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