective | high | |
| #D004 | CDW | Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water | high | |
| #D005 | D | disinfectant (parameter type) | high | |
| #D006 | DBP | disinfectant by-product (parameter type) | high | |
| #D007 | HPC | heterotrophic plate count | high | |
| #D008 | I | inorganic chemical (parameter type) | high | |
| #D009 | MAC | maximum acceptable concentration | high | |
| #D010 | NTU | nephelometric turbidity units | high | |
| #D011 | O | organic chemical (parameter type) | high | |
| #D012 | OG | operational guidance value | high | |
| #D013 | P | pesticide (parameter type) | high | |
| #D014 | QMRA | quantitative microbial risk assessment | high | |
| #D015 | T | treatment-related (parameter type) | high | |
| #D016 | TCU | true colour units | high | |
| #D017 | Problem formulation | a high-level summary of the scientific data needed to determine a path forward for a specific parameter or issue. | high | |
| #D018 | Objective | established taking into account available treatment technology and analytical methods in order to reduce exposure through drinking water, and listed as objective (Objective). | high | |
| #D019 | Guidelines | maximum acceptable concentrations or treatment goals | high | |
| #D020 | Aesthetic objectives | provided when they play a role in determining whether consumers will consider the water drinkable. | high | |
| #D021 | Operational guidance values | provided when a substance may interfere with or impair a treatment process or technology (e.g., turbidity interfering with chlorination or UV disinfection) or adversely affect drinking water infrastructure (e.g., corrosion of pipes). | high | |
| #D022 | Bq/L | becquerel/litre | high | |
| #D023 | mSv/year | millisievert per year | high | |
| #D024 | Trihalomethanes (THMs) | Refers to the total of chlorodibromomethane, chloroform, bromodichloromethane and bromoform | high | |
| #D025 | Haloacetic acids - Total (HAAs) | Refers to the total of monochloroacetic acid (MCA), dichloroacetic acid (DCA), trichloroacetic acid (TCA), monobromoacetic acid (MBA) and dibromoacetic acid (DBA) | high | |
| #D026 | natural recreational waters | untreated natural fresh, marine or estuarine bodies of water used for recreational purposes such as lakes, rivers, and human-made systems (for example, artificial lakes). | high | |
| #D027 | environmental health and safety survey (EHSS) | assesses existing and potential water quality hazards (biological, chemical and physical) and reviews all aspects of a beach's operation. | high | |
| #D028 | Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) | uses exposure conditions and dose-response models to provide risk estimates. | high | |
| #D029 | Predictive water quality modelling | a tool that can be used to inform public health decisions regarding the suitability of water quality for recreational activities. This type of modelling uses mathematical approaches to predict whether a water quality target (such as E. coli or enterococci guideline values) may be exceeded. | high | |
| #D030 | beach action values (BAV) | The fecal indicator guideline values recommended in this guideline technical document | high | |
| #D031 | Total cyanobacteria cells and total cyanobacterial biovolume | measures of planktonic cyanobacteria biomass | high | |
| #D032 | total chlorophyll a | a measure of total phytoplankton biomass | high | |
| #D033 | Swimmer's itch (cercarial dermatitis) | caused by parasitic flatworms or "schistosomes" that are free-living species that occur naturally in Canadian surface waters and are not related to fecal contamination. | high | |
| #D034 | primary contact activities | such as swimming, wading, windsurfing and waterskiing | high | |
| #D035 | secondary contact activities | such as canoeing, boating or fishing | high | |
| #D036 | Enteric pathogens | the pathogens found in feces | high | |
| #D037 | Non-enteric pathogens | free-living microorganisms that occur in the natural environment, or microorganisms associated with urine or human body surfaces | high | |
| #D038 | benthic cyanobacteria | form bottom-covering mats that, under certain environmental conditions, can detach from the underlying surface and accumulate along shores where they present an exposure risk. | high | |
| #D039 | total microcystins health-based value | protects against the accidental ingestion of harmful quantities of microcystins in water and against the potential harmful effects after exposure to cyanobacterial material. | high | |
| #D040 | ECCC | Environment and Climate Change Canada | high | |
| #D041 | EEM | environmental effects monitoring | high | |
| #D042 | CMER | Coal Mining Effluent Regulations | high |