REPUBLIC ACT 9275

Def of Terms and General Info

RA 9275

Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004

March 22, 2004

approved date of RA 9275

PGMA

who signed RA 9275

7 and 36

number of chapters and sections of RA 9275

Aquifer

a layer of **water-bearing rock located underground** that transmits water in sufficient quantity to supply pumping wells or natural springs

Aquatic life

all organisms living in freshwater, brackish and marine environments.

Beneficial use

the **use of the environment or any element or segment thereof conducive to public or private welfare, safety and health**; and shall include, but not be limited to, the use of water for domestic, municipal, irrigation, power generation, fisheries, livestock raising, industrial, recreational and other purposes

Use of water for domestic purposes

the utilization of water for drinking, washing, bathing, cooking or other household needs, home gardens and watering of lawns or domestic animals

Use of water for municipal purposes

utilization of **water for supplying water requirements of the community**

Use of water for irrigation

utilization of water for producing agricultural crops

Use of water for power generation

utilization of water for producing electrical or mechanical power

Use of water for fisheries

utilization of water for the propagation of culture of fish as a commercial enterprise

Use of water for livestock raising

utilization of **water for large herds or flocks of animals** raised as a commercial enterprise

Use of water for industrial purposes

utilization of water in factories, industrial plants and mines, including the use of water as an ingredient of a finished product

Use of water for recreational purposes

utilization of water for swimming pools, bath houses, boating, water skiing, golf courses and other similar facilities in resorts and other places of recreation

Classification of Philippine Waters

the categorization of all water bodies

Civil Society

non-government organizations (NGOs) and people’s organizations (POs)

Cleaner production

the **application of an integrated, preventive environmental strategy to processes, products, services to increase efficiency and reduce risks to humans and the environment**

Clean-up operations

activities involving the removal of pollutants discharged or spilled into a water body and its surrounding areas, and the restoration of the affected areas to their former physical, chemical and biological state or conditions

Contamination

**introduction of substances not found in the natural composition of water** that make the water less desirable or unfit for intended use

Department

Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Discharge

**act of spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, releasing** or dumping of any material into a water body or onto land from which it might flow or drain into said water

Drinking water

water intended for human consumption or for use in food preparation

Dumping

unauthorized or illegal disposal into any body of water or land of wastes or toxic or hazardous material

Effluent

**discharges from known source which is passed into a body of water or land,** or wastewater flowing out of a manufacturing plant, industrial plant including domestic, commercial and recreational facilities

Effluent standard

any **legal restriction or limitation on quantities, rates, and/or concentrations** or any combination thereof, of physical, chemical or biological parameters of effluent which a person or point source is **allowed to discharge into a body of water or land**

Environmental Management

the entire system which includes, but is not limited to, conservation, regulation and minimization of pollution, clean production, waste management, environmental law and policy, environmental education and information, study and mitigation of the environmental impacts of human activity, and environmental research

Environmental Management System (EMS)

the **part of the overall management system that includes organizational structure,** planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the environmental policy

Freshwater

water containing less than 500 ppm dissolved common salt, sodium chloride, such as that in groundwater, rivers, ponds and lakes

Groundwater

a subsurface water that occurs beneath a water table in soils and rocks, or in geological formations

Groundwater vulnerability

relative ease with which a contaminant located at or near the land surface can migrate to the aquifer or deep well

Groundwater vulnerability map

identified areas of the land surface where groundwater quality is most at risk from human activities and shall reflect the different degrees of groundwater vulnerability based on a range of soil properties and hydro-geological criteria to serve as guide in the protection of the groundwater from contamination

Hazardous waste

any waste or combination of wastes of solid, liquid, contained gaseous, or semi-solid form which cause, or contribute to, an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible illness, taking into account toxicity of such waste, its persistence and degradability in nature, its potential for accumulation or concentration in tissue, and other factors that may otherwise cause or contribute to adverse acute or chronic effects on the health of persons or organism

Industrial waste

any solid, semi-solid or liquid waste material with **no commercial value released by a manufacturing or processing plant** other than excluded material

Integrated Water Quality Management Framework (IWQMF)

the **policy guideline integrating all the existing frameworks prepared by all government agencies** on water quality involving pollution from all sources

Margin

a landward and outer limiting edge adjacent to the border of any water bodies or a limit beyond where saturation zone ceases to exist

National Water Quality Status Report (NWQSR)

a r**eport to be prepared by the Department** indicating: (a) the location of water bodies, their water quality, taking into account seasonal, tidal and other variations, existing and potential uses and sources of pollution per specific pollutant and pollution load assessment; (b) water quality management areas pursuant to Section 5 of this Act; and (c) water classification

Non-point source

any source of pollution not identifiable as point source to include, but not be limited to, runoff from irrigation or rainwater which picks up pollutants from farms and urban areas

Point source

any identifiable source of pollution with specific point of discharge into a particular water body

Pollutant

refer to **any substance, whether solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive alters the quality of any segment of the receiving water body** so as to affect or tend to affect adversely any beneficial use

Pollution control technology

**pollution control devices or apparatus,** processes, or other means that effectively prevent, control or reduce pollution of water caused by effluents and other discharges, from any point source at levels within the water pollution standards

Potentially infectious medical waste

**includes isolation waste**s, infectious agents, human blood and blood products, pathological wastes, sharps, body parts, contaminated bedding, surgical wastes, and other disposable medical equipment and material that may pose a risk to the public health, welfare or the marine environment.

