The smart grid as a public health protection tool

Since the introduction of the Safe Drinking Water Act, there has been marked reduction in the number of water-borne disease outbreaks attributed to water treatment systems. Over the same period, however, the percentage of disease outbreaks attributable to defects in the distribution system has increased exponentially. Interestingly, as a result of the continuous aging infrastructure employed by our water utilities, the number of waterborne disease cases has increased in the last decade. The smart grid for water can be used to significantly improve both the utility's understanding of water quality in the distribution system, but can dramatically increase the response time and provide the means to ensure public health protection. This paper will present the use of the Analytical Water Quality Assurance Program developed to provide instantaneous water quality notifications throughout the utility organization.