Should water quality data be understandable to everyone?

Governments collect enormous amounts of environmental information.

Most citizens never see it.

And when they do, it is often difficult to understand.

What would happen if everybody could open a map and immediately understand the condition of their local river?

Should environmental data become as easy to understand as a weather forecast?

Simple should not mean misleading. A single colour on a map can hide a missing measurement or confuse bathing safety with ecological health. Useful public information should explain what was tested, when, by whom and what remains unknown. A parent planning a swim and a researcher studying a river may need different detail, but both deserve a clear starting point.

• What would your first screen show? • How should missing data appear? • Who should explain an unusual result?