In order to assess the actual pollutant loads from the drainage basin, the twelve major tributaries of the Venice Lagoon were monitored and studied in the period 1998-2000 in the framework of the DRAIN project. A specific sampling scheme was designed to investigate the effects of the different regimes, including floods, in the transport of total and dissolved metals, nitrogen and phosphorous species as well as organic micropollutants. The loads were calculated from data collected during the year of 1999, since this year displayed a value close to the mean in terms of the distribution of total rainfall on the drainage basin. The annual values for the different pollutants are reported and discussed. A comparison with the estimates of previous investigations highlights the significant advancement provided by the DRAIN project results in the understanding of the drainage basin contribution to the pollution of the lagoon. Finally, the importance of flood events on the overall balance of materials and pollutants delivered to the lagoon is emphasized.