Hach Homeland Security Technologies division was issued US Patent 6,999,898 for the proprietary analytic technology in its Event Monitor Trigger System, the diagnostic software for Hach’s innovative water distribution monitoring system. The patented technology, which analyzes deviation vectors in water parameters, is the first of its kind to be applied to water quality monitoring.
Hach’s revolutionary technology is the only technology verified by the U.S. EPA-funded ETV testing program that is able to detect, alert and classify a wide variety of contaminants, as well as detect, alert, classify and learn real-world events in water distribution systems. This allows water utilities to streamline plant and system operations, reduce system maintenance costs, improve water quality and customer satisfaction, and ultimately protect against intentional or accidental contamination.
“We are excited to be at the forefront of water distribution monitoring and security,” said Dr. Jeff Throckmorton, president of Hach’s Homeland Security Technologies division. “Our patented technology will redefine how water utilities not only manage the quality of their drinking water, but monitor their drinking water for accidental or intentional contamination.”
The Event Monitor Trigger System, Water Distribution Monitoring Panel and astroTOCTM Total Organic Carbon Analyzer are the three components of Hach’s unique and innovative water distribution monitoring system. The Event Monitor Trigger System integrates multiple sensor outputs from the Water Distribution Monitoring Panel and astroTOC Analyzer, two of Hach’s advanced water quality sensors. Every 60 seconds, the system applies a patented algorithm to the sensor measurements, calculating a site’s water quality baseline. The system alarms when the trigger signal exceeds a preset threshold, indicating a water quality deviation.
The system is equipped with a plant event library and, once installed, learns the signatures of operational events. It can also be equipped with an agent library containing profiles of a wide variety of contaminants. If an event occurs and its signature cannot be found in the agent library, the plant event library is searched for a match. If no match is found, the signature is stored for future reference in case the event recurs. Over time, operators can label plant event profiles by name and severity level, allowing recognition of previous events, and decreasing the frequency of unknown alarms.
Unlike traditional monitoring systems, the Event Monitor Trigger System’s breakthrough technology is the first of its kind that will detect and alert on excursions that are not yet in either the agent library or plant library. This capability enables the system to warn an operator to unknown agents, contamination and operational events never previously encountered.
The Event Monitor Trigger System, Water Distribution Monitoring Panel, and astroTOC Total Organic Carbon Analyzer received Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) from the EPA for continuous multi-parameter water monitoring in distribution systems by a water distribution monitoring system. The Event Monitor Trigger System received the R&D100 Award for one of the 100 most technologically significant new products of 2005 by R&D Magazine.
Source: Hach Homeland Security Technologies
