Mekorot National Water Company, Canadian start-up Real Tech Inc. and the Technion Israel Institute of Technology unveiled, at the 2013 Watec Water Technology and Environmental Control Exhibition and Conference in Tel Aviv, a product to protect water reservoirs from deliberate contamination or poisoning by terrorists.
The joint project is supported by the Office of the Chief Scientist and Canada-Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation (CIIRDF). The system uses continuous spectrum analyzers to detect any organic change in water reservoirs.
Mekorot says that the system carries out continuous monitoring of reservoirs, providing water quality data every two minutes, and alerts its Water Quality Department of any unusual event in real time. Mekorot is already testing the system at its water control stations at Rosh Ha'Ayin and at the Eshkol Central Filtration Plant in the Galilee. Real Tech is also testing the system at facilities in Canada.
Mekorot says that the system uses algorithms, which are still being formulated, to identify the nature of contamination in a water source, drinking water, and water for agricultural use, and determine whether the contamination is chemical, fuel, industrial waste, or paint thinner.
Mekorot CEO Shimon Ben-Hamo says that when the system's development is completed, it will be installed throughout the company's network of reservoirs and water quality stations.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 24, 2013
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