Advances in Data Validation, Event Detection, and Communications Structures for a CWS: Case Study — Glendale, Arizona

The City of Glendale, Arizona has been developing and implementing the various elements of a Contamination Warning System (CWS) since 2005. The purpose of the CWS is to provide multiple benefits to the utility through early identification of unusual water quality events, including those due to operational changes, occurring in the distribution system. The key to a successful CWS is the rapid analysis and evaluation of data from multiple sources to extract the relatively small amount of information related to the unusual occurrences in the distribution system. To effectively accomplish this, Event Detection System (EDS) software needs to have robust processes in place for both data validation and data analysis to enable accurate event detection. This paper provides an overview of the Glendale EDS and its capabilities for data validation and event detection.