Summary
This report is one in a series which establishes water quality criteria for the province of British Columbia. The report sets criteria for aluminum to protect a number of uses. These include drinking water, freshwater aquatic life, wildlife, livestock, irrigation and recreation.
The criteria are set as either maximum concentrations of total and dissolved aluminum which must be met any time, or average concentrations which should not be exceeded over a 30-day period. Actual values are summarized in the Tables and show that criteria for aquatic life vary according to the pH of the water.
Except for aquatic life, the criteria are consistent with Canadian Water Quality Guidelines drafted by the CCREM Task Force on Water Quality Guidelines (1987). For aquatic life in water with pH below 6.5, the criteria are less restrictive than the CCREM guidelines which are considered overprotective for BC conditions in the low pH range.
The major use of the criteria is as a guideline for assessments of water quality conditions. They are thus one of the factors considered when water quality objectives for a specific body of water are being set.