Since 1985, the GVRD has used an Air Quality Index (AQI) to provide information to residents about current outdoor air quality at different locations in the Lower Fraser Valley. A new Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) has now been created to replace the old index and report on the short-term health risks posed by a mixture of air pollutants. 

The Air Quality Monitoring Network collects data for specific locations in the Lower Fraser Valley – from the Strait of Georgia to Hope – every hour. Monitoring allows the GVRD to compare concentrations of key air contaminants with air quality objectives. These objectives are intended to minimize the risk to health and the environment posed by each contaminant.

Metro Vancouver publishes Ambient Air Quality Annual Reports for the Lower Fraser Valley