ABSTRACT
Although computers now help the process of data analysis and presentation considerably, these activities are still very labour intensive. In addition, they require a working knowledge of all the preceding steps of the water quality assessment (see Figure 2.2), as well as a good understanding of statistics as it applies to the science of water quality assessment. This is perhaps one of the reasons why data analysis and interpretation do not always receive proper attention when water quality studies are planned and implemented. Although the need to integrate this activity with all the other activities of the assessment process seems quite obvious, achievement of this is often difficult. The “data rich, information poor” syndrome is common in many agencies, both in developed and developing countries.
