Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) - Metal and Diamond Mines - Water Quality Monitoring

Under the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations (MDMER), mines are required, as part of Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) studies, to conduct effluent and water quality monitoring studies, which include water quality monitoring. Water quality monitoring is conducted four times a year and at least one month apart, while the mine is depositing effluent, on a sample of water collected from the exposure area surrounding the point of entry of the effluent into water from each final discharge point and the related reference area. The parameters recorded under water quality monitoring include water temperature and dissolved oxygen while the others (e.g., pH, harness, alkalinity, electrical conductivity and salinity) vary depending on the type of receiving environment (i.e. fresh, estuarine or marine waters). The substances recorded under water quality monitoring include those recorded under effluent characterization in addition to the deleterious substances subject to effluent discharge limits such as arsenic, copper, cyanide, lead, nickel, radium 226, suspended solids, zinc, and un-ionized ammonia (since June 2021). Further information on the analytical requirements and…

Publisher

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Resources

2

Catalogue metadata updated

2026-05-29