System and method for monitoring water quality

A water quality monitoring system for monitoring water quality in a water distribution network comprising a plurality of distribution lines interconnecting one or more nodes from which water is supplied into the water distribution network, the water quality monitoring system comprising:

• a plurality of water sampling sub-systems, each sub-system being arranged in fluid communication with a corresponding distribution line for obtaining water quality parameters from said corresponding distribution line, each sub-system comprising a communication module for communicating data related to a water quality parameter to a database over a communication network wherein each of the sub-systems are functionally linked with each other over the communication network to allow all of the sub-systems in the corresponding distribution lines for monitoring in an idle mode for a signal to ready itself to be triggered to perform simultaneous measurements of the water quality parameters in a measurement event;
• a remotely located server computer in communication with said plurality of water sampling sub-systems, said server computer being in communication with a processor and a memory device, wherein said processor is operable to perform the steps of retrieving the data from the database to determine:
• a maximum measured value for the water quality parameter from a set of water quality parameter values measured by each sub-system in each measurement event;
• a minimum measured value for the water quality parameter from the set of water quality parameter values measured by each sub-system in each measurement event;
• and
• an average measured value for the water quality parameter computed by calculating an average of all measured values of the water quality parameter in the set;
• wherein the memory device comprises executable instructions to configure the processor to display a graph, on a display device, that includes a first axis to indicate the maximum measured value, the minimum measured value and the average value for each measurement event and a second axis to indicate a time period over which a plurality of said measurement events have occurred thereby providing a visual indication of water quality, and
• wherein the memory device comprises executable instructions to compute at least one of:
• i) a difference average value of each and the minimum measured value for each measurement, and ii) a difference between an average value of each measurement and the maximum measured value for each measurement, and process the at least one computed difference in accordance with one or more predetermined rules to provide an indication of unexpected changes in water quality.