Summary

In making water quality policies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has to decide what scientific data to collect and how to best manage it. Inconsistencies in data collection and management by hundreds of federal and state water programs, along with problems involving incomplete or inadequate data, have limited comprehensive assessments of water quality and safety. This testimony discusses (1) EPA's efforts to address water quality data shortcomings that impede performance-based assessments, (2) EPA's plans to improve water information systems, (3) factors affecting the use of remote sensing and satellite imagery for water quality-related purposes, and (4) progress made by the Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality in addressing governmentwide data management issues.