The Environmental Protection Agency conducts an ongoing monitoring programme by which river water quality and trends are assessed with respect to ecological criteria and to physico-chemical water quality standards. All of the major rivers and their more important tributaries are included in the programme
The biological programme covers a channel length of approximately 13,200km and involves sampling at some 2,300 stations. A complete survey cycle is completed every three years.
As part of the physico-chemical monitoring programme, we assess approximately 1,500 stations annually.
