Project content

Sensor technology makes it possible to constantly measure drinking water quality in real time at the location and to monitor it as it passes through the various stages of the drinking water production and distribution process. This has the advantage of making it possible to improve the process within the right quality parameters and to enhance the quality and efficiency of the drinking water supply.

Bundling of know-how

Up until now it has not been possible for sensors to measure drinking water quality as a whole. The knowledge needed to do this is largely available, but is dispersed across a wide range of specialised companies and knowledge institutes concerned with water quality, measurement technology, sensor development and data analysis. The purpose of SAWA is to combine this knowledge in such a way that sensor technology will ultimately replace today’s quality control processes.

Conducting research

The SAWA project involves the application of sensors that use previously developed measurement principles. The next step is to conduct research for the development of physical sensors based on these measurement principles, that can be used in the drinking water and distribution process. This will result in new products. These new products are tested in practice, during which process the data from the various sensors can be linked. Combining the data is expected to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of the quality measurements.

3 sub-projects

Three sub-projects have been defined within SAWA: A monitoring system for the intake of surface water that can detect contamination in concentrations relevant to human toxicology within 1-2 hours. Faster detection techniques for the potential growth of bacteria in the drinking water produced, in order to create a process in which continued growth in the distribution network is prevented.

A monitoring system to measure in real time the qualitative and physical parameters of the drinking water in the distribution network and process them in a dynamic model.

Interline participates in the ‘Drentsche Aa’ and ‘distribution network’ sub-projects. More information about the Sawa project can be found on: www.projectsawa.nl .

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