The Lake Taihu monitoring station was constructed over September and October 2007. It is intended to provide real-time, internet accessible data for the water quality and meteorology of Lake Taihu, as well as contributing to the Global Lakes Ecological Observatory Network (www.gleon.org). The system was commissioned by the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese academy of Sciences, and designed and built by Chris McBride and Professor David Hamilton of Waikato University, New Zealand, with direction from Associate Professor Guangwei Zhu, and Dr. Liancong Luo (NIGLAS). A range of high quality environmental sensors have been used in order to provide reliable and accurate observations of the climate and limnology at Taihu. The sensors were chosen for their accuracy and long-term stability, however, as with any sensor-based monitoring, regular maintenance and calibration of the sensors is essential for the collection of accurate and precise data over long time periods. This manual is intended to provide background information about the function and configuration of the monitoring system, and to act as a step-by-step guide for the proper cleaning and calibration of the sensors.