b) Water quality standards
Water quality standards may be part of regulations or management procedures defining acceptable minimum standards for discharge to a receiving water body. However it is important that the standards link to the capacity to measure and determine the water quality. This requires access to quality assured laboratory services for both the permit holder and the basin organisation.
c) Economic instruments
Application of economic instruments in water pollution control should offer incentives to reduce polluting behaviour and also raise revenue to help finance pollution control. This can be a simple and effective tool when applied properly.
d) Monitoring systems
Monitoring systems can be simple or complex. Preferably the monitoring burden is shifted to the polluter with periodic supervision by the regulator. Surface and ground water quality should be monitored from fixed stations but supplementary information can be obtained from useful tools such as biological indicators that can even be used by schoolchildren to assess river health.
e) Discharge Permitting
In a majority cases 80% of the pollution problem is contributed by less than 20% of polluters, hence the phased application of the permit system is appropriate by targeting the worst polluters first. Ordinarily, the permit will come with conditions e.g. effluent standard, discharge volumes record keeping and reporting requirement etc.
f) Water quality modelling tools
Modelling tools may be helpful in complex situations and when receiving water quality objectives are the basis for pollution management.
g) Environmental impact assessment
Environmental impact assessments are being used increasingly so as to identify potential impact on water quality arising from proposed projects and provide, information to mitigate potential impacts
5. Lessons
• Water quality is a major water resources management issue.
• A Pollution control strategy is based on current and desired status of water resources quality.
• Major polluters should be known and managed through a permitting system.
• Pollution control measures should match the level of human, technological and financial capacity in the basin.