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The impact of bad sensors on the water industry and possible alternatives
journal contribution
posted on 2009-08-17, 14:30 authored by Ahmed Moustafa, Ashraf El-Hamalawi, Andrew D. WheatleyAdvanced monitoring of water quality in order to perform a real-time hazard analysis prior to
Water Treatment Works (WTW) is more important nowadays, both to give warning of contamination and also to
avoid downtime of the WTW. Downtimes could be a major contributor to risk. Any serious accident will cause a
significant loss in customer and investor confidence. In this paper, two treatment plants (case studies) were
examined. One was a groundwater WTW and the other a river WTW. The results showed that good correlations
existed between the controlling parameters measured at the river WTW, but not at the Groundwater Treatment
Works (GWTW), where there was a lack of good correlation between warning parameters. Results emphasised
the value of backup monitoring and self-adjusting automation processes that are needed to counteract the rise in
power costs. The study showed that a relationship between the different types of sensors and/or measured
parameters can be deduced in order to cross-check the sensors performance and be used as a guide to when
maintenance is really needed. Operating hierarchal procedures within the WTWs could also be used to cut costs,
by improving condition monitoring. Both of the case studies highlighted the need for new non-invasive/remote
sensors and some new investment in information technology infrastructure.
History
School
- Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering
Citation
MOUSTAFA, A, EL-HAMALAWI, A, WHEATLEY, A., 2008. The impact of bad sensors on the water industry and possible alternatives, ITcon, 13, Special Issue, Sensors in Construction and Infrastructure Management, pp. 166-178.Publisher
International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction / © The authorsVersion
- VoR (Version of Record)
Publication date
2008Notes
This article was published in the Journal of Information Technology in Construction (ITcon) and is also available at: http://www.itcon.org/2008/12ISSN
1874-4753Language
- en