On 20 March, the National Water Agency (ANA) launched the National Network for Monitoring Water Quality (RNQA, in Portuguese). Representatives of 16 Brazilian states signed a agreement with ANA for the implementation of this Network and to receive equipments and training to do the monitoring until June.
These 16 states already operate today smaller regional networks for monitoring water quality. The other states will be covered in the next steps of RNQA implementation, which seeks to monitor, evaluate and make available to public the information about quality of surface water and generate knowledge to support the management of water resources in Brazil. In addition, the Network aims to identify critical areas in terms of water pollution and support action planning, grants, licensing and supervision of the waters of the country.
In total, the National Water Agency has invested R$ 9.54 million in equipment to be provided to the states. The RNQA proposes the standardization of collected data, collection procedures and laboratory analysis of qualitative parameters, so it will be possible to compare the information obtained in the different regions. All data obtained by RNQA will be stored in the Hydrological Information System (HIDROWEB), of ANA, and will be integrated into the National Information System on Water Resources (SNIRH).
Source: ANA
