Philadelphia Water Department Case Study re: Surveillance and Response Systems

The Philadelphia Water Department developed the following reports to share their experience with surveillance and response systems.

Note: While these reports were developed using EPA funding under EPA's Water Security Initiative (WSI), they may not necessarily reflect the views of the agency.

• Contamination Warning System Dashboard Development (pdf) (1.36 MB)
  PWD developed a dashboard to serve as a centralized event data management, incident investigation, and issue resolution platform for their SRS. This report discusses the dashboard development process and the architecture that supports dashboard functions.
• Development of User Requirements and Use Cases for an SRS Dashboard (pdf) (1.19 MB)
  A report that describes critical steps taken in development of user requirements for the SRS dashboard.
• Locating Online Water Quality Monitoring Stations Using TEVA-SPOT (pdf) (500.6 KB)
  Provides an overview of project background, technical requirements, and analytical methods related to the use of TEVA-SPOT (station placement optimization software).
• Selection of Online Water Quality Monitoring Technologies and Station Design (pdf) (918.97 KB)
  Describes the selection of water quality parameters to monitor and the instruments used to monitor those parameters, as well as additional analytical instrument evaluation that was done to gain experience with alternate instruments and technologies.
• How to Select an Online Water Quality Monitoring Data Management System (pdf) (1.19 MB)
  Describes the process used to select a system for managing online water quality data.
• Physical Security Monitoring (pdf) (1.06 MB)
  Provides an overview of the steps for identifying and assessing upgrade needs, evaluating technologies, designing security monitoring systems, bidding, and commissioning.
• Customer Complaints Surveillance (pdf) (996.31 KB)
  Describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of this component as well as the operational benefits realized during implementation.
• Public Health Surveillance (pdf) (1.15 MB)
  Describes the process used to develop a partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to leverage existing public health surveillance capabilities.
• Water Contamination Response (Consequence Management) (pdf) (1.01 MB)
  Provides an overview of planning activities undertaken to prepare for a response to a drinking water contamination incident.
• Site Characterization and Water Sampling (pdf) (1.42 MB)
  Summarizes site characterization objectives, design and related processes, site characterization sample activities, laboratory procedures, and available analytical support.
• Safety Screening for Radiological Contaminants During Site Characterization (pdf) (447.72 KB)
  Provides an overview of site characterization, detailed information on site safety screening tests for radiologicals, a radiological fact sheet, and safety levels.
• Developing and Maintaining a Baseline for Water Quality (pdf) (1.05 MB)
  Describes procedures to ensure data quality, develop baseline and maintenance monitoring programs, and analyze and manage the water quality data obtained through these programs.
• Development of Control Limits for Baseline Water Quality Monitoring (pdf) (1.05 MB)
  Provides a stepwise approach for analyzing baseline data to establish control limits for water quality data.
• Exercises and Lessons Learned Improve Response Preparedness for Site Characterization and Sampling (pdf) (1006.1 KB)
  Summarizes consequence management and the incident command system, site characterization, the general process for exercise development, and lessons learned from Sampling and Analysis exercises.