Data on EPA AirWatch comes directly from our air monitoring stations using various types of monitoring equipment and methods. This data may be adjusted later according to set criteria to account for instrument errors, power interruptions and other technical issues.

EPA aims to locate our ambient monitoring stations so they give a good representation of the air quality experienced by the public. As most of the Victorian population lives and works close to roads, most of our stations are in population centres next to roads. This can mean we do not always comply with one of the requirements of the Australian Standard for siting (AS 3580.1.1), which specifies that air monitoring stations should be more than 50 metres away from a road. Currently, Footscray is the only EPA air monitoring site that meets this requirement.

Read more about our National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditation.