Saskatchewan

Ammonia occurs naturally when organic matter breaks down, but also enters waterways through sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial discharge. The un-ionized form is the most harmful, passing directly through cell membranes and damaging the gills and kidneys of fish and invertebrates. The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) sets the long-term freshwater guideline at 0.019 mg/L.

Chloride is a naturally occurring ion found in most water bodies, but concentrations rise significantly from road salt, water softeners, agricultural runoff, and industrial discharge. The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) sets a long-term freshwater guideline of 120 mg/L to protect aquatic ecosystem structure and function during indefinite exposure, and a short-term guideline of 640 mg/L to protect most species against lethality during brief but severe events. The long-term guideline may not be protective enough for certain freshwater species, including endangered freshwater mussels, including the wavy-rayed lampmussel and the northern riffleshell, both found in southwestern Ontario waterways. Chloride doesn't break down or disappear once it enters a waterway, and even moderate increases can stress the sensitive invertebrates, fish, and plants that freshwater ecosystems depend on. At higher concentrations, it disrupts the ability of aquatic organisms to regulate water and salt in their bodies, which can be fatal.

Chlorine is not naturally occurring. It is widely used to disinfect drinking water and swimming pools, but even tiny amounts can damage the gills of fish and harm the invertebrates that healthy aquatic ecosystems depend on. It enters waterways through treated wastewater, industrial discharge, and everyday activities like draining a pool or washing a car near a storm drain. The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) sets the long-term freshwater guideline at 0.5 micrograms per litre (µg/L).

Chlorine is widely used to disinfect drinking water and swimming pools, but even tiny amounts can damage the gills of fish and harm the invertebrates that healthy aquatic ecosystems depend on. It enters waterways through treated wastewater, industrial discharge, and everyday activities like draining a pool or washing a car near a storm drain. The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) sets the long-term marine water guideline at 0.5 micrograms per litre (µg/L).

E. coli is a bacterium found in the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals, used as an indicator of fecal contamination because its presence signals that water may also contain harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites. When levels are elevated, swimmers risk gastrointestinal illness and other infections. Health Canada's Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality set a Beach Action Value of 235 CFU/100 mL for single samples, above which swimming advisories should be considered, and a geometric mean of 126 CFU/100 mL for assessing longer-term water quality trends.

Enterococci are bacteria found in the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals. They serve as a fecal indicator for both freshwater and marine recreational water monitoring, as their presence signals potential harmful pathogens. When levels are elevated, swimmers risk gastrointestinal illness and other infections. Health Canada's Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality set a Beach Action Value of 70 CFU/100 mL (culture-based) or 1000 CCE/100 mL (PCR-based), with a geometric mean of 35 CFU/100 mL or 470 CCE/100 mL for longer-term trend assessment.

Enterococci are bacteria found in the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals. They serve as a fecal indicator for both freshwater and marine recreational water monitoring, as their presence signals potential harmful pathogens. When levels are elevated, swimmers risk gastrointestinal illness and other infections. Health Canada's Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality set a Beach Action Value of 70 CFU/100 mL (culture-based) or 1000 CCE/100 mL (PCR-based), with a geometric mean of 35 CFU/100 mL or 470 CCE/100 mL for longer-term trend assessment.

Nitrate is a naturally occurring form of nitrogen, but agricultural fertilizer, sewage discharge, and urban runoff can push concentrations well above natural levels, directly harming fish and invertebrates at high concentrations. When levels rise too high, nitrate interferes with the ability of aquatic organisms to carry oxygen in their blood, affecting growth, reproduction, and survival. The CCME sets the long-term freshwater guideline at 13 mg/L and the short-term guideline at 550 mg/L, measured as the nitrate ion.

Nitrate is a naturally occurring form of nitrogen, but agricultural fertilizer, sewage discharge, and urban runoff can push concentrations well above natural levels, directly harming fish and invertebrates at high concentrations. When levels rise too high, nitrate interferes with the ability of aquatic organisms to carry oxygen in their blood, affecting growth, reproduction, and survival. The CCME sets the long-term marine and estuary guideline at 200 mg/L and the short-term guideline at 1500 mg/L, measured as the nitrate ion.

Nitrite is an intermediate form of nitrogen that appears when organic matter breaks down, but is also introduced through agricultural runoff, sewage discharge, and certain industrial processes. At elevated concentrations, nitrite interferes with the ability of fish to carry oxygen in their blood, a condition known as methemoglobinemia or "brown blood disease." The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) sets the long-term freshwater guideline at 60 µg/L measured as nitrite-nitrogen, equivalent to 197 µg/L as nitrite.

Dissolved oxygen is the most fundamental parameter for aquatic life, entering water through the atmosphere and photosynthesis, but reduced by excess nutrients from sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial waste. When levels drop too low, fish and invertebrates experience reduced growth, reproductive failure, and death, with eggs and young organisms especially vulnerable. The CCME sets the long-term freshwater guideline at 9.5 mg/L for cold-water early life stages and 6.5 mg/L for other life stages, with most Canadian waters defaulting to cold-water guidelines where the temperature regime is unknown.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is the amount of oxygen dissolved in water that fish, insects, and other aquatic life depend on to breathe. The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) recommends a minimum of 8.0 mg/L for marine and estuarine waters.
If DO drops below that level, it should only be because of natural causes, not human activity. And if levels are already above 8.0 mg/L, people and industry shouldn't be causing them to drop by more than 10%.

pH measures how acidic or alkaline water is, and it affects the toxicity of many substances in the water as well as the ability of fish and invertebrates to breathe, reproduce, and survive. Outside the acceptable range, fish experience increasing physiological stress, and sensitive invertebrates like mayflies can be affected at levels that seem only mildly acidic. The Canadian Council of Resource and Environment Ministers (CCREM) recommends a long-term freshwater pH range of 6.5 to 9.0 to protect aquatic life.

pH measures how acidic or alkaline water is, and it affects the toxicity of many substances in the water as well as the ability of fish and invertebrates to breathe, reproduce, and survive. Outside the acceptable range, fish experience increasing physiological stress, and sensitive invertebrates like mayflies can be affected at levels that seem only mildly acidic. The Canadian Council of Resource and Environment Ministers (CCREM) recommends a long-term freshwater pH range of 6.5 to 9.0 to protect aquatic life.