Anti-terrorism water quality monitoring system

• US 7,698,073 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hach Company (Veralto Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hach Company (Veralto Corp.)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo; Hien X
• Application Number:
  US12/272,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 702/22, 702/50, 702/118, 702 30- 31, 702/702, 702/188, 700/270, 700/271, 210/141, 210/634, 210/638, 210/660
• US Class Current: 702/22
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/12 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/22 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 47/14 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/001 Upstream control, i.e. monitoring for predictive control
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/003 Downstream control, i.e. outlet monitoring, e.g. to check the treating agents, such as halogens or ozone, leaving the process
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/006 comprising a software program or a logic diagram
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/05 Conductivity or salinity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/11 Turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/29 Chlorine compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/18 Water
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 21/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0221 Preprocessing measurements, e.g. data collection rate adjustment; Standardization of measurements; Time series or signal analysis, e.g. frequency analysis or wavelets; Trustworthiness of measurements; Indexes therefor; Measurements using easily measured parameters to estimate parameters difficult to measure; Virtual sensor creation; De-noising; Sensor fusion; Unconventional preprocessing inherently present in specific fault detection methods like PCA-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0224 Process history based detection method, e.g. whereby history implies the availability of large amounts of data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G16C 20/90 : Programming languages; Computing architectures; Database systems; Data warehousing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/152 : Water filtration

Abstract

An Anti-Terrorism water quality monitoring system for continuously monitoring a potable water treatment system and related potable water distribution network that provides potable water to a municipality, city, housing development or other potable water consumer. The system includes the collection of data from the water distribution system and from the water treatment facility and from advanced separation processes which are integrated into analytical instruments. The data collected are stored in a remote database on a remote server computer or bank of computers and accessible by Homeland Security or its designated agency. Preferred parameters of monitoring include the turbidity and disinfectant such as chlorine, hypochlorous acid, sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, ozone, chlorine dioxide, chloramines, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid.

Claims

1. A method comprising the following steps:

(a) providing one or more performance analysis results based on comparing current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data with each other and/or historical water treatment system data and/or historical water distribution system data; and

(b) one or more remote computers, located remotely from the location where the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data are collected, displaying the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users via a web browser program and/or formatting the one or more performance analysis results in a format accessible by one or more users by a web browser program and/or sending the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users by electronic transmission, so that performance parameters of a potable water treatment system and an associated potable water distribution system can be remotely monitored,

wherein one or more of the performance analysis results is produced by comparing selected performance parameters within the potable water treatment system against selected performance parameters within the potable water distribution system.

2. A method comprising the following steps:

(a) providing one or more performance analysis results based on comparing current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data with each other and/or historical water treatment system data and/or historical water distribution system data; and

(b) one or more remote computers, located remotely from the location where the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data are collected, displaying the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users via a web browser program and/or formatting the one or more performance analysis results in a format accessible by one or more users by a web browser program and/or sending the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users by electronic transmission, so that performance parameters of a potable water treatment system and an associated potable water distribution system can be remotely monitored,

wherein the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data are collected by an electronic control system for the potable water treatment system and the potable water distribution system and/or sensors that are part of the potable water distribution system and wherein the one or more remote computers are located remotely from the electronic control system and/or sensors.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data are data that has been electronically transmitted to the one or more remote computers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data that has been transmitted via the Internet to the one or more remote computers.

5. The method of claim 2, where in the historical water treatment system data and/or historical water distribution system data are obtained from data stored on one or more of the one or more remote computers.

6. A method comprising the following steps:

(a) providing one or more performance analysis results based on comparing current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data with each other and/or historical water treatment system data and/or historical water distribution system data; and

(b) one or more remote computers, located remotely from the location where the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data are collected, displaying the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users via a web browser program and/or formatting the one or more performance analysis results in a format accessible by one or more users by a web browser program and/or sending the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users by electronic transmission, so that performance parameters of a potable water treatment system and an associated potable water distribution system can be remotely monitored,

(c) the one or more remote computers producing the one or more performance analysis results by comparing current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data with each other and/or historical water treatment system data and/or historical water distribution system data,

wherein step (c) is performed upon the one or more remote computers receiving new current water treatment system data and/or new current water distribution system data.

