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Monitoring and Assessment of Water Quality in Drinking Water Distribution...
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Monitoring and Assessment of Water Quality in Drinking Water Distribution Systems

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 12 July 2025 | Viewed by 3483

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hui Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, China
Interests: water distribution system; drinking water quality; water supply safety; iron release; pipe corrosion; heavy metal release; health risk assessment
Prof. Dr. Dan Zhong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Interests: water distribution system; water quality security; pipe corrosion; hydraulic model; chlorine resistant bacteria; disinfection by-products

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) are essential infrastructure used to transport drinking water to users’ taps. During the process, a series of complex physical, chemical, or biological reactions occur, resulting in water quality problems, such as elevated turbidity and iron level, reduced disinfectant residual, and bacteria regrowth. This is known as the secondary pollution of drinking water. Moreover, the occurrence of emerging pollutants in DWDSs poses a great threat to drinking water safety. Therefore, it is essential to monitor and evaluate the water quality during distribution. With the use of new metering technologies and data analytical methods, the monitoring and assessment of water quality in DWDSs have been significantly developed. This Special Issue on “Monitoring and Assessment of Water Quality in Drinking Water Distribution Systems” in Water aims to emphasize the technical developments and data arising from water quality monitoring and assessment in DWDSs, the use of scientific principles in the design of monitoring systems, and the use of monitoring data for water quality modeling and in assessing the consequences of management actions and pollution risks.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

  • Design and development of monitoring systems
  • Water quality indicators in DWDSs
  • Sampling techniques for monitoring drinking water quality during distribution
  • Optimization of monitoring networks
  • New analytical methods of drinking water in DWDSs
  • Monitoring of emerging pollutants in DWDSs
  • Risk assessment of contaminants in DWDSs
  • Assessment of water quality management practice
  • Water quality modeling

We are looking forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Hui Zhang
Prof. Dr. Dan Zhong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • water distribution system
  • drinking water
  • water quality
  • monitoring
  • water quality indicator
  • water quality analysis
  • pollutant
  • risk assessment
  • water quality management
  • modeling

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 624 KiB  
Article
Safety of Tap Water in Terms of Changes in Physical, Chemical, and Biological Stability
by Andżelika Domoń, Beata Kowalska, Dorota Papciak, Edyta Wojtaś and Iwona Kamińska
Water 2024, 16(9), 1221; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16091221 - 25 Apr 2024
Viewed by 318
Abstract
Monitoring the quality of tap water in the distribution system and the ability to estimate the risk of losing its sanitary safety is an important aspect of managing the collective water supply system. During monitoring, the physical, chemical, and biological stability of water [...] Read more.
Monitoring the quality of tap water in the distribution system and the ability to estimate the risk of losing its sanitary safety is an important aspect of managing the collective water supply system. During monitoring, the physical, chemical, and biological stability of water was assessed, which is the main determinant ensuring the appropriate quality of water for consumers. The physicochemical and microbiological quality of water was analyzed for two distribution systems (DSs), including the analysis of heavy metals (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Cd, Pb). The tests carried out showed that in both distribution systems, the water supplied to consumers met the guidelines for water intended for human consumption. It can be considered that the risk of uncontrolled changes in water quality in DSs with an average water production of <10,000 m3/d and the length of water pipelines < 150 km is very low. The water introduced into the system differed in the place of water intake and water purification technology, which influenced the final water quality. In DS(II), higher values were recorded for hardness, conductivity, calcium, alkalinity, nitrates, and DOC. It was found that the content of heavy metals during water transport to the consumer increased in the case of DS(I) for Zn, Ni, Cu, Cd, and Pb, and in the case of DS(II) for Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Cd, and Pb. The observed differences resulted from the different quality of the intake water as well as from different materials used to build internal installations and their age and technical condition. The analyzed tap water was characterized by physical and chemical stability. However, the water did not meet the guidelines for water biostability due to the increased content of biogenic substances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring and Assessment of Water Quality in Drinking Water Distribution Systems)
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14 pages, 3719 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Detection of VBNC State Pseudomonas aeruginosa Contributing to Accurate Assessment of Microbial Inactivation in Drinking Water Disinfection
by Zhiheng Fan, Huichao Zhu, Chen Tao, Ning Deng and Xin Huang
Water 2024, 16(2), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16020236 - 10 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1099
Abstract
In harsh environments, bacteria often enter a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state, which cannot be detected using heterotrophic plate counting (HPC). Importantly, VBNC bacteria can potentially resuscitate under favorable conditions, posing a risk to drinking water safety. This study introduces an innovative approach, [...] Read more.
In harsh environments, bacteria often enter a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state, which cannot be detected using heterotrophic plate counting (HPC). Importantly, VBNC bacteria can potentially resuscitate under favorable conditions, posing a risk to drinking water safety. This study introduces an innovative approach, combining improved quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) with propidium monoazide (PMA) dye and HPC to accurately quantify VBNC Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). The method was applied to assess the ability of various disinfection techniques to induce P. aeruginosa into the VBNC state. Different disinfection methods, including ultraviolet radiation (UV), sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), and peracetic acid (PAA), significantly reduced bacterial culturability (>99.9%), with the majority entering the VBNC state. Notably, under favorable conditions, UV-induced VBNC cells were resuscitated faster than those induced by NaClO. VBNC P. aeruginosa exhibited relatively high intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, indicating ongoing metabolic activity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals that some bacteria maintained cellular integrity for UV and PAA treatment, while evident membrane disruption was observed after NaClO disinfection. This study represents a significant advancement in quantitatively detecting VBNC state P. aeruginosa, contributing to an accurate assessment of microbial inactivation during drinking water disinfection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring and Assessment of Water Quality in Drinking Water Distribution Systems)
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Review

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22 pages, 523 KiB  
Review
Natural Organic Matter Character in Drinking Water Distribution Systems: A Review of Impacts on Water Quality and Characterization Techniques
by Ammar Riyadh and Nicolas M. Peleato
Water 2024, 16(3), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16030446 - 30 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1460
Abstract
Natural Organic Matter (NOM) in water arises from decomposed plant and animal matter and is ubiquitous in drinking water sources. The variation in NOM concentrations and characteristics, influenced by events like floods and droughts, plays a crucial role in water treatment efficiency and [...] Read more.
Natural Organic Matter (NOM) in water arises from decomposed plant and animal matter and is ubiquitous in drinking water sources. The variation in NOM concentrations and characteristics, influenced by events like floods and droughts, plays a crucial role in water treatment efficiency and water quality received by the public. For example, increased NOM concentrations necessitate higher levels of coagulants and disinfectants, leads to the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs), and plays a key role in biofilm development. When considering impacts of NOM, it is not only the presence or concentration but the makeup or proportion of varying sub-groups which can impact water quality. Formation of DBPs, corrosion and scaling, pollutant transport, aesthetic deterioration, and biofilm growth are dependent on the relative composition of NOM within the distribution system. Although the role of NOM concentration and characteristics is well studied during treatment, the impacts of residual NOM in water distribution systems have received less attention. In particular, it is clear, due to the varying roles of NOM sub-groups, that greater consideration of NOM characteristics in distribution systems is needed. This paper reviews the broad implications of NOM characteristics for water distribution systems and explores challenges and opportunities in NOM characterization within distribution systems. Furthermore, the influence of NOM characteristics in premise plumbing is examined. The review highlights the necessity for precise NOM characterization and real-time monitoring, aiming to strengthen water distribution system resilience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring and Assessment of Water Quality in Drinking Water Distribution Systems)
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