Before decisions can be made about water use, one must first have data upon which to base a decision. One of the means for acquiring the data needed is through the monitoring of water quality.

Some of the items measured in the effort to ascertain water quality are:

• Electrical conductivity|Conductivity
• Dissolved Oxygen
• pH
• Color of water
• Taste and odor
• Turbidity
• Total suspended solids
• Chemical oxygen demand
• Biochemical oxygen demand
• Microorganisms such as fecal coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli), Cryptosporidium, and Giardia lamblia
• Nutrients and the environment (fertilizers: nitrates, phosphates)
• Dissolved metals and metalloids (lead, Mercury, arsenic, etc.)
• Dissolved organics: Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM), Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC)
• Temperature
• Pesticides
• Heavy Metals