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INTRODUCTION An Innovative Toolkit for Enhanced Water Quality Monitoring of Water Supply Network Geoge Katsouras, Kostas Peroulis, Nikolaos Defteraios, Marialena Makri, Styilanos Samios, Eleni Farmaki, Anastasia Kagiara, Nikos Tsalas and Phani Miskaki Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company S.A. (EYDAP) - Oropou 156, 11146 Galatsi, Athens, Greece METHODS CONCLUSIONS inspiring change Acknowledgement: This work is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program, under Grant agreement no 101082035, for the project ToDrinQ "Toolkit for adaptable, resilient installations securing high quality drinking water". 6th - 8th November 2024,Athens Athens Conference on Advances in Chemistry Figure 2: Chlorophyll-a mapping Figure 4: Autonomous USV equipped with DO, pH, ISA, EC and Chl-a Sensors. The USV is also equipped with a water sampling system Global challenges like climate change, emerging pollutants, and aging infrastructure are increasingly threatening the quality and safety of drinking water. These issues lead to fluctuations in water characteristics, such as algal blooms, elevated levels of nitrates and heavy metals, and microbial contamination, which complicate traditional water treatment processes. To address these challenges, Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company S.A. is enhancing its water quality monitoring and treatment strategies from source to treatment, in alignment with the updated EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184.By implementing innovative solutions from the Horizon Europe project "ToDrinQ", including advanced hard and soft sensors and the deployment of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), EYDAP is establishing a comprehensive, real-time monitoring system at Lake Yliki and throughout its supply network to the Polydendri Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DPWTP). This integrated approach allows EYDAP to proactively detect and respond to water quality issues, ensuring the continuous delivery of safe, high-quality drinking water to consumers amidst evolving environmental pressures. In July 2024, after a long period, Lake Yliki resumed supplying water to the PDWTP, enabling an integrated monitoring strategy. EYDAP’s strategy involved: i) collecting data and samples via the USV in Lake Yliki, ii) sample analyzing in the laboratory and iii) utilizing online sensors along the canal from Lake Yliki to PDWTP, allowing adaptation to real-time changes in water quality and ensuring the continuous delivery of high-quality drinking water to consumers. Identified challenges will be addressed by the ToDrinQ Toolkit utilizing the following modules: Three hard sensors measuring: •Nitrates and E.Coli in the Lake Yliki, Mavrosouvala borehole and PDWTP influent •On-line Total Bacteria in the PDWTP influent Four (on-line) Software Sensors in Lake Yliki for: •Early warnings nutrients runoff •Chlorophyll-a estimation •Algal bloom occupancies estimation •Water Quality Index calculation Sampling Point/ Parameter Method Centre Lake Yliki Earth Dam of Artificial Lake Artificial Lake Yliki PWTP Influent (LD) Chl-a (µg/l) USV 1.5 –3.9 5.1 –10 11 –28 N.A. EC (μS/cm) USV 434 –484 490 –520 530 –660 365 –390 pH USV 8.12 –8.22 8.21 –8.32 8.33 –8.41 7.86 –8.07 O2 (µg/l) USV 7.22 –7.95 8.10 –8.45 8.80 –9.45 N.A. ΤN (mg/l) LD < 1.2 < 1.2 1.2 N.D. NO3-(mg/l) LD < 0.56 N.D. < 0.5 0.7 –1.1 Pb (µg/l) LD N.D. < 2.4 < 2.4 < 2.4 Total Bacteria LD 1500 –2900 N.A. N.A. 15 –8200 Figure 3: EYDAP Water Supply Network Figure 1: Lake Yliki, Greece By integrating advanced monitoring methods, EYDAP has established a robust framework for proactive water quality management. The strategic deployment of hard sensors at critical points enhances real-time detection capabilities. Simultaneously, the soft sensors provide predictive analytics for early warnings. This integrated methodological approach combines cutting-edge sensor technology with data-driven analytics, enabling EYDAP to effectively monitor and predict water quality changes, facilitating timely interventions and addressing environmental challenge.
