Utility‐based Analytical Methods to Ensure Public Water Supply Security

Abstract

Since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the world has become a different place. More attention than ever is being paid to the nation's vulnerabilities, and this has prompted officials at all levels to examine the tools available for ensuring the security of public utilities. The recent emphasis on making sure that public water supplies are safe has created the need for continuous monitoring systems and analytical techniques that can be used at the utility level to test for a variety of toxic materials in a short amount of time. States and colleagues provide a survey of continuous monitoring and analytical methods currently available to utilities for security purposes. This survey grew out of an investigation the Pittsburgh (Pa.) Water & Sewer Authority (PWSA) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering conducted in order to identify feasible analytical responses to security concerns. This investigation included a literature search; discussions with personnel from various water utilities, water industry organizations, and regulatory agencies; and evaluation of several commercially available monitoring and analytical systems. The article also takes a look at the analytical measures PWSA uses to screen for possible contamination in response to threats or suspected tampering with its water system as well as during times of heightened security. Although these methods are limited and their results should be interpreted with caution, there are some techniques, such as acute toxicity testing, that can be useful.

Preparation and Testing of Impedance-based Fluidic Biochips with RTgill-W1 Cells for Rapid Evaluation of Drinking Water Samples for Toxicity

“…Historically, field portable water testing technologies with a biological component to them (such as antibodies, enzymes, or nucleic acids) have been analyte-specific [1][2][3] . The disadvantage to these types of biosensors is that they will only detect one type of chemical at a time.…”

Suitability of Invertebrate and Vertebrate Cells in a Portable Impedance-Based Toxicity Sensor: Temperature Mediated Impacts on Long-Term Survival

“…A wide array of analytespecific assays exists for detection of chemicals in water (Kelly et al, 2008;Pancrazio et al, 1999;Reardon et al, 2009;States et al, 2003), but a large number of assays would be needed to detect all possible chemicals, and unknown toxic chemicals would still escape detection. To meet this growing need, a variety of toxicity sensors have been developed that can detect a broad range of chemical contaminants (Curtis et al, 2009a;Eltzov and Marks, 2010;Iuga et al, 2009, andO'Shaughnessy et al, 2004).…”

WATER AND BIOTERRORISM: Preparing for the Potential Threat to U.S. Water Supplies and Public Health

“…Recent terrorist activity in the United States has forced the public health community, federal regulatory agencies, and local water utilities to consider the possibility of intentional contamination of U.S. water supplies as part of an organized effort to disrupt and damage important elements of our national infrastructure (19,39,59). Water supplies and water distribution systems represent potential targets for terrorist activity in the United States because of the essential role that water plays in every segment of our industrialized society (39).…”

“…In the past, protection of potable water supplies from intentional contamination with biological 214 MEINHARDT agents and biotoxins was a concern primarily of the military, which was tasked with protecting troops from bioweapons exposure in the field (9,42,62). Since September 11, 2001, there is growing concern that biological warfare agents may be used against the U.S. civilian population, with water as one possible vehicle of transmission or mode of dispersal of weaponized compounds (19,21,35,39,59).…”

“…Subsequent to this heightened alert, the CDC and the EPA issued a Water Advisory in Response to the High Threat Level describing the need for enhanced vigilance by the public health and water utility community regarding the risk of a terrorist attack on the nation's water infrastructure (15) (Figure 1). Apprehension regarding a terrorist assault on drinking water systems has also been reinforced by news reports and recent arrests of suspects charged with threatening to contaminate municipal water supplies in the United States (46,59). In addition, President George Bush noted in his 2002 State of the Union Address (49) that captured Al Qaeda documents included detailed maps of several U.S. municipal public drinking water systems.…”