Quality assurance programme for hydrometric data in New Zealand

The objectives of a National Hydrometric Reference Network for New Zealand are specified, and the necessary standards for data collection are defined. Data are collected in New Zealand by several agencies, and a data quality assurance programme must be designed and administered to take account of this. The programme involves the full range of practices, from providing manuals and adequate staff training through to auditing of archived data, and disseminating audit results. It is not a formal programme like those implemented in industrial settings, but is an effective way of assuring users, at an acceptable cost, that hydrometric data meet the quality standards they require.