Water Quality Sensor Placement Guidance Using TEVA-SPOT

Contamination warning systems involve a network of sensors that can assess the water quality in a water distribution system and alert an operator of a potential contamination event. Utilities developing these water quality monitoring systems are faced with the decision of what locations are best suited for deployment of these sensors to maximize their ability to detect contamination events. TEVA-SPOT is a sensor placement software tool that uses an optimization algorithm to evaluate the hydraulic model of a system and recommend optimal locations for water quality sensor deployment. This paper presents a study in which several systems were investigated using the TEVA-SPOT software. A database of distribution system models of small utilities was first created to support this research. Models were then used in the TEVA-SPOT software and input data such as contamination scenario, number of sensors to be deployed, and sensor design objective were then assigned. The locations recommended by the software as optimal sensor locations were evaluated and investigated for patterns as compared with other systems. Each sensor placement recommendation was analyzed to determine the proximity of the sensor locations relative to one another and evaluated in terms of the need for additional sensors. Results of the sensor placement evaluation were grouped by system configuration, and trends were examined based on loop, grid, or branch configuration. The results of this study indicated that 50 to 75 percent of sensor designs had the two sensor locations placed close together for the loop and grid systems, respectively. However, no sensor designs had two sensor locations placed close together in the branch systems. These same trends were reflected in the need for additional sensors.