Let's get real. Real world experiences with real-time on-line monitoring for security and quality. Detecting and responding to events: Fid-Bau Portal

Let's get real. Real world experiences with real-time on-line monitoring for security and quality. Detecting and responding to events

Kroll, D. / King, K. / Klein, G.

Abstract

Extensive laboratory and pipe loop testing that is detailed in a separate papers indicate that these types of monitoring systems appear to be a good choice for detecting water quality excursions that could be linked to water security events. There are a number of advantages to using such systems. The chief advantage is that these instruments are not new. They are based on common everyday parameters with which the average industry worker is quite familiar, thus, adding a degree of comfort in operations not afforded by other new technology. As existing technologies, these instruments have been proven to be robust and dependable in prior field deployments. They represent measurements that would be of interest and use to water utility personnel above and beyond their role as water security devices. The deployment incidents detailed in this paper confirm this and also demonstrate the applicability of utilizing these everyday parameters by linking them with advanced algorithms. The field deployment studies not only demonstrate robustness in the field and the ability to recognize a wide variety of events, but these studies also demonstrate such system's ability to learn. It is foreseeable that these devices will become much more than a system that is capable of detecting terrorist events. They could easily become a critical tool for improving everyday operations. For example, through many years of experience, the best old hands at treatment plant operations have developed 'a sense' for knowing something in the treatment system is amiss. It can be a smell, color, clarity (or lack there of), sound or just tingling in the nape of the neck. One gains this sense only by extensive experience in a particular facility. These senses do not exist in distribution systems because there has typically been little measurement done upon which to gain these 'senses' and, therefore; 'Bulk Parameter Monitoring in the Distribution System with Interpretive Algorithms' has the potential to become the artificial 'sense' able to quickly 'learn' the quirks of the distribution system and have those quirks labeled by those with extensive experience so that less experienced employees have the benefit of that knowledge without having to wait 5, 10 or more years. A good phrase to describe this knowledge base would be 'institutional intuition.' With the aging of the work force and rapid employee turnover 'institutional intuition' has the chance of quickly dying out. Above and beyond their obvious security benefits, algorithms could be a way to circumvent this loss of knowledge and to build a knowledge base where none has previously existed. This in turn could allow improvements is system operation that may result in cost savings and definitely will result in a higher quality product being delivered to the consumer.