ANSI/ASCE/EWRI 33-2023: Water Quality Management Agreement
Water covers 71% of the earth. Life simply cannot exist without water. If there is one thing that matters more than the availability of water, however, it is the quality of water, as it directly influences the well-being of life. Therefore, proper attention should be given to the management of water quality to assure they are kept healthy, functional, and enjoyable for all that rely on them. ANSI/ASCE/EWRI 33-2023: Comprehensive Transboundary Water Quality Management Agreement provides a framework that riparian governments can adopt or modify for comprehensive water quality planning and management of shared water resources.
What Is Water Quality Management?
Water quality management consists of an ongoing cycle aimed at improving and maintaining optimal water quality for a specific body of water, such as lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and groundwater. This cycle starts by determining what standards it needs to meet and testing key health indicators (i.e., a myriad of data measurements) to accurately determine the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of a waterbody.
These measurements serve as the baseline that informs which water management practices are implemented and how their successes are measured. Serving as an extensive guide for water quality management, ANSI/ASCE/EWRI 33-23 helps stakeholders considering the many aspects of planning and management of water resources.
What Is ANSI/ASCE/EWRI 33?
ANSI/ASCE/EWRI 33-23 is an invaluable reference for environmental engineers, infrastructure engineers, and professionals engaged in water governance, sustainability, geopolitics, and other disciplines with a vested interest in addressing the complexities of transboundary waters. The Agreement offers comprehensive insights and practical solutions for effective water resource management across borders.
ANSI/ASCE/EWRI 33-23 is appropriate only for situations in which watercourse states are prepared to manage their portion of shared water resource together with their neighbors and when these states show an interest in improving the quality of the water resource.
Measuring Water Quality
Water quality can be thought of as a data-backed statement of how balanced and functional a body of water is for its intended purpose (i.e., recreation, drinking water, irrigation, stormwater collection, wildlife habitat, or simply tourism opportunities/aesthetics). It is influenced by three primary sources—the surrounding ecosystem, local geology (i.e., the minerals, sediment, and porosity of the area’s geogenic factors), and human contributions (i.e., the pollution, usage, impacts from rural development, and suspended sediment). Measuring water quality helps determine the following:
- Health of ecosystems
- Extent of pollution
- Safety of human and animal contact
- Condition of drinking water
Understanding the key water health indicators helps us understand the condition of waterbodies and their threats. Providing optimal water quality does not just sustain the health of all living organisms, but it also enables businesses that depend on clean and abundant water resources—including agriculture, tourism, food processing facilities, power plants, water mills, and pulp and paper mills—to continue supporting the economy.
Why Is Water Quality Management Important?
Water quality is essential to all life on Earth, including humans and the natural environment. Besides playing a vital role in human life and health, water also is key to the economy. As such, water quality management is important because it helps to protect the environment, public health, and water resources for future generations.
ANSI/ASCE/EWRI 33-2023: Comprehensive Transboundary Water Quality Management Agreement is available on the ANSI Webstore.
