Distributed Water Quality Sensors for End Point Contamination Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current water quality sensing systems are expensive, generate toxic waste streams, and are impractical for installation at end points of a water utility distribution network, limiting their ability to detect contamination events effectively.
Innovation Solution
A water quality monitoring system that deploys individual sensors co-located with water meters at end points of a water distribution network, allowing for the sensing of biological, chemical, and environmental parameters, and transmitting data wirelessly for real-time monitoring and reporting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If expensive sensors located at special stations are used to sense water quality, then water quality parameters can be sensed, but the system becomes economically impractical for installation at end point locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the water quality monitoring function into individual sensor units that can be attached to separate water meters at different end point locations. Instead of having one centralized expensive sensing station, multiple segmented sensor-meter combinations are distributed throughout the network, making the system economically scalable and practical for widespread deployment at end points.
2Measurement precision
If current water quality sensing systems are deployed, then water quality parameters can be detected, but toxic waste streams are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful waste stream generation from the water quality sensing process by using sensors that detect contaminants without requiring chemical reactions that produce toxic byproducts. The sensing mechanism is separated from any waste-generating processes, allowing contamination detection to occur without creating harmful environmental effects.
3Loss of information
If centralized water quality sensing stations are used, then comprehensive water quality data can be collected, but the system cannot detect contamination events at end points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a centralized, single-location sensing approach to a distributed, multi-dimensional network of sensor-meter units positioned at numerous end point locations throughout the water distribution system. This spatial dimensionality change enables comprehensive coverage and allows detection of contamination events at the actual points where water is consumed, rather than only at centralized stations.
Data Source
AI summary
A water quality monitoring computer system for a water distribution network includes a water distribution network configured to receive water from one or more network sources and distribute the water through the water distribution network to one or more network end points, at least one water quality monitor configured to generate water quality data for a distribution zone of the water quality network that includes a zone water source and one or more zone endpoints, which includes network end points downstream from the zone source, and a zone end point meter associated with each of the zone end points, wherein the zone end point meter monitors water flow exiting the distribution zone. At least two of the end point water meters include one or more water quality sensors and at least two of the end point water meters include different water quality sensor types, and the one water quality monitor aggregates water quality sensor data transmitted from the zone end point water meters to generate the distribution zone water quality data.