Water Quality Surveillance and Response System Program
Offering drinking water systems a framework designed to support the monitoring and management of distribution system water quality, including utility response to emergencies.
On this page:
- About the Program
- Types of Assistance
- How This Program Helps Build Resilience
- Connections to Other EPA, Federal, or Non-Governmental Efforts
About the Program
A Water Quality Surveillance and Response System (WQ-SRS) is a framework designed to support monitoring and management of distribution system water quality. The system consists of one or more components that enhance a drinking water utility’s capability to quickly detect and respond to water quality issues. Early warning and effective response to a deterioration in water quality can prevent a more serious problem. The WQ-SRS components fall under two operational phases: surveillance and response. Surveillance components provide real-time data on conditions throughout the distribution system. Response components provide a framework for making response decisions. These components can help utilities develop more climate resilience in their operations.
Types of Assistance
The WQ-SRS Program offers drinking water systems technical and planning assistance in a variety of formats that can help build climate resilience.
- Primers for WQ-SRS include videos and documents to learn about the design of a complete WQ-SRS.
- The WQ-SRS Capability Assessment Tool facilitates a self-assessment that helps drinking water systems identify existing surveillance and response capabilities and provides guidance on strategies for enhancing those capabilities.
- Resources for Designing WQ-SRSs serves as an extensive library of guidance to help drinking water systems design their own WQ-SRSs.
- Water Quality Surveillance and Response System Exercise Development Toolbox helps utilities design and conduct drills and exercises to test the functionality and performance of surveillance systems and response procedures.
How This Program Helps Build Resilience
The WQ-SRS program can help drinking water utilities build capabilities to detect and prepare for source water and drinking water contamination incidents. The program has completed several projects to improve detection capabilities and preparedness at drinking water utilities, including:
- Designing and implementing state-of-the-art WQ-SRS at five very large drinking water systems.
- Conducting a comprehensive inventory and risk assessment of potential source water contamination threats in a watershed serving 10 drinking water systems.
- Developing response procedures and conducting a tabletop exercise to help a drinking water system prepare for a biological contamination incident.
Connections to Other EPA, Federal, or Non-Governmental Efforts
WQ-SRSs provide real-time data that support effective management of water quality throughout a drinking water system, beyond the detection of infrequent water contamination incidents. They can also provide data that improve water treatment plant operations, reduce response time to customer water quality concerns, augment regulatory compliance monitoring, and prepare the drinking water utility for responding to a wide range of emergencies.
The WQ-SRS program is also responsive to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 (pdf) and the National Biodefense Strategy (pdf).