7. A method comprising the following steps:

(a) providing one or more performance analysis results based on comparing current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data with each other and/or historical water treatment system data and/or historical water distribution system data; and

(b) one or more remote computers, located remotely from the location where the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data are collected, displaying the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users via a web browser program and/or formatting the one or more performance analysis results in a format accessible by one or more users by a web browser program and/or sending the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users by electronic transmission, so that performance parameters of a potable water treatment system and an associated potable water distribution system can be remotely monitored,

(c) the one or more remote computers producing the one or more performance analysis results by comparing current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data with each other and/or historical water treatment system data and/or historical water distribution system data,

wherein if one or more of the performance analysis results meet one or more specified criteria, step (b) comprises sending an alert or alarm to the one or more users via electronic transmission,

wherein one or more of the specified criteria relate to the differential between known optimum performance parameters for the potable water treatment system and/or the potable water distribution system and one or more of the one or more performance analysis results.

8. A method comprising the following steps:

(a) providing one or more performance analysis results based on comparing current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data with each other and/or historical water treatment system data and/or historical water distribution system data; and

(b) one or more remote computers, located remotely from the location where the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data are collected, displaying the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users via a web browser program and/or formatting the one or more performance analysis results in a format accessible by one or more users by a web browser program and/or sending the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users by electronic transmission, so that performance parameters of a potable water treatment system and an associated potable water distribution system can be remotely monitored,

wherein the performance parameters include;

the concentration of disinfectant in discharge water at a point of discharge from a water treatment plant; and

the concentration of one or more disinfectants in the discharge water at a distance greater than 100 meters from the point of discharge.

9. A method comprising the following steps:

(a) providing one or more performance analysis results based on comparing current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data with each other and/or historical water treatment system data and/or historical water distribution system data; and

(b) one or more remote computers, located remotely from the location where the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data are collected, displaying the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users via a web browser program and/or formatting the one or more performance analysis results in a format accessible by one or more users by a web browser program and/or sending the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users by electronic transmission, so that performance parameters of a potable water treatment system and an associated potable water distribution system can be remotely monitored,

wherein the performance parameters include;

the turbidity in discharge water at a point of discharge from a water treatment plant; and

the turbidity in the discharge water as measured at a distance greater than 100 meters from the point of discharge.

10. A method comprising the following steps:

(a) providing one or more performance analysis results based on comparing current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data with each other and/or historical water treatment system data and/or historical water distribution system data; and

(b) one or more remote computers, located remotely from the location where the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data are collected, displaying the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users via a web browser program and/or formatting the one or more performance analysis results in a format accessible by one or more users by a web browser program and/or sending the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users by electronic transmission, so that performance parameters of a potable water treatment system and an associated potable water distribution system can be remotely monitored,

(c) electronically transmitting the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data to the one or more remote computers from a electronic control system for the potable water treatment system and/or potable water distribution system and/or from sensors that are part of the potable water distribution system, wherein the one or more remote computers are located remotely relative to the electronic control system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) comprises electronically transmitting the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data via earth satellite transmission.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) comprises electronically transmitting the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data via cellular telephone network transmission methods.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) comprises electronically transmitting the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data via radio frequency transmission methods.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) comprises electronically transmitting the current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data via direct connection over the Internet to a database a database that is part of one or more of the one or more remote computers.

15. A system comprising:

one or more remote computers for;

producing one or more performance analysis results based on comparing current water treatment system data and/or current water distribution system data with each other and/or historical water treatment system data and/or historical water distribution system data;

displaying the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users via a web browser program and/or formatting the one or more performance analysis results in a format accessible by one or more users by a web browser program and/or sending the one or more performance analysis results to one or more users by electronic transmission; and

one or more databases for storing one or more of the members of the group consisting of;

the one or more performance analysis results, the current water treatment system data, the current water distribution system data, the historical water treatment system data and the historical water distribution system data;

wherein the one or more databases are part of the one or more remote computers;

wherein the one or more remote computers are located remotely from and are in electronic communication with an electronic control system that collects the current water treatment system data and at least some of the current water distribution system data;

wherein the collected current water treatment system data and at least some of the current water distribution system data are transmitted by the electronic control system to the one or more remote computers; and

wherein the system remotely monitors performance parameters of the potable water treatment system and the potable water distribution system.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising the electronic control system for the potable water treatment system and the potable water distribution system.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising sensors for the potable water distribution system, wherein at least some of the current water distribution data are electronically transmitted from the sensors for the potable water distribution system, wherein the one or more remote computers are located remotely from the sensors.