Predictive model for water quality deterioration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12313618-B2
Application number	US-202117174851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2021
Priority date	Feb 12, 2021
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

An embodiment provides a method of forecasting water quality deterioration in a water distribution system, including: receiving, at an electronic device, a data set comprising measured values of a plurality of components within the water distribution system; determining, based upon algorithmic analysis of the measured values, a water quality index; and providing, based on the determined water quality index, a recommendation to mitigate water quality deterioration in the water distribution system. Other aspects are described and claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forecasting water quality deterioration in a water distribution system, comprising:
receiving, at an electronic device in real time using at least one sensor, a data set comprising measured values of a plurality of components within the water distribution system, wherein the data set comprises a growth group of at least one disinfectant byproduct and an inactivation group of at least one disinfectant, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sensor to measure nitrite corresponding to a nitrification of the water;
generating, based upon algorithmic analysis of the measured values, a water quality index, wherein the generating comprises:
identifying a plurality of action levels;
identifying a threshold value associated with each of the plurality of action levels;
determining which of the action levels has the threshold value exceeded; and
determining which of the plurality of components exceed the threshold value based upon the measured value;

identifying a time duration from a time when the measured values are received and a time the water quality index reaches a threshold, wherein the threshold defines a point at which an effect of the growth group is greater than an effect of the inactivation group; and
tailoring, based on the water quality index, the received data set from the at least one sensor, and the time duration, a recommendation to mitigate water quality deterioration in the water distribution system, the recommendation dynamically updated in real time by an identification of the number of components that exceed a threshold level, wherein the recommendation comprises a field response for the water distribution system to mitigate water quality deterioration and an administrative response to communicate the recommendation, wherein the tailoring comprises:
providing the recommendation based on the determination at least one of: conducted chlorine and valve sweep on the water transport pipe or a breakpoint chlorination of the entire water distribution system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of components are associated with one of: bacterial growth or bacterial inactivation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each measured value in the data set comprising measured values of a plurality of components is selected from the group consisting of: free ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, hydroxypropyl cellulose, temperature, total chlorine, mono chloramine, free chlorine, and pH level.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measured values originate from a past time before a present time and wherein the index classification of water quality corresponds to a future time after the present time.

5. The method of 1 , wherein the water quality index is associated with a potential for nitrification in the water distribution system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water quality index corresponds to a single numerical value.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a critical nature associated with the recommendation is directly proportional to a size of the single numerical value.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recommendation comprises a plurality of suggested actions and wherein a portion of the plurality of suggested actions are designated as field actions and wherein another portion of the suggested actions are designated as administrative actions.

9. An electronic device for forecasting water quality deterioration in a water distribution system, comprising: a processor; and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive, at an electronic device in real time using at least one sensor, a data set comprising measured values of a plurality of components within the water distribution system, wherein the data set comprises a growth group of at least one disinfectant byproduct and an inactivation group of at least one disinfectant,
wherein the at least one sensor comprises a-sensor to measure a-nitrite corresponding to a nitrification of the water;
generate, based upon algorithmic analysis of the measured values, a water quality index, wherein the generating comprises:
identifying a plurality of action levels;
identifying a threshold value associated with each of the plurality of action levels;
determining which of the action levels has the threshold value exceeded; and determining which of the plurality of components exceed the threshold value based upon the measured value;
identifying a time duration from a time when the measured values are received and a time the water quality index reaches a threshold, wherein the threshold defines a point at which an effect of the growth group is greater than an effect of the inactivation group; and
tailor, based on the water quality index, the received data set from the at least one sensor, and the time duration, a recommendation to mitigate water quality deterioration in the water distribution system, the recommendation dynamically updated in real time by an identification of the number of components that exceed a threshold level, wherein the recommendation comprises a field response for the water distribution system to mitigate water Quality deterioration and an administrative response to communicate the recommendation,
wherein the tailoring comprises: providing the recommendation based on the determination at least one of: conducted chlorine and valve sweep on the water transport pipe or a breakpoint chlorination of the entire water distribution system.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of components are associated with one of: bacterial growth or bacterial inactivation.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein each measured value in the data set comprising measured values of a plurality of components is selected from the group consisting of: free ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, hydroxypropyl cellulose, temperature, total chlorine, mono chloramine, free chlorine, and pH level.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the measured values originate from a past time before a present time and wherein the index classification of water quality corresponds to a future time after the present time.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the water quality index to a single numerical value.

14. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein a priority level associated with the recommendation is directly proportional to a size of the single numerical value.

15. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the recommendation comprises a plurality of suggested actions and wherein a portion of the plurality of suggested actions are designated as field actions and wherein another portion of the suggested actions are designated as administrative actions.

16. A computer program product, comprising: a non-transitory storage device that stores code, the code being executable by a processor and comprising: code that receives, at an electronic device in real time using at least one sensor, a data set comprising measured values of a plurality of components within the water distribution system, wherein the data set comprises a growth group of at least one disinfectant byproduct and an inactivation group of at least one disinfectant, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sensor to measure nitrite corresponding to a nitrification of the water;
code that generates, based upon algorithmic analysis of the measured values, a water quality index, wherein the generating comprises:
identifying a plurality of action levels;
identifying a threshold value associated with each of the plurality of action levels;
determining which of the action levels has

Assignees

• Hach Co

Inventors

• Rajasekharan Vishnu Vardhanan
• Young Russell

Classifications

• G06N7/00

  Computing arrangements based on specific mathematical models · CPC title

• C02F2209/36

  Biological material, e.g. enzymes or ATP · CPC title

• C02F2209/29

  Chlorine compounds · CPC title

• C02F2209/14

  NH3-N · CPC title

• C02F2209/06

  pH · CPC title