New tool to protect the drinking water supplying system

These contaminants can infiltrate the water network when the system fails, the industrial breakdown or malfunction and attack when a crime or terrorism.

The German and French researchers have developed tools for water utilities to help them react quickly to pathogens or toxic substances appear in drinking water supplies.

The partners, including research organizations are working German Fraunhofer concerning comprehensive monitoring, early warning and emergency management system, allows utilities to provide fast boot measures response in emergency situations.

These contaminants can infiltrate the water supply network system when damaged or when operating errors as well as with attacks or terrorist offenses.

"To protect people, we need to have the ability to detect harmful substances as quickly as possible and know how they spread" - Dr. Thomas Bernard, an expert at the Institute flow model Frauhofer said.

The researchers have developed a mathematical model to simulate the hydraulic water network and the distribution of the quality parameters of the pipeline system. This will determine the best location for the placement of sensors in order to ensure early detection of impurities.

If an alarm started, online simulation model can help determine the source of pollution and calculates where the impurities will spread within hours.

According to Dr. Bernard, calculating and forecasting the path of pollutants is not easy due to the flow of water in the water supply system at any place are also not the same.

"It varies depending on the pressure in the pipe, pipe diameter and shape as well as the number of users. And the chaotic motion of the flow occurring in the branch pipe".

As part of the system, intelligent software measurement values such as turbidity, temperature, pressure, concentration of chlorine and oxygen, pH and bacteria in the water.

But when the threshold value on the close, the system will first look at the possible causes, such as pumping systems are open or closed. This is because more than 90% of the abnormalities are caused by changes in operating conditions and not cause alarm.

This new system has been implemented in Strasburg, where water quality sensors and hydraulic piping systems collect data and send it to the process control system. In emergency cases, workers can begin the response measures such as discharging pollution or close the entire water supply network.