The development and application of an integrated approach to understand water quality failures in distribution systems (DS) are presented in this paper. This approach is currently achieved by considering not only water quality at treatment plant and DS locations, but also all types of data related to DS and water treatment plant operation (maintenance and accidents), the link between the data being achieved through the hydraulic model. Processes for database collection and geocoding, and for identification of causes for non-compliant samples are detailed. The origin of positive total coliform samples and high HPC samples found in a section of the Montreal DS over a 4-year period was identified for a number of cases using such an integrated approach. This approach provides also an interesting tool for the real time management of water quality in distribution systems. Includes 19 references, table, figures.
Keywords: Water Quality;Treatment Plants;Distribution Systems;Modeling;Montreal, Quebec, Canada;Management;Contamination;Databases;Hydraulics;Coliforms;Microorganisms;Heterotrophic Plate Count
