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The Aims of Water Quality Monitoring Procedures

Water-quality monitoring procedures are intended to keep local populations safe and healthy. Many city governments use water-quality monitoring to track pollutant levels and determine solutions to a range of water-related issues. Good monitoring procedures help plan for changes to the dosing of chemicals in the water and increasing overall water quality. Many cities have recently seen the importance of a well-funded water-monitoring board along with an efficient water-treatment system. Increasing the quality of monitoring procedures can bring benefits to a city on multiple fronts.

  1. Reduce pollutants

    • Water-quality monitoring is put in place by many cities to reduce pollutant levels from local industry and waste sites. Keeping pollutants down is important to the health and economy of the surrounding communities. Monitoring procedures can help identify pollutants and track them to their source. Water quality can be one of the most scrutinized aspects of a community and can affect nearly every facet of a city government. Low water quality has been linked to reductions in city tax grants, loss of commercial, industrial and residential sectors and decreased population health.

    Increase health

    • Many cities increase the water quality of their lakes and tributaries by reducing the allowed amounts of nitrates introduced into the water by local industry. Many cities and government organizations have begun fining industries that pollute the water. Increasing the overall water health is important to aquatic life and marine activities. Keeping pristine water conditions can increase the population's health and attract tourism.

    Monitor Content

    • Water-quality monitoring procedures are used to scan water sources for increases or decreases in many compounds. The composition of the water determines what chemicals, and how much of them, are applied to remedy problems. Changes in pH and organic composition can affect local industry and commerce. Many cities also must deal with algae blooms in their water source, which, again, require chemical treatment. Algae blooms can reduce the water quality by increasing nitrate levels. It is also important for monitoring agents to search for elevated levels of pharmaceuticals and take measures to reduce them.

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