What water quality standards do I need to meet?

Sometimes Councils (particularly Regional Councils who are responsible for water quality) or the Ministry for the Environment create water quality guidelines or standards for sea, rivers and groundwater. If you are going to discharge a contaminant as a result of your proposal, it is important to know what standards you need to meet and what guideline numbers and treatment methods you need to use.

Councils will look for reassurance that your treatment system can remove contaminants and meet the water quality they require in order to grant consent. If the discharge is treated before being discharged and effects on the environment are dependent on the reliability of this treatment, you will have to explain the treatment, or, alternatively, assess the effects on the environment when the treatment fails. Details regarding maintenance are important.

Conditions may be placed on your consent which you will have to meet. Therefore, it is important that you understand what these are and whether you can meet them. If you understand the process you may be able to have input into the choice of conditions imposed.