If a chemical or biological contaminant were accidentally or intentionally introduced into a drinking water source in the United States, i.e. hundreds of thousands of bodies of surface water, — can you imagine what threat it can pose to the public! To take instant measures, the incident commanders charged with mounting an emergency response are needed to be informed with accurate information. Though this information can be drawn from sources that already exist, they are scattered and usually not quickly available to on-the-scene commanders in emergencies.
So, recognizing the need for a readily available, single source of information, Ryan organized an interagency effort to develop ICWater (pronounced icy water). Designed to help protect drinking water in an emergency, it is a computer-based tool that integrates multiple information sources and data from incident commanders at the scene of a surface water contamination.
With this information, it quickly produces maps, tables, and charts to tell incident commanders if drinking water intakes are in the contaminant’s path, and when and in what concentration the contaminant will reach the intakes.
Via: Eurekalert
