Real-Time Remote Monitoring of Drinking Water Quality

Abstract

Over the past eight years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) has funded the testing and evaluation of various online “real-time” technologies for monitoring drinking water quality. The events of 9/11 and subsequent threats to the nation’s infrastructure have expanded the focus of this research. Currently, EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) is funding additional research to evaluate a variety of remote water quality monitoring (RWQM) technologies. The evaluations focus on the ability of the commercially available technologies to be used as a tool to detect deliberate or accidental contamination of water supply and water distribution systems. This paper highlights some of the lessons learned from the past and ongoing research related to RWQM conducted by EPA at the EPA’s Test and Evaluation (T&E) Facility in Cincinnati, Ohio, and other field locations. Disclaimer This paper has been reviewed in accordance with the EPA's peer and administrative review policies and approved for presentation and publication. The mention of trade names or commercial products in this paper does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the authors, or by their respective employers. The trade names have been included to accurately represent the equipment used for the purpose of testing and evaluation.