AWWA JAW65235

A large surface water treatment plant, the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission (NJDWSC), undertook a systematic and organized approach to the development and implementation of a concentration times time (C ? T) microbial inactivation program for regulatory compliance. Previous monitoring efforts involving grab samples and manual entry of data into spreadsheets were time-consuming, cumbersome, and labor-intensive. The NJDWSC combined information technology, tracer studies, a supervisory control and data acquisition system, and a C ? T calculation program to achieve real-time monitoring for microbial inactivation. The move to automation was a step-by-step process that required extensive management, planning, and organizational efforts to review current operations, identify challenges facing the utility, and resolve these problems. Effective communication, both within the NJDWSC and with outside agencies, abetted the computerization efforts. The result is an on-line system that helps the utility ensure water quality for its customers, achieve regulatory compliance, and safeguard public health. Includes 15 references, tables, figures.