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Document ID ca-gcrwqsd-2024-02 Title Guidelines for Canadian recreational water quality: Summary document URL unknown Jurisdiction /ca Subdomain(s) none Language Status completed Analyzed at 2026-05-13 15:11:04.620940+00:00 Relevance inventory_targeted_fetch

27 Qualitative 15 Quantitative 7 Definitions

Q Qualitative Requirements (27)

Req ID	Category	Intent	Legal Status	Name	Subdomain(s)	Context	Conditions	Confidence
#Q001	monitoring	health	recommended	Annual Environmental Health and Safety Survey (EHSS)	recreational water	An EHSS should be conducted on an annual basis, just before the start of the swimming season.		high
#Q002	design	health	recommended	EHSS Monitoring Plan Development	recreational water	Using the data from the EHSS, a well-structured and documented monitoring plan should be developed.		high
#Q003	monitoring	health	recommended	Identification of Fecal Contamination Sources	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
#Q004	corrective_action	health	recommended	Actions for BAV Exceedances	recreational water	If E. coli or enterococci concentrations exceed the established BAVs, this should trigger actions.	Exceedance of Beach Action Values (BAVs)	high
#Q005	reporting	health	recommended	Summarizing Fecal Indicator Data	recreational water	Summarizing fecal indicator data using geometric means is recommended for looking at water quality trends.		high
#Q006	administrative	health	guidance	Secondary Contact Guidelines Development	recreational water	For recreational water areas that are used solely for secondary contact activities, responsible authorities may choose to develop secondary contact guidelines.	Recreational water areas used solely for secondary contact activities	high
#Q007	monitoring	health	recommended	Cyanobacteria Monitoring Integration	recreational water	This monitoring should be included as part of the overall risk management plan for a recreational water area.	When prioritizing areas at greater risk for bloom formation	high
#Q008	prohibition	health	recommended	Avoidance of Primary Contact (Planktonic Blooms)	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 total microcystins exceed guideline values	high
#Q009	reporting	health	recommended	Swimming Advisory Issuance (Cyanobacteria)	recreational water	A swimming/contact advisory should be issued as a precaution.	Where a planktonic bloom has developed or total microcystins exceed guideline values	high
#Q010	corrective_action	health	recommended	Duration of Swimming Advisory	recreational water	Once issued, an advisory should remain in place until the associated health risk has returned to an acceptable level.	After an advisory has been issued	high
#Q011	monitoring	health	recommended	Benthic Cyanobacteria Visual Assessment	recreational water	In clear shallow areas, the presence of benthic mats should be visually assessed.	Clear shallow areas	high
#Q012	reporting	health	recommended	Benthic Cyanobacteria Avoidance Advisory	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.	Areas where benthic mats can be reached	high
#Q013	design	health	recommended	Preventive Risk Management Approach 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
#Q014	monitoring	health	recommended	Routine Monitoring for Fecal Indicator Organisms	recreational water	This should include routine monitoring for fecal indicator organisms.	As part of the preventive risk management approach	high
#Q015	reporting	health	recommended	Swimmer's Itch Warning Signs	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
#Q016	prohibition	health	recommended	Discouragement of Pesticide Use 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
#Q017	reporting	operational	recommended	Hazard Guidance Consultation	recreational water	The responsible authority should be contacted for further guidance on these subjects where necessary.	For other hazards interfering with recreational water use	high
#Q018	monitoring	operational	recommended	Collection and Laboratory Analysis Procedures	recreational water	All collection procedures and laboratory analyses should be carried out as directed by the responsible authority.		high
#Q019	operational	health	recommended	Pathogenic Microorganism Testing Procedures	recreational water	If testing is necessary, it should be conducted by qualified staff in laboratories with proper biosafety level, design, equipment, and procedures.	If routine monitoring for pathogenic microorganisms is necessary	high
#Q020	operational	health	guidance	Temperature Hazard Avoidance	recreational water	Avoid recreating for time-temperature combinations that appreciably increase or decrease core body temperature.		high
#Q021	operational	health	guidance	Ultraviolet Radiation and Heat Protection	recreational water	Avoid overexposure to UVR and protect yourself from excessive heat.		high
#Q022	corrective_action	health	guidance	Check and Warn of Physical Hazards	recreational water	Check for hazards in the water and on the beach, remove hazards or post warnings, when required.	When hazards (litter, shells, strong currents, etc.) are present	high
#Q023	monitoring	health	guidance	Chemical Hazard Assessment	recreational water	Assess on a case-by-case basis, taking local factors into account.	When assessing organic and inorganic chemicals	high
#Q024	administrative	health	mandatory	Pesticide Registration Science-Based Evaluation	other	registers pesticides after a stringent, science-based evaluation that ensures any risks are acceptable	Under authority of the Pest Control Products Act	high
#Q025	administrative	health	mandatory	Pesticide Re-evaluation Cycle	other	re-evaluates the pesticides currently on the market on a 15-year cycle to ensure the products meet current scientific standards	Under authority of the Pest Control Products Act	high
#Q026	administrative	operational	mandatory	Sustainable Pest Management Promotion	other	promotes sustainable pest management.	Under authority of the Pest Control Products Act	high
#Q027	administrative	operational	mandatory	Compliance Verification and Enforcement	other	Health Canada also promotes and verifies compliance with the Act and enforces situations of non-compliance warranting action.		high

