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WATER QUALITY EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FOR SOURCE WATER PROTECTION
Citation:
Allen*, H. J., R C. Haught*, J A. Goodrich*, AND S. C. Gutierrez. WATER QUALITY EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FOR SOURCE WATER PROTECTION. Presented at WSWRD Peer Review, Cincinnati, OH, September 27 - 29, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Source waters of the U.S. are vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic factors affecting quality for use as both a drinking water and ecological media. Important factors include physical parameters such as increased turbidity, ecological cycles such as algal blooms, and episodic contamination events (both unintentional and intentional). The objective of this work is to provide a framework for the implementation of a watershed scale water quality early warning system (WQEWS) using chemical, physical, and biological water quality monitors. To achieve this, the Water Awareness Technology Evaluation Research Security Center (WATERS) and the Early Warning Systems Laboratory (EWSL) have been established for physical/chemical probes and biological probes respectively. Water Quality Monitoring Systems (WQMS) using biological material are based on the "canary in the coal mine" concept. Biological systems are necessary for the monitoring of water quality because there is no machine or analytical approach available capable of quantifying toxicity. Recent technological advances permit the collection, telemetry, and analysis of sensitive behavioral/physiological data which can be indicative of water quality. Further, WQMSs can be strategically deployed for optimum geospatial coverage of a watershed. This research includes: WQMS research and development at U.S. EPA's EWS Laboratory, Cincinnati Ohio; R&D of field deployable WQMSs including data telemetry and analysis techniques; Field validation of WQMSs; and a Pilot WQEWS in a southwest Ohio watershed