CCWI2017: F149 'WATER NETWORK CHARACTERISATION BASED ON MASS BALANCE WITH REGARDS TO DISCOLOURATION RISK USING HIGH FREQUENCY TURBIDITY MONITORING'

Water companies are currently facing the challenge to continue the supply of high quality drinking water while at the same time trying to meet ever increasing regulatory standards. Despite a high standard of water quality monitoring at both water treatment plants and major supply mains, many water companies continue to use customers as water quality monitors in their distribution networks. This paper presents the assessment of particulate transport in water distribution systems over short and long-duration monitoring (years) by the application of the latest technology for continuous and remote monitoring of turbidity. Turbidity was monitored at 15 minute resolution at 2 sites in a District Meter Area (DMA) with historical evidence of discolouration problems. Monitoring at this resolution demonstrates its necessity to determine whether and when there is a discolouration problem and how it responds to remediation. Also, demonstrated is the utility of calculating high resolution mass flux from turbidity as an aid to predicting discolouration. Multi-year monitoring at a single site in the DMA has given a unique insight into discolouration processes and the impact of remediation.