Water Quality Monitoring

Kawartha Conservation carries out monthly water quality sampling as a member of the Provincial Water Quality Monitoring Network (PWQMN). This program is administered by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE). There are currently 30 conservation authorities sampling approximately 390 sites across Ontario.

We collect water samples and readings of water quality at 11 designated monitoring locations throughout our watershed using portable, hand-held equipment. MOE then analyses, interprets and manages the data.

The standard set of water quality indicators monitored at each PWQMN station includes chloride, nutrients, suspended solids, trace metals and other general chemistry parameters. The sampling takes place 8 months a year from April until November.

More information is available from the Ministry of the Environment's Provincial Water Quality Monitoring Network page.