Design of water quality monitoring networks with two information scenarios in tropical Andean basins.

Design and redesign of water quality monitoring networks were evaluated for two similarly sized watersheds in the tropical Andes via optimization techniques using geographic information system technology (GIS) and a matter-element analysis of 5-day biological oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS). This resulted in a flexible, objectively based design for a 1128-km watershed without prior water quality data (La Miel River), and a network redesign of a 1052-km watershed with historical water quality monitoring (Chinchiná River). Monitoring design for the undocumented basin incorporated mathematical expressions for physical, anthropological, and historical factors-and was based on clear objectives for diagnosis and intervention of water pollution.