Adaptive real-time contaminant detection and early warning for drinking water distribution systems

Abstract

A method for monitoring water in a distribution system is disclosed where the sensor sampling schedule is changed in real time in response to a contaminant or other chemical passing through the sampling location. This results in finer determination of where the contaminant is located in the water distribution and identification of the contaminant with a lower false rate than random or scheduled sampling.

1 . A distributed network of local monitoring stations in a water distribution system wherein each local monitoring station comprises a plurality of identical sensors spaced apart within the local monitoring station so as to detect and monitor passage through the local monitoring station of a slug of water containing a contaminant or an aberrant quantity of a component of the water. 
     
     
         2 . The distributed network of local monitoring stations according to  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of different types sensors are located in the local monitoring stations with a plurality of identical sensors of each type are spaced apart within the local monitoring station. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A method for sampling water in a water distribution system comprising,
 flowing water through a local monitoring station, which comprises a plurality of identical sensors for a component in water whereby, each sensor is spaced apart within the local monitoring station and wherein the water is sampled on a schedule.   detecting a significant change in a measurement of the component in water in a first sensor in the local monitoring station, and   changing the sampling schedule for at least a second sensor in the local monitoring station while the significant change in a measurement of a component in water is still present in the local monitoring station.   
     
     
         7 . The method for sampling water according to  claim 6  wherein the component in water is a contaminant. 
     
     
         8 . The method for sampling water according to  claim 6  further comprising a plurality of different types of sensors for determining different components of the water. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8  wherein the ratio between the different components in the water is determined. 
     
     
         10 . The method for sampling water according to  claim 6  wherein the composition of the component in water is identified. 
     
     
         11 . A method for determining a contaminant chemical component in a fluid system comprising:
 passing a fluid by a plurality of different sensors that can form different combinations of signals serving, and   analyzing the signals to identify the contaminant chemical component or its chemical class,   wherein quantitative relationships in different signals produce a discriminating chemical signature, allowing one to infer the contaminant or its chemical class.   
     
     
         12 . The method for determining a contaminant chemical component in a fluid system according to  claim 11  further comprising identifying a plurality of contaminant chemical components in the fluid system. 
     
     
         13 . The method for determining a contaminant chemical component in a fluid system according to  claim 11  further comprising detecting the contaminant chemical component flowing through a pipe by a plurality of different sensors located inside the pipe.