It was also felt that the mechanism for implementation requires clarification. For example, storm water management efforts could include public responsibility for disconnecting down spouts and use of low-volume toilets. Larger agreements like the Canada-Ontario Agreement should have monitoring commitments tied to them. A mechanism for ongoing dialogue among stakeholders is required. It was suggested that instead of trying to satisfy many different goals and objectives with limited resources, try satisfying different issues in different time frames.
Funding is essential.
As an initial step, gaps in monitoring activities need to be identified and filled. If some monitoring activities are not going to be completed, people need to know the consequences of not filling gaps. Participants also noted the importance of identifying the benefits of a monitoring network. There must be stakeholder buy-in for the monitoring network and the network must be set up in a way to document improvements. Coordination of monitoring efforts will be essential.