The state of water resources in the Philippines - Greenpeace

Definition of terms
Aquifer - a geologic formation that will yield water to a well in sufficient quantities
to make the production of water from this formation feasible for beneficial use;
permeable layers of underground rock or sand that hold or transmit groundwater
below the water table
Beneficial use - 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 - 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; and
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.
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) - rate at which organisms use the oxygen in
water or wastewater while stabilizing decomposable organic matter under aerobic
conditions. BOD measurements are used as a measure of the organic strength of
wastes in water; the greater the BOD, the greater the degree of organic pollution.
Classification/Reclassification of Philippine Waters - categorization of all
water bodies taking into account, among others, the following: (1) existing quality
of the body of water; (2) size, depth, surface area covered, volume, direction, rate
of flow, and gradient of stream; (3) most beneficial existing and future use of said
bodies of water and lands bordering them, such as for residential, agricultural,
aquacultural, commercial, industrial, navigational, recreational, wildlife
conservation, and aesthetic purposes; and (d) vulnerability of surface and
groundwater to contamination from pollutive and hazardous wastes, agricultural
chemicals, and underground storage tanks of petroleum products.
Clean Production - a way of redesigning products and product systems so that
they are in harmony with natural ecological cycles
Coliform - a type of bacteria. The presence of coliform-group bacteria is an
indication of possible pathogenic bacteriological contamination. The human
intestinal tract is one of the main habitats of coliform bacteria. Coliform may also
GREENPEACE | The state of water in the Philippines 5