Central Water Commission is monitoring the water quality of rivers since late 1950s and presently its water quality network is spread all over India. The water quality network of CWC is incidental to hydrological observation network. Central Water Commission is monitoring water quality at 396 key locations covering all the major river basins of India. At present CWC WQ network covers 67 main rivers, 129 tributaries and 50 sub-tributaries. CWC is maintaining a three tier laboratory system for analysis of the parameters. The level- I laboratories are located at 370 field water quality monitoring stations (part of 878 existing sites) on major rivers of India where physical parameters such as temperature, colour , odour specific conductivity, total dissolved solids, pH and dissolved oxygen of river water are observed . There are 18 level –II laboratories located at selected division offices to analyse 25 nos. physico- chemical characteristics and bacteriological parameters of river water. 5 level-III / II+ laboratories are functioning at Varanasi, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad and Coimbatore where 41 parameters including heavy metals / toxic parameters are analysed. The following procedure is followed in CWC for classification of stations, sampling frequency, identification of parameters and their analysis.

• Water Quality Activities in Central Water Commission
  In addition to above, Central Water Commission has also installed 3 Real Time Water Quality Monitoring Stations viz. Yamuna at Jawahar Bridge, Agra, Ramganga at Moradabad and Gomti at Lucknow.
• For more detail of water quality network
• Designated Best Uses of Water
• Link to India WRIS-Water Quality