Septage

**sludge produced on individual onsite waste water disposal systems,** principally septic tanks and cesspools

Sewage

water-borne human or animal wastes, excluding oil or oil wastes, removed from residences, buildings, institutions, industrial and commercial establishments together with such groundwater, surface water and storm water as maybe present including such waste from vessels, offshore structures, other receptacles intended to receive or retain wastes, or other places or the combination thereof

Sewerage

any system or **network of pipelines,** ditches, channels, or conduits including pumping stations, lift stations and force mains, service connections including other constructions, devices, and appliances appurtenant thereto, **which involves the collection, transport, pumping and treatment of sewage to a point of disposal.**

Sludge

any s**olid, semi-solid or liquid waste or residue generated from a wastewater treatment plant**, water supply treatment plant, or water control pollution facility, or any other such waste having similar characteristics and effects

Surface water

water which is open to the atmosphere and subject to surface runoff

Treatment

**any method, technique, or process designed to alter the physical, chemical or biological and radiological character or composition of any waste** or wastewater to reduce or prevent pollution.

Toxic amount

l**owest amount of concentration of toxic pollutants** which may cause chronic or long-term acute or lethal conditions or effects to the aquatic life or health of persons or which may adversely affect designated water uses

Waste

**any material** either solid, liquid, semisolid, contained gas or other forms resulting from industrial, commercial, mining or agricultural operations, or from community and household activities **that is devoid of usage and discarded**

Wastewater

waste in liquid state containing pollutants

Water body

**natural and man-made bodies of fresh, brackish, and saline waters,** and includes, but is not limited to, aquifers, groundwater, springs, creeks, streams, rivers, ponds, lagoons, water reservoirs, lakes, bays, estuarine, coastal and marine waters. It does not refer to those constructed, developed and **used purposely as water treatment facilities and/or water storage for recycling and re-use which are integral to process industry or manufacturing.**

Water pollution

any **alteration of the physical, chemical or biological or radiological properties of a water body resulting in the impairment of its purity or quality.**

Water quality

the **characteristics of water** which define its use in terms of physical, chemical, biological, bacteriological or radiological characteristics by which the acceptability of water is evaluated.

Water Quality Guidelines (WQG)

means **the level for a water constituent or numerical values of physical, chemical, biological and bacteriological or radiological parameters which are used to classify water resources and their use,** which does not result in significant health risk and which are not intended for direct enforcement but only for water quality management purposes, such as determining time trends, evaluating stages of deterioration or enhancement of the water quality, and as basis for taking positive action in preventing, controlling or abating water pollution.

Water Quality Management Area Action Plan (WQMAAP)

includes, but not be limited to, the following: ***(a) goals and targets including sewerage or septage program;*** (***b) schedule of compliance to meet the applicable requirements of this Act;*** (***c) water pollution control strategies or techniques;*** (***d) water quality information and education program; (e) resource requirement and possible sources;*** (***f) enforcement procedures of the plan; and (g) rewards and incentives under Chapter 4 of this Act.***

Authorized Inspection

**means inspection**, whether announced or unannounced, conducted at any time by the multi-partite monitoring teams in relation to their function, or by a Department inspector where the inspector presents a valid Department inspector's identification duly signed by the Secretary, EMB Director of EMB Regional Director to enter and inspect a pollution source Inspections of effluents discharged outside the facility may be conducted at any time

Commercial wastewater

means all the **wastewater generated by trading or business establishment** and/or any other related firms or companies, which include but not limited to restaurants, shopping malls, commercial laboratories, hospitals, markets, commercial condominiums, hotels, gasoline stations, and other establishments

Ecological Sanitation (ECOSAN)

**approach with the objective of closing the nutrient loop between sanitation and agriculture.** It includes all of the following ecological principles:

(1) conscious conservation of resources

(2) recycling and reuse:

(3) minimization of energy and water use

(4)pollution prevention, and,

(5) rendering the recyclables (human and anima) excreta and grey water) safe for reuse

Effluent Quota

**maximum allowable pollution load that an establishment can discharge** (thout affecting the present state or condition of the water body.

Household Domestic Wastewater

waste water discharges generated from household (single residential structures) dwelling units specifically from toilets, kitchens, washing areas and other similar sanitary conveniences or facilities

Industrial Wastewater

all the **wastewaters from any producing manufacturing processing trade** or business or any operations/activities from industrial establishments

Land Application

**incorporation and/or application of effluent through available conventional imigation methods for the distribution of materials)** to the land surface for the purpose of pollutant removal, assimilation and utilization

Loading Limit

the **allowable pollutant loading limit per unit of time** which the discharger is permitted to discharge into any receiving body of water or land resources.

Loading Limit Compliance

the **establishment or industry performances and practices in complying the stipulated allowable pollutant loading** and other permit conditions for waste water discharge.

New Sources of Pollution

**existing sources that have expanded or modified their production processes** resulting in an increase in pollution load

Pre-Treatment Standards

**standards issued by the Bureau,** upon recommendation of the WTP operator/water district or concessionaire, **for treatment of wastewater prior to discharge into the sewerage system operated by the concerned WTP operator/water district or concessionaire.**

Rural Areas

**areas outside of component and highly urbanized cities** as defined under the local government code.

Sanitation Facilities

refers to **on-site facilities such as toilets and septic tanks** for safe disposal of human waste.

Specific Point of Discharge

any **discharges coming from a discernible, confined and discrete conveyance,** including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, floating stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, or vessel or other floating craft

Total Pollution Load

**summation of the pollution load from all point and non-point sources**, including natural sources.

7

number of Chapters in RA 9275

36

number of Sections in RA 9275

36

number of Rules in DAO 2005-10