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Research Highlights
Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment: Tucson Water Study
TEVA-SPOT software can be used to determine the number and location of sensors that are needed to support a contamination warning system. The location of online sensors can be optimized to help achieve such a system’s primary goal: to detect contamination incidents in time to mitigate public health and economic consequences. TEVA-SPOT can also be used to meet additional design objectives — for example, minimization of costs, detection time, exposure to contaminants, and the spatial extent of contamination. In addition, the software can be used to demonstrate the importance of a fast response to a detected contamination incident. In order to use TEVA-SPOT, it is necessary to have utility-specific input. Often, through the application of TEVA‑SPOT, improvements to the distribution system models benefit the utility in other projects as well. Tucson Water Utility StudyTucson Water is an innovative and advanced municipal drinking water system that serves nearly 700,000 customers. Through an EPA Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) grant, online monitors have been providing near real-time water quality data to the public for several years. Tucson Water is currently considering the expansion of the online monitoring program to meet its security objectives.EPA began TEVA work with the Tucson Water utility in early 2005. The goal of the Tucson Water TEVA study was to identify new and/or existing EMPACT locations that could be used for monitoring for contamination incidents. Additionally through interaction with Tucson Water, as well as with other water utilities, EPA has been able to develop, test, and refine TEVA methodologies. In order to use TEVA-SPOT, multiple pressure zone models had to be integrated into a single system-wide model. While separate pressure zone models are sufficient for many utility needs, water security analyses require a systems-engineering approach, focusing on the entire distribution system as a whole. EPA is assisting Tucson Water in the development of the integrated model. Tucson Water is evaluating how to effectively use the designs recommended by TEVA-SPOT to create and implement a sustainable and cost-effective contamination warning system. In addition to the number and placement of sensors, Tucson Water is also evaluating vulnerability information provided by EPA researchers to better understand the sensitivity of response time in mitigating public health impacts following a contamination event. For more information, visit the TEVA research program page.
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