Water Quality Monitoring

Water quality monitoring is a fundamental tool in the management of our region’s water resources.  The District’s Water Quality Monitoring Plan and associated standards and methodologies provide for comprehensive and consistent watershed-based water quality monitoring across the District.   Water quality monitoring provides a means of demonstrating progress toward water quality goals as the Plan is implemented.  Water quality data will also help refine future management strategies to address watershed management and water quality protection within the District.

The District’s water quality monitoring plan includes a number of different program elements to be undertaken by District local governments, including:

• Long-Term Ambient Trend Monitoring
• Dry Weather Illicit Discharge Screening
• Commercial/Industrial Inspection Program
• Monitoring for Assessing TMDL Implementation and Delisting
• Biological and Habitat Assessments

The specific monitoring requirements for each city or county are based upon population and interjurisdictional agreements.

The District’s monitoring plan helps local governments meet their existing regulatory monitoring requirements, including those of MS4 stormwater programs, watershed assessment plans and TMDL programs. It is intended to consolidate the many current local monitoring requirements into a larger, comprehensive program that provides consistency in sampling methodologies and effort across the District. This will provide the ability to better compare and analyze data across jurisdictional and watershed boundaries, as well as provide for reduced redundancies and the more effective use of financial resources.

• Download the Standards and Methodologies for Surface Water Quality Monitoring
• View District Water Quality Monitoring Plan Resources for Local Governments