The Philadelphia Water Supply Digital Early Warning System

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The Coatesville Community Education Foundation in collaboration with City of Coatesville and the University of Pennsylvania Pennovation Center is proposing a Digital Early Warning System (DEWS) with an optical, on-line bacteria sensor for monitoring drinking water quality in the Philadelphia region’s water system using a digital sensing system developed in Denmark. A moving digital microscope with a camera will use a rapid, chemical-free method for on-line monitoring of non-specific bacteria water contamination levels (1). The DEWS monitoring system has a 10-minute time resolution allowing for constant rapid response. The ultimate goal of the project is to add a DEWS water supply monitoring through the existing Homeland Security system communication channels connecting Philadelphia and its suburban counties. The Chester County Public Safety Training Campus (PSTC), located in Coatesville (PA), is a hub for the regional Homeland Security training and connectivity for Fire, EMS and Police professionals and organizations that serve local and regional communities. Presently there is a Memorandum of Understanding between the emergency services in the five counties activated in August 2016, which deals primarily with emergency services coordination. This advanced broadband network will be enhanced through the DEWS digital sensors dispersed throughout the water supply system and connected to secure broadband channels to provide advanced warning of possible contamination of Philadelphia’s water supply. Network connectivity will enhance the creation of fully integrated and effectively operational DEWS. ​Issues related to water monitoring expertise, technology applications, institutional capacity, agency collaboration and response efficiency, improved risk management, as well as communication infrastructure requires a holistic approach to ameliorate the impact of potentially dangerous environmental degradation and pollution on vulnerable populations. Equally important components of EWS are emergency preparedness and disaster response plans that are initiated when an adverse impact is predicted and warning information issued. Since DEWS is networked with a wide array of other EWSs a plan incorporating the DEWS needs to be developed in advance, rehearsed, so it is ready to be implemented when necessary.

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(1) Højris, B. ​et al. A novel, optical, on-line bacteria sensor for monitoring drinking water quality. ​Sci. Rep. ​6​, 23935; doi: 10.1038/srep23935 (2016).