Median Surface Water Hardness Classes for Quebec

Quebec's surface water hardness is characterized by median calcium and magnesium concentrations, classified into seven categories. The data supports water quality criteria for assessing metal toxicity and setting environmental discharge objectives.

Use Cases

• Calculate water quality criteria for aquatic life using the median hardness class of a receiving water body.
• Assess the influence of water hardness on the toxicity of metals like cadmium, copper, and lead.
• Determine environmental discharge objectives (EORs) for wastewater based on median surface water hardness.

Strengths

• Data is provided in seven distinct hardness classes, enabling categorical analysis.
• Available in multiple formats including GEOJSON, CSV, and GPKG for flexible use.
• Published by the Government of Quebec, indicating an authoritative source for regional data.

Limitations

• The specific number of data points (rows) and measurement locations is unknown.
• Data granularity is limited to seven broad hardness classes rather than continuous values.
• Relies on automated translation for metadata, which may introduce inaccuracies.

Provenance

Source

Government and Municipalities of Québec

Collection Method

Calculated medians from concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions in surface water.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Quebec, Canada