The security and safety of the drinking water distribution system has recently generated concern. Accidental and intentional contamination by chemical, biological and radiological contaminants could cause major consequences for the consumer because clean water is critical to the nation's infrastructure. An attack on the water supply could disable an entire city. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a system to monitor the water quality to ensure the water is safe for consumption. In an attempt to protect the water systems, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) initiated research to test the various instruments within a Contaminant Warning System (CWS). The system measures water quality and triggers an alarm for deviation in the quality. The different methods of detection utilized in the study include turbidity, chlorine, pH, conductivity, TOC, Online gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, ultra violet transmittance, biomonitor, and a pathogen identification system.The contaminants were pumped into the pilot distribution system CWS, and the responses of a variety of online monitors were evaluated. The contaminants range from fluorosilicic acid, which is used to increase the fluoride concentration of water, to a nonpathogenic species of Bacillus, which could serve as a model for Bacillus anthracis, the bacterial species that causes the disease anthrax. The system was connected to main transmission lines that feed downtown Pittsburgh with drinking water. While many of the monitors detected one or more contaminants, at least one of the devices used in the pilot distribution system CWS responded all of the contaminants.
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