New System for Continuous Monitoring of Drinking Water Distribution System

Drinking water in the UK consistently achieves high levels of quality with a fraction of one per cent failing to meet the required standards. However, spot testing of tap water has a number of significant drawbacks, and for this reason, US based YSI Inc have developed a new system for the monitoring and protection of distribution networks.
Taking samples from consumers’ premises is a laborious and therefore expensive process. Furthermore, if samples have to be returned to a laboratory for accurate analysis a delay is incurred and potential complications exist if the sample is allowed to alter in any way during transportation. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, spot sampling is not an effective procedure for the rapid identification of problems.
Continuous water quality monitors connected to real-time data communications systems ensure that the quality of water leaving a drinking water treatment plant is very high. However, water may become contaminated from within the distribution network, and for this reason it is essential that reliable continuous monitors are installed at critical points within the network to ensure that the quality of water delivered to the consumer remains high.
The need for network monitoring is further extended by recent concerns that contamination may also take place as a result of deliberate malicious activity.
YSI is the world’s leading manufacturer of compact multiparameter water quality monitoring probes (often referred to as sondes or multiprobes). These multiprobes cleverly incorporate a number of sensors, internal batteries, datalogging and communication technologies into a portable device that probably weighs less than your briefcase.
The YSI Multiprobe is able to incorporate sensors for free chlorine, temperature, conductivity, pH, ORP and turbidity. It is normally installed with a flow cell at a valve on the distribution system and data can be logged internally and transmitted to a SCADA system or directly to a web site via ‘YSI EcoNet’. This means that long-term trends in water quality can be monitored and any sudden change in water quality can be detected immediately.
Many thousands of YSI Multiprobes are currently operating in oceanographic, surface and groundwater applications and as such the technology is well-proven, so YSI Hydrodata are confident that there will be a large market in the UK.

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