Robot Monitor System for the Ohio Valley

Abstract

This article deals with continuous monitoring as a diagnostic technique to promote better understanding of the effect of pollution on water quality. The Ohio Valley serves as an example of the complexities of water quality management. Quality conditions in this river system reflect the activities of millions of people and thousands of industries, as well as the influence of storage dams, navigation structures, and a host of natural variations. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) began a manually operated river quality monitoring program in 1951, which grew into the ORSANCO robot monitoring system as described in this article. A program for electronic processing of data obtained from the robot monitoring system is also described.