P Quantitative Requirements (15)

Req ID	Category	Intent	Legal Status	Name	Subdomain(s)	Limit Type	Limit Value	Context	Conditions	Confidence
#P001	microbiological	health	guideline	_E. coli_ - fresh water	recreational water	requirement	<= 235 cfu/100 mL	Beach Action Value (BAV) to inform day-to-day beach management decisions	fresh water	high
#P002	microbiological	health	guideline	Enterococci - marine and fresh water	recreational water	requirement	<= 70 cfu/100 mL	Beach Action Value (BAV) to inform day-to-day beach management decisions	marine and fresh water	high
#P003	microbiological	health	guideline	Enterococci - marine and fresh water	recreational water	requirement	< 1000 cce/100 mL	Beach Action Value (BAV) to inform day-to-day beach management decisions	marine and fresh water	high
#P004	microbiological	health	guideline	_E. coli_	recreational water	unknown	> 126 cfu/100mL	Recreational water areas where geometric mean concentrations are consistently higher may represent a greater level of risk	primary contact recreation	high
#P005	microbiological	health	guideline	Enterococci	recreational water	unknown	> 35 cfu/100mL	Recreational water areas where geometric mean concentrations are consistently higher may represent a greater level of risk	primary contact recreation	high
#P006	microbiological	health	guideline	Enterococci	recreational water	unknown	> 470 cce/100mL	Recreational water areas where geometric mean concentrations are consistently higher may represent a greater level of risk	primary contact recreation	medium
#P007	chemical	health	guideline	Total microcystins	recreational water	requirement	10 μg/L	Direct measure for cyanotoxins (health-based value)	planktonic cyanobacteria and cyanobacterial toxins	high
#P008	microbiological	operational	guideline	Total cyanobacteria cells	recreational water	OG	50 000 cells/mL	Indicators of the potential presence of cyanotoxins	planktonic cyanobacteria	high
#P009	microbiological	operational	guideline	Total cyanobacterial biovolume	recreational water	OG	4.5 mm3/L	Indicators of the potential presence of cyanotoxins	planktonic cyanobacteria	high
#P010	chemical	operational	guideline	Total chlorophyll a	recreational water	OG	33 µg/L	Indicators of the potential presence of cyanotoxins	planktonic cyanobacteria	high
#P011	physical	aesthetic	guideline	pH	recreational water	unknown	5.0 - 11.0 pH	pH values outside this range may cause skin and eye irritation	null	high
#P012	physical	health	guideline	Temperature	recreational water	unknown	<= 15 °C	Unprotected immersion in water <= 15 °C is considered potentially life-threatening	cold water	medium
#P013	physical	aesthetic	guideline	Turbidity	recreational water	AO	< 50 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU)	Values below this level should maintain water clarity and ensure aesthetic acceptability	null	high
#P014	operational	operational	mandatory	Sampling frequency for fecal indicators	recreational water	requirement	>= 1 sampling event per week	recreational areas used for primary contact activities	during the swimming season	high
#P015	operational	operational	recommended	Environmental health and safety survey (EHSS) frequency	recreational water	requirement	1 per year	conducted just before the start of the swimming season	null	high

D Definitions (7)

Req ID	Name	Context	Confidence
#D001	PRD	Pesticides Regulatory Directorate	high
#D002	disposal at sea	When any substance is loaded onto a ship, aircraft, platform or other structure and released into the sea or estuarine environment, it is likely to be considered disposal at sea.	high
#D003	CEPA	Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999	high
#D004	excavated material	inert, inorganic geological matter	high
#D005	fish waste	other organic matter resulting from industrial fish processing operations	high
#D006	PDF	Portable Document Format	high
#D007	KB	Kilobyte	high