Abstract

  General water quality criteria for Norwegian Waters were developed by the State Pollution Control Authority in the early 1980s. The need for further refinement of these criteria became apparent in the mid-1980s. New water quality criteria were developed in conjunction with the development of a system for assessment of water uses.
  Two fundamental principles are outlined for determining the classification of water quality in Norway:

(a) The classification for polluted water.
The basis for this system is the natural water quality without any form of influence from man. It is the influence of pollution on the water quality, or the difference between the natural water quality and the water quality today that is classified.
(b) The system for assessment of water quality for various uses is based both on the existing water quality and some physical and practical properties of the environment. The water quality criteria are specific for various uses.

Comprehensive planning in Norway should include physical planning and areal planning of rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. Water use planning will become an integral part of comprehensive master planning.
  This paper describes the system for assessment of water resources uses. Explaining the principles of the system is the main feature of this paper.

Keywords: water quality criteria, pollution, water uses, classification, Norway