AWWA WSC63700

Contamination warning systems (CWS) have been proposed as a promising approach for detecting contaminants in drinking water systems early enough to allow for the effective reduction of public health or economic impacts. Modeling and optimization tools have been developed to support the design of utility-specific CWS. However, CWS design is not a simple application of optimization tools, but instead requires a series of significant decisions about its nature, purpose, and use. In this paper, the authors present a decision framework that utilizes models to determine sensor placement. The framework allows for the development of multiple possible sensor designs which can be compared and evaluated against a standard set of criteria. The framework is applied as an example to a water distribution system. Includes 18 references, tables, figures.