The Canadian Council of Environment Ministers (CCME) has released the Water Quality Index 2.0 application and CCME Water Quality Index User’s Manual 2017 Update, replacing the Water Quality Index 1.2 published in 2011.
The revised and updated index provides a consistent approach to summarizing complex water quality data and facilitating its communication. It incorporates scope—the number of parameters not meeting water quality guidelines; frequency – the number of times these guidelines are not met; and amplitude—the amount by which the guidelines are not met.
The CCME provides a suite of calculators that developed for voluntary use. Readers are advised to consult with the federal, provincial, or territorial authority having jurisdiction to see whether a CCME calculator applies to their area of interest.
The index produces a number between 0 (worst water quality) and 100 (best water quality). The user’s manual provides guidance on key calculations and application of the index as well as examples of its use.
More details on the app can be found on the CCME website at http://www.ccme.ca/
