Building Trust and Increasing Efficiency with Online Water Quality Monitoring

Nonetheless, many people worry about the quality of their water. Unlike generations past, modern consumers, influenced by high-profile news stories about emerging contaminants, want confirmation that their water is safe. In order to reassure their customers—and proactively address issues that may cause concern—many water utilities are turning to online water quality monitoring in the distribution system.

Sharing (Data) Is Caring

Online water quality monitoring continuously delivers data from the field directly to the water utility. As parameters change, the utility is alerted. This helps ensure customer trust in two ways.

First, it enables the utility to get ahead of problems. Rather than manually pulling grab samples and waiting hours or days for lab results—or worse, getting complaints about water quality directly from customers—water utilities with online water quality monitoring can detect even subtle changes, such as an increase in turbidity, drop in pH, or other factors sooner. With a real-time warning that something is awry, the utility can address the problem before it becomes significant enough to impact customers, reducing complaints and boosting confidence.

Second, online water quality monitoring can help inform a water utility's Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), which is required annually by the U.S. EPA. The CCR lists commonly found contaminants, their levels, and whether the utility has had any violations. Data sent from water quality monitors can be used to support the CCRs by showing how water quality has changed over the year and any corrective actions that were taken. Water utilities can take an even more proactive position by publishing water quality data on their websites or on customer-facing portals.

One of the best ways to build trust is by being transparent. When a water utility shares data about water quality with its community, it demonstrates that the utility is trustworthy—and that the product it provides can be trusted, too.

Beyond the Tap

In addition to helping build and maintain trust with customers, online water quality monitoring can bring a host of operational benefits to the utility:

• Labor efficiency. By reducing truck rolls associated with pulling grab samples, water utilities can allocate time to more critical tasks.
• Sustainability. Fewer trucks on the road means a lower carbon footprint.
• Worker safety. When workers can access data automatically without having to spend time in the field, their chances of being injured decrease significantly.
• Employee satisfaction. Online water quality monitoring gives operators greater control over their ability to deliver clean water to customers, fostering a sense of stewardship that, in turn, enhances job satisfaction.

Monitoring Across the Water Cycle

Online water quality monitoring isn't just for drinking water distribution systems. These versatile devices can be installed in rivers, wells, or other water sources to indicate the presence of certain contaminants—or if concentrations have risen beyond a certain threshold. Wastewater treatment plants can utilize online water quality monitoring to track the composition of the influent to ensure their biological treatment processes will work effectively. They can also track nutrient levels in the effluent to ensure they are in compliance with federal, state and local regulations. In stormwater systems, online water quality monitoring can be used to detect whether a retention pond has become too silted or to ensure that undesirable chemicals are settling out before emptying into a river or other water source.

The real-time data provided by online water quality monitoring gives utilities immediate insight into their water networks, providing them with a unique opportunity to not only build customer confidence but also enhance operational efficiency and protect the environment.

By facilitating control over quality parameters and enabling transparency about water conditions, online water quality monitoring improves utility operations, calms customers' concerns and strengthens the relationship between the utility and its community.