The role of groundwater quality monitoring in the strategy of groundwater protection

Groundwater quality monitoring plays an important role in the strategy of groundwater protection and quality conservation and in enforcement of an anti-pollution policy. Groundwater monitoring programmes supply data about the current state and long-term trends of groundwater quality and help to clarify and analyse the extent of natural processes and human impacts on groundwater systems. International, national, regional and local groundwater quality monitoring programmes are operating all over the world and frequently are correlated or integrated with other environmental monitoring programmes. The objectives of monitoring programmes govern the extent of monitoring activities. Establishment and operation of monitoring networks and standardisation of monitoring methods and procedures is discussed particularly with regard to national groundwater quality monitoring programmes.