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Navy Develops Dual Use Drinking Water Monitoring System

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080718-02
Release Date: 7/18/2008 6:17:00 AM

By Darrell Waller, Naval Facilities Engineering Command/Engineering Service Center Port Hueneme

PORT HUENEME, CALIF. (NNS) -- The Navy is testing a new drinking water quality monitoring system that would provide safe water for military personnel worldwide while warning of attempts to intentionally contaminate water supplies.

The system is part of a study completed by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command's Engineering Service Center (NAVFAC ESC) to assess drinking water security technologies and is being demonstrated at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC), Port Hueneme. The study was funded by the Navy Environmental Sustainability Development to Integration program.

"Water is an essential element for human survival, and securing fresh water supplies for our warfighters is a vital part of the Global War on Terror," said NAVFAC ESC Commanding Officer, Capt. Gregory J. Zielinski.

"Disruption of those supplies by enemy forces would be catastrophic. The Navy is making every effort to ensure that our water supplies remain pristine and untouched. The water monitoring system we have developed will help us achieve that goal."

The demonstration will be performed with NBVC Public Works Department staff and a contractor.

Testing includes the integration of water distribution system hydraulic modeling with recommended real-time monitoring technologies identified in the study. Chlorine residue (free and total), ammonia, nitrate, organics (total and dissolved), total trihalomethanes (TTHM), conductivity and turbidity are among the key water quality parameters monitored.

More importantly, the system can also detect a wide range of contaminants to provide an early warning of occurrences of water abnormality, such as intentional contamination or terrorist attack, pipe breaks, or system failure. The monitoring stations are deployed at strategic locations to detect water quality of the water coming into the base, as well as water quality of the segment of water system that serves a large portion of the base population or areas experiencing poor water quality.

Monitoring data are collected continuously and transmitted wirelessly for analysis, reporting and response actions. Field installations begin in mid-2008, and the one-year demonstration will be completed by late 2009.

For more news from Naval Facilities Engineering Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/navfachq/.