A web-based early-warning service to monitor drinking-water treatment plant operations

Abstract

Drinking contaminated water can be harmful to our health. According to the World Health Organization, about 1.8 million people die every year across the world from water-borne diseases mainly caused by polluted drinking water. Furthermore, the cryptosporidium outbreak that happened in Galway in 2007 indicates the urgency to provide appropriate solutions in order to counteract this ominous situation in the country. Water treatment plants (WTP) are basic components of modern water supply and distribution systems. These are engineering systems that purify raw water to specific safety levels. The raw water passes through a series of treatment phases wherein it is processed and purified according to existing safety protocols regulating drinking water. After undergoing a purification step, the drinking water is distributed to the consumers through a network of pipes, pumps and reservoirs. The research presented in this report is focused on the safety of these critical infrastructures. In particular, the ...