NCHM installed 4 pilot Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Station (AWQMS) on Wangchu.  Four (4) AWQMS were  installed along with existing hydrological stations Thimchu (Dodena and Lungtenphug stations) and Parochhu (Gunitsawa and Bondey station) and completed in June 2023. The stations are equipped with sensors to monitor parameters such as pH , dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids , salinity , and temperature that are essential for understanding water quality.

The equipment were procured under the UNESCO supported project  "Integrated Water Resource Management for Bhutan's Future Water Security for Cities and Climate Resilient Development"  funded by the Republic of Korea. The main aim of the project is  to enhance the capacity for monitoring ambient water quality and develop effective protocols for monitoring, as well as knowledge sharing mechanisms. 

As per the Water Quality Standard (WQS) 2018, NCHM is identified as the Competent Authority (CA) for the monitoring of Ambient Water Quality. Based on the performance and lessons learned from these pilot stations, NCHM plans to expand and install AWQMS in other river basins along with existing hydrologic station networks. Monitoring water quality is essential to understand the pollutants and pathogens that can cause damage to the environment and human health.