Striving for good water status is a challenge of the 21st century. According to the Water Framework Directive, such status is to be achieved in the European Union by 2027, in accordance with the principles of integrated water resources management. In the process of assessing the status of the aquatic environment, the OECD guidelines emphasize integrated management, stakeholder participation, risk management, economic efficiency, water quality protection, adaptation to climate change and international cooperation. However, a key element is water monitoring, including diagnostic, operational and research monitoring, in order to assess the ecological and chemical status. The history of water monitoring in Poland dates back to the 1960s, evolving along with regulations, including after Poland’s accession to the EU and after the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. The Chief Inspector for Environmental Protection (GIOŚ) carries out state environmental monitoring. In order to obtain a more effective assessment of water quality, an extensive network of local monitoring and social participation are needed. The ecological disaster in the Odra river basin in 2022 caused significant changes related to access to current information on water quality. GIOŚ has introduced a pilot system of online monitoring, providing data on selected physicochemical parameters, but with limited repeatability of frequency and scope of data, which makes it impossible to determine trends in changes in physicochemical parameters and the occurrence of Prymnesium parvum. This indicates the need for further modernization, co-financing and improvement of the monitoring system, using modern digital technologies (online platforms, mobile applications, AI) and social participation to increase efficiency and faster response to threats. The role of aware users of the environment in reporting problems and collecting data is also key to the effectiveness of the system, shown on the example of changes in the monitoring of the Odra River.