Guidelines for coastal water quality (G.N. No. 620 of 1999)

en cl'Q I Notice No. 620 011999 "UNISTRY 0 .. ENVIRONMENT, HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMEl"T & EMPLOYMEl"T Department of Environment Guidelines for coastal water quality The following guidelines are hereunder published for the information ofthe public with regards to CO'I.~t;.1 Iter quality requirements for various activities around the Republic of Mauritius. Classification rtego ry A - Conservation :ISS AI - Conservation of coral community ass AZ - Conservation of natural areas tegory B - Recreatlon ISS Bl- Primary contact ISS B2 - Secondary contact tcgory C - Fisheries 1SS CI - Aqua-culture r 1SS C - Shellfish tegury D - Industrial tSS D -' Industrial and others Principal beneficial uses/objectives AI .... Conservation ofcoral comraunity A2 - Conservation ornatural areas such as mangroves, sen grasa. wild life habitat and marine spawning, nursing and feeding grounds, BJ - \\'Ht~r sports like s\".-imming.diving. surfing where there is direct contact. 82 - \Vat~r sports such 2S boating. fishing and other activities iuvolv ing.J~ssbod}' contact or where.dir~ct contact with water may occur but the probability of body immersion is minimal. .CI - 'Propagation of rmuitlc life such as fish, crabs, shrimps, antJ other marine fauna, C2 -r- Culture or shell fish - oysters, mussels, clams. D - i"atllral water resources used as a receiving water bod)' for industrial and agricuhufi!1 discharges (harbour, power station and other industria! activities). There should be no unpleasant odour to people residing nearby, ch activity requires different water quality and this is indicated underneath .r tegory A is meant for the conservation of the coral community and natural. areas. ass Al is intended for the coral ecosystem and requires seawater quality that.will not hamper healthy coral iwth. ISSA2 is for the conservation of natural areas as mentioned in the table above and requires a slightly less ngent water quality. tegor)' B is intended lor recreation purposes. ISS 131 defines the water quality needed for sports such <15 swimming, diving, surfing. etc. where ther·: i,: xi mum body contact with the water. For this class the potential health hazards due to pathogenic rnic r-:.· .anisrns have been considered. ISS 132 i5 intended fer water sports such as boating. Iish;ag, etc. where there is likely to be minimal b".!y itact with water. and so the quality of the water is less stringent especially with regards to p"il~oge:·.ic :ro-organ isms. • te\:ol"Y C concerns fisheries. .ss C I is intended for the production of fish, crabs, shrimps, etc. l~; C2 is for the culture of shellfish wher~ the requirements for pathogenic organisms are vcry.string cnt teJ.;ory D comprises I!-:': remaining coastal C1rC~I:i. which :!:~ ;::' r'~':-eivingbody for industrial and tl;ri.::l:Jtb.ro.\ :h:lf!!;;S Hnd i:lt.:lud: I~I-~ harbour, power gcn;:r~Hing rb~=~. :I:;;J .othcr industria] activities. i"';t) i i;11:!.~ 3.t12. )o:-;c;, for r.l!l~~")gl.'ni:: mi:n)·of~;l:li:;nl~ but th~r..:' :'!il)ul..! to:: ro 1I:1J'1:.~a.:;:1Il1odour to people n:.oii:.!lng n~:;,..r-\'j Coastal water quality requirements for various categories CATEOORr A B C O· Con...,:C'·.;uion Rec(c3.~ion f-ishecte! (ndustfbl '" ", 01 01 Ct. C1 DC1:l.~J Coni N3111nl rrim.tr, 5.:(oa6ry AO\tl,1. Sh'::I(:s~ Ir.cfuslrbl Commullity Ar::;u Cor,Ud CarJJcI eehere &'olhtn- r~.,.,:,:~-;rs Unh ,II - 7.S. 8.S 7.S·8.S 7.5• 6.S 7.S .I.S 7.0·8.S 7.0 - 8.S 7.0·9.0 . r""p"r.l""e ·C ambient ambi:nt Imbient .mbient aroMent :tmbient lm'bi.ent S,;;::;;AcoI Solid, rri.~ . S S S 10 IS -c- IS IS DilSoh'c:d O.'tY'£I'cn , ",,-1 >S· >5- >5- >S >5- >5 . >1 c1wnk.IOxYI<n mgll 1 . 1 ) ) S S S I):m:lOd( Top1 Cofiro~ CFU'/I00ml 1000 1000 1000 SOOO lDOO 10' f.,,,1 Couro~.s CfUlIQOm! 200 200 200 1000 '..200 14' t: itntc:.~ittoscn mJII 0.1 . 0.) • 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.0 ,Iooiphar. mgIt 0,0.1 O.OS . O.OS O.OS O.OS 0.08 . 0.1 Oil k Ortas..: m:-1 , No' del«l.ble by N-b<.."" extraetion method Fh«>ot . . - I---'m;iil 0.05 . /t.rs,:nlc mll~ . O.OS ",;n --~~. 0.01 CS~n",~ . ",gil --0:01 ChfOmium m.~ O.OS Cop"" n,,11 . 0.05 h:l.d m.~ 0.05 TOb'Mel'C'ury m8~ O.OOOS " byafk~nn~ poliluTum .Perm;:lngan:th~ method , org.nisms per 100 ml b)' MPN method I au : Colon)' foml/ng Vnll Date: 16 April 1999.