It is virtually impossible to reliably assess water quality with target chemical analyses only. Therefore, a complementary effect-based risk assessment is proposed here by bioanalyses on mixtures of bioavailable micropollutants: the Smart Integrated Monitoring (SIMONI) strategy. The goal of this strategy is to obtain more reliable information on the water quality to select optimum measures for improvement. The SIMONI strategy is two-tiered. Tier 1 is a bioanalytical hazard identification of sites. A tier 2 ecological risk assessment is carried out only at a limited number of sites where increased hazards are detected in tier 1. Tier 2 will be customized, based upon tier 1 evaluation and additional knowledge of the aquatic system. The present paper focuses the tier 1 bioanalytical hazard identification to distinguish 'hot spots' of chemical pollution. First, a selection was made of relevant and cost-effective bioanalytical endpoints to cover a wide spectrum of micropollutant modes of action. Specific endpoints may indicate which classes of chemicals might cause adverse effects. Second, effect-based trigger values (EBT) were derived for these bioassays to indicate potential ecological risks. Comparison of EBT with bioassay responses should discriminate sites exhibiting different chemical hazards. Third, a model was designed to estimate the overall risks for aquatic ecosystems. The associated follow-up for risk management is a 'Toxicity Traffic Light' (TTL) system: green, low hazard (no action required), orange, potential risk (further research needed) and red high risk (mitigation measures). Thanks to cost-effectiveness, flexibility and relevance, the SIMONI strategy has the potential to become the first bioanalytical tool to be applied in regular water quality monitoring programs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.