Although water quality is usually sampled and analyzed at laboratories, since the late 20th century there has been increasing public interest in the quality of drinking water provided by municipal systems. Many water utilities have developed systems to collect real-time data about source water quality. In the early 21st century, a variety of sensors and remote monitoring systems have been deployed for measuring water pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and other parameters. Some remote sensing systems have also been developed for monitoring ambient water quality in riverine, estuarine and coastal water bodies.
The following is a list of indicators often measured by situational category:
* Alkalinity
* Color of water
* pH
* Taste and odor (geosmin, 2-Methylisoborneol (MIB), etc.)
* Dissolved metals and salts (sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium)
* Microorganisms such as fecal coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli), Cryptosporidium, and Giardia lamblia; see Bacteriological water analysis
* Dissolved metals and metalloids (lead, mercury, arsenic, etc.)
* Dissolved organics: colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), dissolved organic carbon (DOC)
* Radon
* Heavy metals
* Pharmaceuticals
* Hormone analogs