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Upper Mississippi River Twenty-three community public water supplies rely entirely or in part on the Upper Mississippi River for their source water. These suppliers provide drinking water to a combined population of well over 2 million people. At the same time, the Upper Mississippi River is vulnerable to potential spills of oil and other hazardous materials from a variety of sources, including pipelines, commercial navigation, fixed facilities, railroads, storm sewers, and highways, as well as the threat of intentional contamination. Thus, timely detection and notification of spill events is essential to protecting drinking water quality for Upper Mississippi River communities.
Early Warning Monitoring Network Scoping Group To address the need for early detection and warning, an interdisciplinary Upper Mississippi River Early Warning Monitoring Network (UMR EWMN) Scoping Group was established to evaluate the potential for a monitoring network on the UMR. The Scoping Group is coordinated by the UMRBA and is composed of members of the UMR Hazardous Spills Coordination Group, the UMR Water Suppliers Coalition, as well as other experts in the fields of monitoring technology and water quality.
As a result of the efforts of the Scoping Group, a pilot monitoring station has been established and maintained at Lock and Dam 15 in Rock Island, Illinois, with the assistance of U.S. EPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Iowa American Water, and the City of Moline. The pilot monitoring station includes a multi-parameter real time water quality monitoring device and instruments that transmit data for dissemination on the USACE’s RiverGages.com website. Additionally, an electronic notification system has been developed, that is triggered by changes in water quality values.
Next Steps The Scoping Group is currently evaluating the pilot project and developing approaches for the potential enhancement and expansion of the UMR Early Warning Monitoring Network.
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Pilot Monitoring Station