The “what, when, how and who” of reporting should have been determined in the setting-up of the WQM project. For example, a WQM contract let to a private service provider might state:

"Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations are to be measured continuously at the locations specified along River X and the results reported on a three monthly basis.

Council is to be provided with both hard and soft copies of a report on the results. The report is to compare actual results with licence conditions, in the manner prescribed in the licence."

Often a minimalist approach is taken to reporting and disseminating the results of WQM, yet they potentially represent key mechanisms to reach wider audiences. Making information accessible can engender a sense of reciprocality that can accrue benefits to all participating parties. Even if at times, there are no obvious reciprocal benefits, disseminating useful information can generate a positive image for the information provider.

The question asked should go beyond ”who has to have this information and in what form?” to “who could benefit from this information and how do I present it to make it as useful as possible?”

Those who could benefit from receiving WQM information might include, for example, council executives and councillors, government departments such as the DEC and DIPNR, funding bodies, research organisations, community groups and the general public.
  

The form communication takes will depend on the objectives of the WQM program and the information needs of the recipients. The reporting should be tailored with the specific audience in mind. However, for all types of communication, results should be presented in a clear and easy to interpret fashion. Tools that may be used to assist in communicating water quality information include graphs, tables, indicators, scorecards, ratings or maps.

Reports can range from simple (eg daily EPA Beachwatch Bulletins) to complex (eg. Hornsby Shire Council).

Councils and agencies may have standard templates for reporting that can be used for WQM.

Common methods councils use to communicate water quality results include State of the Environment Reporting, technical reports, websites, reports to council, compliance reports, media releases, reviews, telephone hotlines, presentations and newsletters.