Both real events and models have proven that drinking water systems are vulnerable to deliberate and/or accidental
contamination. Additionally, homeland security initiatives and modeling efforts have determined that it is relatively easy
to orchestrate the contamination of potable water supplies. Such contamination can be accomplished with classic and
non-traditional chemical agents, toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), and/or toxic industrial materials (TIMs). Subsequent
research and testing has developed a proven network for detection and response to these threats. The method uses offthe-
shelf, broad-spectrum analytical instruments coupled with advanced interpretive algorithms. The system detects and
characterizes any backflow events involving toxic contaminants by employing unique chemical signature (fingerprint)
response data. This instrumentation has been certified by the Office of Homeland Security for detecting deliberate and/or
accidental contamination of critical water infrastructure. The system involves integration of several mature technologies
(sensors, SCADA, dynamic models, and the HACH HST Guardian Blue instrumentation) into a complete, real-time,
management system that also can be used to address other water distribution concerns, such as corrosion. This paper
summarizes the reasons and results for installing such a distribution-based detection and protection system.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.