At a time when the safety and security of services we
have typically taken for granted are under question, a
real-time or near real-time method of monitoring changes
in water quality parameters could provide a critical line
of defense in protecting public health. This study was
undertaken to determine the feasibility of using water
quality sensors as part of a contaminant warning system.
Commercially available water quality sensors are
capable of triggering a contamination warning system
using standard water quality parameters. When contaminants
are injected into a water line, they cause the
water quality parameters such as chlorine and total
organic carbon to change. These changes are the
mechanism that can be used to detect the presence of
contaminants. The result of this research supports the
dual benefit of adding on-line water quality monitoring
to the distribution system, thereby improving both
security and water quality. Includes 18 references, tables, figures.