| #Q001 | operational | health | recommended | Basic Parameter Achievement Goal | drinking water | The guidelines set out the basic parameters that every water system should strive to achieve in order to provide the cleanest, safest and most reliable drinking water possible. | | high |
| #Q002 | monitoring | health | guidance | Use of Guidelines as Verification Markers | drinking water | The drinking water guidelines can be used as markers to make sure the barriers are working and the treated drinking water is safe. | | medium |
| #Q003 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Wastewater System Compliance Profile Setup | wastewater | setting up a profile about the wastewater organization and facility that are required to comply with the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER). | Required for wastewater organizations and facilities subject to WSER | high |
| #Q004 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | WSER Information Reporting Requirement | wastewater | reporting of information as required under the WSER | As defined by the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations | high |
| #Q005 | operational | operational | recommended | Annual EHSS Conduct | recreational water | An EHSS should be conducted on an annual basis, just before the start of the swimming season. | Conducted annually before swimming season | high |
| #Q006 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Monitoring Plan Development | recreational water | Using the data from the EHSS, a well-structured and documented monitoring plan should be developed. | Post-EHSS data collection | high |
| #Q007 | monitoring | health | guidance | Primary Contact Monitoring Frequency | recreational water | In general, recreational areas used for primary contact activities are monitored for fecal indicators (such as E. coli or enterococci) at a minimum frequency of one sampling event per week during the swimming season. | During swimming season for primary contact areas | high |
| #Q008 | corrective_action | health | recommended | BAV Exceedance Actions | recreational water | If E. coli or enterococci concentrations exceed the established BAVs, this should trigger actions. | Upon exceedance of culture or PCR based BAVs | high |
| #Q009 | reporting | health | recommended | Cyanobacteria Swimming Advisory | recreational water | Primary contact activities in recreational waters should be avoided where a planktonic bloom has developed, or the guideline value for total microcystins is exceeded. A swimming/contact advisory should be issued as a precaution. | Development of bloom or exceedance of 10 μg/L microcystins | high |
| #Q010 | reporting | health | recommended | Benthic Cyanobacteria Warning | recreational water | In areas where benthic mats can be reached, individuals should be advised to avoid these areas, including keeping pets away from the impacted areas. | Presence of accessible benthic mats | high |
| #Q011 | reporting | health | recommended | Swimmer's Itch Warning Signs | recreational water | Warning signs should be posted in recreational water areas where cases of swimmer's itch have been reported. | Following reports of cercarial dermatitis | high |
| #Q012 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Sampling and Analysis Compliance | recreational water | All collection procedures and laboratory analyses should be carried out as directed by the responsible authority. | | high |
| #Q013 | operational | health | recommended | Physical Hazard Mitigation | recreational water | Check for hazards in the water and on the beach, remove hazards or post warnings, when required. | | high |
| #Q014 | monitoring | reporting | recommended | Fecal Source Identification | recreational water | Responsible authorities are encouraged to identify the sources of fecal contamination impacting a recreational water area to aid in public health decisions and to inform remediation prioritization to improve water quality. | | high |
| #Q015 | monitoring | health | recommended | Benthic Mat Visual Assessment | recreational water | In clear shallow areas, the presence of benthic mats should be visually assessed. | Only in clear shallow areas | high |
| #Q016 | administrative | reporting | recommended | Advisory Duration Requirement | recreational water | Once issued, an advisory should remain in place until the associated health risk has returned to an acceptable level. | Following issuance of a swimming/contact advisory | high |
| #Q017 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Pathogen Testing Laboratory Standards | recreational water | If testing is necessary, it should be conducted by qualified staff in laboratories with proper biosafety level, design, equipment, and procedures. | Applies if routine monitoring for pathogens is carried out due to epidemiological evidence | high |
| #Q018 | monitoring | health | recommended | Chemical Contaminant Assessment | recreational water | Assess on a case-by-case basis, taking local factors into account. | Specific to organic and inorganic chemical contaminants | high |
| #Q019 | administrative | reporting | recommended | Technical Document Consultation | recreational water | the individual guideline technical documents should be consulted for the most current and complete information. | | high |
| #Q020 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Cyanobacteria Monitoring Integration | recreational water | This monitoring should be included as part of the overall risk management plan for a recreational water area. | Applicable to monitoring for cyanobacteria and their toxins | high |
| #Q021 | reporting | health | guidance | Seasonal Advisory Option | recreational water | In areas with a history of reoccurring blooms, advisories may be left in place for the season once a bloom occurs, particularly if the water conditions change quickly or there are limited resources to conduct frequent inspections. | Areas with recurring blooms and limited inspection resources | high |
| #Q022 | administrative | operational | guidance | Secondary Contact Guideline Development | recreational water | For recreational water areas that are used solely for secondary contact activities, responsible authorities may choose to develop secondary contact guidelines. | Waterbodies used solely for secondary contact | high |
| #Q023 | design | health | guideline | Secondary Contact Multiplier Method | recreational water | The suggested approach for determining a secondary contact value is to apply a direct multiplier to the primary contact guideline value. | When developing site-specific secondary contact values | high |
| #Q024 | monitoring | operational | guidance | Bloom Risk Identification | recreational water | responsible authorities can use criteria to identify the areas that are at greater risk for bloom formation. | Used to prioritize areas for monitoring | high |
| #Q025 | operational | operational | guidance | Cyanobacteria Management Plan Implementation | recreational water | Areas that are at greater risk for cyanobacteria impacts may need a cyanobacteria management plan in place. | Applicable to areas identified as being at greater risk for cyanobacteria impacts | high |
| #Q026 | monitoring | reporting | recommended | Fecal Indicator Trend Analysis | recreational water | Summarizing fecal indicator data using geometric means is recommended for looking at water quality trends. | | high |
| #Q027 | monitoring | health | recommended | Benthic Cyanobacteria Monitoring | recreational water | Guideline values have not been developed for benthic cyanobacteria; however, monitoring is still recommended. | | high |
| #Q028 | prohibition | unknown | recommended | Prohibition of Aquatic Plant and Algae Chemical Treatment | recreational water | Actions that involve trying to remove these organisms from natural waters or to treat them using pesticides may be harmful to the aquatic environment and are discouraged. | Applies to aquatic vascular plants and algae in natural recreational waters | high |
| #Q029 | administrative | unknown | mandatory | Guideline Application Scope | recreational water | These documents apply to natural recreational waters defined as untreated natural fresh, marine or estuarine bodies of water used for recreational purposes such as lakes, rivers, and human-made systems (for example, artificial lakes). They don't apply to constructed recreational water facilities like swimming pools or splash parks. | Limits scope to untreated natural water bodies | high |
| #Q030 | operational | health | recommended | Comprehensive Risk Management Strategy | recreational water | The best strategy for protecting public health from risks associated with recreational water activities is a preventive risk management approach incorporating multiple areas of management (for example, source protection, hazard assessment and prioritization, monitoring, hazard control, communication, consultation, and training). | | high |
| #Q031 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | Public Information Access Requirement | recreational water | The public also need access to information on the recreational water areas they are visiting, including any existing water quality hazards and the steps they can take to protect themselves. | | high |
| #Q032 | operational | health | recommended | Beach Sand Contamination Barriers | recreational water | Various barriers (such as restricting pet access or installing animal-proof refuse containers) can also help limit beach sand contamination. | Applied as part of beach sand management strategy | high |