ABSTRACT
Data analysis and presentation, together with interpretation of the results and report writing, form the last step in the water quality assessment process. It is this phase that shows how successful the monitoring activities have been in attaining the objectives of the assessment. It is also the step that provides the information needed for decision making, such as choosing the most appropriate solution to a water quality problem, assessing the state of the environment or refining the water quality assessment process itself. This chapter gives some guidelines and techniques for water quality data analysis and presentation. Designing a water quality data storage system needs careful consideration to ensure that all the relevant information is stored such that it maintains data accuracy and allows easy access, retrieval, and manipulation of the data. Expert systems are tools which can be used in a variety of water quality activities including planning, diagnosis, interpretation, and analysis.
