The provision of safe drinking water is one of the primary responsibilities of all governments, which address and share this responsibility through various levels of administration, ranging from the municipal to federal level, and further sharing of such responsibilities with public or private water utility companies. Recent reviews indicate the existence of significant vulnerabilities of all components of the infrastructure in general, among which the water supply systems are considered the most critical because of it’s importance to human life. Indeed, such systems encompas huge number of stuctures, plants and devices that might become a target of sabotage, and they all may be found in major components of each water supply system: the raw water sources (usually a reservoir, a river intake, or groundwater aquifer), water purification plants (encompassing various treatment processes), and water distribution networks bringing potable water to the consumers. Consequently, the reality of the post-September 11 situation forces the operators of water supply systems throught the world to examine the security and safety of their systems, it’s vulnerability to intentional interference and sabotage with respect to quantity and quality of potable water. In assessing the system vulnerability, there is an urgent need to develop emergency response plans providing ways and means for alternative water supply for the moment of system operation disruption, and system remediation and recovery after the attack.

The reality of the post-September 11 situation forces the operators of water supply systems through the world to examine the security and safety of their systems, its vulnerability to intentional interference and sabotage with respect to quantity and quality of potable water. In assessing system vulnerability, there is an urgent need to develop emergency response plans providing ways and means for alternative water supply at the moment of system operation disruption, and system remediation and recovery after the attack. Security of Water Supply Systems: from Source to Tap presents the state-of-the art with a view to the future, conclusions from past experiences are highlighted and future developments are suggested in the field of drinking water safety.

Protecting and maintaining water distributions systems is crucial to ensuring high quality drinking water. Distribution systems-consisting of pipes, pumps, valves, storage tanks, reservoirs, meters, fittings, and other hydraulic appurtenances-carry drinking water from a centralized treatment plant or well supplies to consumers' taps. Spanning almost 1 million miles in the United States, distribution systems represent the vast majority of physical infrastructure for water supplies, and thus constitute the primary management challenge from both an operational and public health standpoint. Recent data on waterborne disease outbreaks suggest that distribution systems remain a source of contamination that has yet to be fully addressed. This report evaluates approaches for risk characterization and recent data, and it identifies a variety of strategies that could be considered to reduce the risks posed by water-quality deteriorating events in distribution systems. Particular attention is given to backflow events via cross connections, the potential for contamination of the distribution system during construction and repair activities, maintenance of storage facilities, and the role of premise plumbing in public health risk. The report also identifies advances in detection, monitoring and modeling, analytical methods, and research and development opportunities that will enable the water supply industry to further reduce risks associated with drinking water distribution systems.

The best papers from the three-day conference on Safe Drinking Water from Source to Tap June 2009 in Maastricht are published in this book covering the themes of challenges of the water sector and adaptive strategies, treatment, distribution, risk assessment and risk management, sensors and monitoring, small scale systems, simulation, alternative water supply & sources, consumer involvement, and future drinking water. Worldwide, the water supply sector is facing tremendous challenges. Every new emerging contaminants and pathogens and aging infrastructures that are vulnerable for deliberate contamination pose a threat to the quality of water supplies. Shortage of good quality and readily treatable resources is increasing due to global warming, urbanisation and pollution from agriculture and industry. Regulators and consumers are becoming more demanding. Techneau - the largest European project on drinking water - addresses these challenges by developing adaptive supply system options and new and improved treatment and monitoring technologies. Future system options to be studied are flexible, small scale and multi-source supplies, utilising non conventional resources like brackish ground water, treated wastewater and urban groundwater.

A must for engineers, professors, and water utility managers involved in the security of water supply systems. Written by a team of experts, this is the first book to provide comprehensive, state-of-the-art coverage of the safety and security of water supply systems. This unique and authoritative compendium presents detailed coverage of the major infrastructure issues in water system security. Topics range from vulnerability assessment to safeguards against cyber threats to hydraulic network analysis for contamination response. Each chapter provides professional guidance on designing, operating, maintaining, and rehabilitating water systems to ensure state-of-the-art and security. FEATURES INCLUDE: * Overview of methodologies for reliability analysis and assessment of vulnerability to terrorist attack and for emergency response planning. * Monitoring and modeling methods for early warning systems that enhance security * Specialized remote monitoring equipment, networks, and optimal location of control and isolation valves * Organizational frameworks and procedures for improving the security and safety of water supply systems * Options for emergency preparedness, including water supply for nonconventional times and contamination responses * Case studies from the field: a reconstruction of historical contamination events * Security hardware and surveillance systems

This book highlights the multi-pronged strategy for achieving sustainable rural domestic water supply in India. It deepens the understanding of groundwater (predominant source of water supply) behaviour in response to natural processes in different geological settings, analyses the factors influencing the performance of water supply schemes; identifies the conditions under which groundwater-based drinking water sources become sustainable, suggests measures for improving the sustainability of drinking water wells in hard rock regions (covering 2/3rd of India’s geographical area), presents a decision-making framework for planning rural water supply schemes in the country for ensuring long-term sustainability, and suggests physical strategies and policy measures for achieving them. The analyses for development and validation of various models that explain groundwater system behaviour and performance of rural water supply schemes are undertaken for different geological settings in Maharashtra, as the state represents a microcosm of the various hydrological, topographical, and geohydrological conditions encountered in the country. The final analysis for proposing nation-wide strategies considers the various hydrological, geological, geohydrological, and topographical and climatic settings and groundwater contamination and pollution in the country.