QCVN 08:2023/BTNMT

NATIONAL TECHNICAL REGULATION ON SURFACE WATER QUALITY

Foreword

QCVN 08:2023/BTNMT is developed by the Pollution Control Department, submitted by the Department of Science and Technology and Department of Legislation for approval; appraised by the Ministry of Science and Technology and promulgated together with the Circular No. 01/2023/TT-BTNMT dated March 13, 2023 of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.

QCVN 08:2023/BTNMT supersedes QCVN 08-MT:2015/BTNMT.

NATIONAL TECHNICAL REGULATION ON SURFACE WATER QUALITY

1. GENERAL

1.1. Scope

1.1.1. This Regulation provides for maximum permissible limits of surface water quality parameters.

1.1.2. This Regulation is applied to manage, assess and classify surface water quality as a basis for the protection and use of water sources and implementation of relevant regulations of law on environment.

1.2. Regulated entities

This Regulation applies to environment authorities, organizations, residential communities, households and individuals whose activities involve surface water quality within Vietnam’s territory.

1.3. Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation, the terms below shall be construed as follows:

1.3.1. “surface water” specified in this Regulation means water that exists on the surface of a continent or island, including rivers, streams, canals, ditches, lakes, ponds, and lagoons.

1.3.2. “parameters for protection of underwater habitats” specified in this Regulation means basic parameters that directly affect aquatic life and underwater ecosystem. These parameters are intended for regular and continuous monitoring to assess and classify of surface water quality.

1.3.3. “parameters affecting human health” specified in this Regulation means parameters that are likely to cause harm to health when surface water is used directly by humans (without treatment) for different purposes.

2. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Table 1. Maximum permissible limits of parameters affecting human health

Note:

- For parameters DDT, PCBs, organophosphorus pesticide, rely on the purposes of the monitoring program to select appropriate compounds to be monitored.

Table 2. Permissible limits of parameters in surface water to classify quality of water in rivers, streams, canals and ditches and to protect underwater habitats

Table 3. Permissible limits of parameters in surface water to classify quality of water in lakes, ponds and lagoons and to protect aquatic habitats

Note: Chlorophyll-a parameter is applied to environmental monitoring programs after 03 years from the date on which this Regulation is promulgated.

2.1. Interpretation of water quality classes:

Class A: Good quality. The concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) present in aquatic ecosystems is high. Water may be used for domestic purposes, swimming or water recreation after appropriate treatment measures are applied.

Class B: Average quality. Aquatic ecosystems consume a lot of dissolved oxygen due to a large amount of pollutants. Water may be used for industrial or agricultural purposes after appropriate treatment measures are applied.

Class C: Poor quality. Aquatic ecosystems consume a lot of dissolved oxygen due to a large amount of pollutants. Water does not cause unpleasant odors and may be used for industrial purposes after appropriate treatment measures are applied.

Class D: Very poor quality. Water may greatly affect fish and other organisms living in aquatic environment due to low dissolved oxygen concentration and high pollutant concentration. Water may be used for waterway traffic and other purposes that require low quality water.

2.2. Principles of assessing water quality according to Table 1

- Objectives of the water quality management plan and monitoring program serve as the basis for selecting parameters to be monitored in Table 1;

- Monitoring data used to assess quality of water in a river, stream, canal or ditch includes annual arithmetic mean of value measured at each representative measurement point with little local impact within a river, stream, canal or ditch with a minimum monitoring frequency of 06 times/year;

- Monitoring data used to assess quality of water in a river, stream, canal or ditch means the annual arithmetic mean of value measured at all monitoring points in such river, stream, canal or ditch with a minimum monitoring frequency of 06 times/year;

- Water quality at a measurement point is assessed as not meeting the goal of protecting human health if the annual arithmetic mean value of at least 1 parameter exceeds the limit specified in Table 1.

2.2. Principles of assessing and classifying water quality according to Table 2 or Table 3:

- Table 2 and Table 3 specify limits of parameters affecting aquatic life for the purpose of classifying water quality; serving as a basis for determining the goal of managing and improving water quality for parameters affecting aquatic life;

- Monitoring data used to assess and classify quality of water in a river, stream, canal or ditch under regulations in Table 2 includes annual arithmetic mean of value measured at each representative measurement point with little local impact within a river, stream, canal or ditch with a minimum monitoring frequency of 10 times/year;

- Monitoring data used to assess and classify quality of water in a lake, pond or lagoon according to Table 3 means the annual arithmetic mean of value measured at all monitoring points in such lake, pond or lagoon with a minimum monitoring frequency of 10 times/year;

- Each parameter shall have a single quality classification according to Table 2 or Table 3;

- For saline-contaminated surface water areas, water quality shall be classified using the parameter TOC instead of the parameter COD;

- In case of monitoring the quality of surface water that is not contaminated with salinity, choose to monitor the parameter COD or TOC to classify water quality;

- The 4 water quality classifications are meant to improve water quality for parameters affecting aquatic life. To serve the purpose of assessing the concentrations of toxins affecting human health and ecosystems, depending on each area, it is necessary to select the parameters specified in Table 1 to carry out assessment.

2.4. Use of surface water for different purposes

- Organizations and individuals directly using surface water should pay attention to ensuring that the source of water used is treated to meet water quality standards by each purpose;

- In case of applying appropriate water treatment measures for each pollution parameter to ensure water quality standards by each purpose are met, the treated water may be used for purposes cleaner than those referred to in 2.1.

3. DETERMINATION METHODS

3.1. Monitoring methods intended for determining concentrations of parameters in surface water are specified under Table 4 or environmental monitoring techniques promulgated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Table 4. Methods for monitoring parameters in surface water

3.2. Apart from the monitoring methods specified in 3.1, results from equipment for automatic and continuous monitoring of surface water that meets technical specifications as prescribed by law are acceptable.

4. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

4.1. Periodic or automatic and continuous monitoring of surface water quality and use of monitoring results for directly providing and disclosing information about environmental quality to the community must be performed by organizations that meet the requirements and conditions for environmental monitoring capacity according to the provisions of law.

4.2. Periodic monitoring of surface water quality shall be carried out according to monitoring goals to choose appropriate parameters to be monitored.

5. IMPLEMENTATION

5.1. Environment authorities shall provide guidance on, inspect and supervise the implementation of this Regulation.

5.2. In the cases where any of the legislative documents referred to in this Regulation is amended or replaced, the newest one shall apply. 

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