ABSTRACT:A multi‐criteria approach to ground water quality monitoring network design is developed. The methodology combines multi‐criteria decision making (MCDM) and modifications of geostatistical variance reduction analysis. Composite programming, a distance based optimization algorithm that employs a hierarchial structure, is used for the MCDM component of the design methodology. MCDM allows the consideration of numerous, often conflicting, design criteria. The methodology is useful for identifying the preferred combination of direct borehole and indirect geo‐electric data. It also permits the use of prior information during initial stages of network development. Multi‐variate kriging is employed to evaluate network performance using the combination of direct borehole data and indirect geoelectric data. Weighted measures of estimation variance are used as primary measures of performance, with the reduction in estimation variance being computed by the fictitious point method. Case study results demonstrate that the network design methodology can be used in both early and late phases of network development. It also leads to selection of the preferred combination and spatial orientation of direct and indirect data sources while considering cost‐effectiveness and performance of alternativ