AWWA JAW31503

This article describes results of an agreement between the North Penn Water Authority in Lansdale, Pa., and the US Environmental Protection Agency, Drinking Water Research Division, Cincinnati, Ohio, to study use of expert systems technology in a water utility. The threeyear study has resulted in the development of computerized expert systems whose basic principles should be broadly applicable to other water utilities. The system described in this article, called a customer query expert system, is designed to assist administrative personnel in handling customers' inquiries and complaints about water quality. The system has been developed as a prototype and will be placed in field operation for further testing and refinement in the near future. Significant effort, however, is expected to be necessary to move from prototype "proof-of-concept" demonstrations to fully featured systems that are of practical use in the field. Includes 5 references, tables.