AWWA WQTC65817

In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) entered a cooperative agreement with the City of Cincinnati to deploy the first WaterSentinel System (WS) contamination warning system pilot. Deployment of the contamination warning system followed a systematic approach in which proposed enhancements were planned, designed, implemented, tested, maintained, and ultimately refined. At each stage of deployment it is necessary to consider how the contamination warning system will be operated on a routine basis. Furthermore, progression through the stages of deployment will shape the manner in which the system is operated. This iterative cycle leads to the development of a concept of operations for a contamination warning system that in turn informs the design, implementation, and operation of the system. A concept of operations defines a process for routine operation of a drinking water contamination warning system. The concept of operations establishes specific roles and responsibilities, process and information flows, timelines, and checklists to support the systematic review of triggers to determine if contamination is possible. If a "possible" contamination incident is identified through any of the monitoring and surveillance components, the process outlined in the concept of operations seamlessly transitions to consequence management activities including a determination regarding the credibility of the incident (USEPA, 2007a). This paper describes the objectives and content of a concept of operations as well as a framework for its development. Includes 4 references, table, figures.