Scope
- These regulations apply to all industrial and municipal wastewater effluents within the Philippines.
Definitions
- Key terms defined include:
- BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand): Measures oxygen required by bacteria to decompose organic matter in water.
- Coastal Water: Water along the coastline extending up to the 200-meter isobath or three kilometers out.
- Department: Refers to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
- Effluent: Any wastewater discharged from industrial or treatment plants, treated or untreated.
- Inland Water: Interior water bodies such as lakes, rivers, reservoirs, including tidal affected rivers.
- Mixing Zone: The area where discharged effluent mixes with receiving water, subject to DENR approval.
- NPI and OEI: New/Proposed Industry and Old/Existing Industry respectively.
- Primary Contact Recreation: Recreation involving full body contact with water like swimming.
- Protected Water: Waters classified for public supply, shellfish propagation, spawning areas, or designated tourist/national marine parks.
- Strong Wastewater: Effluent with BOD ≥ 3,000 mg/L prior to treatment.
Heavy Metals and Toxic Substances
- Effluents discharged into various classified water bodies must not exceed the toxic substance levels indicated in the prescribed Tables (Table 1).
Pollution Affecting Aesthetics and Oxygen Demand
- Effluents from domestic and industrial treatment plants must comply with pollutant concentration limits as specified in Tables 2A and 2B.
Effluent Standards for BOD in Strong Industrial Wastes
- Old/Existing Industries (OEI) have interim BOD effluent limits for strong wastes depending on receiving water classification.
- New/Proposed Industries (NPI) and OEI yet to construct treatment facilities must comply with stricter BOD standards effective immediately and universally by January 1995.
Mixing Zone Regulations
- Mixing zones must:
- Not impair designated uses of receiving waters.
- Exclude existing drinking water intakes if impairment results.
- Allow free migration of aquatic life.
- Exclude nursery areas, shellfish harvest zones, tourist and marine parks/reserves.
- Be as short and narrow as possible; width should preferably not exceed half the waterway width.
- For hot effluents, size and extent determined by modeling considering body of water characteristics.
- Not serve as substitute for wastewater treatment.
Additional Requirements
- Effluents must not cause receiving waters to drop below classified water quality.
- Combined discharges must be proportionately adjusted to maintain water quality.
- Submarine outfalls must consider oceanographic conditions to prevent pollution at shore.
- Effluents in protected waters must meet strict heavy metals and conventional pollutant standards.
- From January 1, 1995, old industries must meet new industry standards.
- Temporary operating permits may be granted to strong waste producers failing BOD limits subject to penalty fees capped at P5,000 per day.
- Regular monitoring of effluents and receiving water quality by dischargers is mandatory.
Prohibitions
- Discharging industrial or domestic sewage into Class AA and SA waters is prohibited.
- No discharge allowed where assimilative capacity cannot maintain required water quality.
- Untreated or inadequately treated effluent discharge is prohibited without DENR Secretary approval.
- Water pollution control installations must be properly operated and maintained.
- Plants must operate within treatment facility capacities.
- Use of equipment to conceal or dilute effluents to evade regulations is forbidden.
Methods of Analysis
- Effluent analysis must conform to recognized standard methods including the Philippine Standard Methods and US standard methods jointly published by professional organizations.
Maximum Discharge Quantities
- The DENR Secretary shall set guidelines for maximum allowable pollutant quantities and discharge rates to protect public health and aquatic resources, particularly for industrial BOD discharges.
Penalties
- Violations of the regulations or related orders/decisions are subject to penalties under PD 984 and NPCC Rules, including potential administrative and criminal sanctions.
Separability Clause
- Invalid or unconstitutional provisions do not affect the validity of remaining provisions.
Repealing Clause
- Previous inconsistent rules including 1982 Effluent Regulations and parts of the 1978 NPCC Rules are repealed.
Amendments
- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources may amend or modify these regulations as necessary.
Effectivity
- The regulations take effect 30 days after publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.