Whitepaper flood water

WHITEPAPER

Securing Potable Water Following
Using Mobile Hydration Platform
a Disaster

Prepared by Velva Boles, MD Epiphany Enterprise I, LLC
February 29, 2012

EpiphanyEnterprise.llc@gmail.com

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In its purest form, water is odorless, nearly colorless and tasteless. Water is the
essence of life. There is no substance more necessary to man’s existence than water.
Only three percent of the world's water supply is fresh water, and 77 percent of that is
frozen. Making sure that enough clean, drinkable water is available to everyone and
everything that needs it is anything but simple. This is most notable in industrialized
countries when a disaster strikes. For homeland security as well as the well-being of its
citizens, America must be proactive in establishing a means to rapidly procure safe
potable water in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack. Because drinking
water is consumed directly, health effects associated with contamination have long
been a major concern of Homeland Security officials. Interruption or cessation of the
drinking water supply will disrupt society, compromise individual citizens and prevent
critical activities such as fire protection which can have significant consequences to
national and regional economies. Currently in the wake of a disaster, potable water is
distributed to communities in plastic bottles by trucks. This process is limited when
transportation infrastructure is damaged, submerged under water, obstructed by
debris, electric lines or fallen trees; since current methods rely on functional
transportation networks to move bottled or bulk water. It takes six truck-loads of bottled
water to provide a single day’s potable water supply to 10,000 people.

Water Transit Solutions™ (WTS) offers a complete solution to supplying potable water
to a disaster site in the form of a mobile water and ice hydration platform equipped with
a reverse osmosis water purification system configured for purifying in situ flood water
and other local water sources. Unique to Water Transit Solutions™ is its ability to obtain
pure spring water from privately owned waterways on very short notice, mobilize it and
transport it to disaster locations within 24 hours of an incident. This system is a self-
contained, independently powered water treatment system housed in a space-efficient
footprint. The system design provides quality testing of both raw source and treated
water and is equipped with a collapsible storage tank that can store water purified on
site. Water Transit Solutions™ system employs AT&T radio frequency identification
technology to monitor water levels on the mobile platform and track water and ice
requirements at each station assuring uninterrupted drinking water and ice availability.

Consumers are highly sensitive to the threat of contamination and/or disruption of
America’s water supply. Federal and State governments have long been active in
addressing risks and threats to the nation’s water supply through regulations, technical
assistance, research, and outreach programs. As a result, an extensive system of
regulations governing maximum contaminants levels, emergency response planning,
training, research, and education have been developed to better protect the nation’s
drinking water supply. Water Transit Solutions™ is the answer that state and federal
agencies have been looking for as described in Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C.
300F-300J-26.

Whitepaper: Water Transit Solutions™ © 2012 EpiphanyEnterprise.llc@gmail.com Page 2

Floodwaters
During the 20th century, floods were the number one natural disaster in the United States in
terms of the number of lives lost and properties damaged; although flood mitigation and
prediction is advanced, floods do $6 billion worth of damage and kill about 140 people every
year. Floods can occur at any time of the year, in any part of the country, and at any time of the
day or night. Most lives are lost when people are swept away by flood currents, whereas most
property damage results from inundation by sediment-laden water. Flood currents possess
tremendous destructive power; the lateral forces demolish buildings and erode bridge
foundations and footings resulting in the collapse of these structures.

A 2007 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that
worldwide coastal flooding alone does some $3 trillion in damage. Floods have different
characteristics; there are regional floods, flash floods, ice-jam floods, storm-surge floods, dam-
and levee-failure floods, and debris, landslide, and mudflow floods. Debris or landslide floods
are created by the accumulation of debris, mud, rocks, and (or) logs in a channel, which form a
temporary dam. Ice-jam flood is similar in mechanism; however the damming agent is ice.
Flooding occurs upstream as water becomes stored behind the temporary dam and then becomes
a flash flood as the dam is breached or the waterway banks are overrun. Mudflow floods occur
when volcanic activity rapidly melts mountain snow and glaciers, and the water mixed with mud
and debris moves rapidly downhill.

Storm surge is unquestionably the most dangerous part of a hurricane; nine out of ten hurricane
fatalities are caused by storm surge floods. A hurricane is a cyclonic storm system that forms
over oceans from evaporated water off of the ocean that is whipped about by winds. When the
spinning mass of storms attain a wind speed greater than 74 mph, a hurricane is born if the
source was Atlantic Ocean, tropical cyclone if the source is the Indian ocean, and typhoon if
the origin is eastern Pacific Ocean. Storm-surge flooding occurs when water is pushed up onto
dry land by onshore winds. Friction between the water and the moving air creates drag that,
depending upon the distance that the water travels and the velocity of the wind pushing , walls of
water climb up to heights greater than 20 feet.

When floodwaters recede, affected areas are often blanketed in silt and mud. The water and
landscape can be contaminated with hazardous materials, such as sharp debris, pesticides, fuel,
and untreated sewage. Potentially dangerous mold blooms can quickly overwhelm water-soaked
structures. Residents of flooded areas can be left without power and clean drinking water,
leading to outbreaks of deadly waterborne diseases like typhoid, hepatitis A, and cholera.
Standing water and wet materials are a breeding ground for microorganisms, such as viruses,
bacteria, and mold. They can cause disease, trigger allergic reactions, and continue to damage
materials long after the flood.


As I got closer to the city (New Orleans),
I saw that all that the wind had pulled
down into the streets was subsequently
floated, shoved around, pushed aside and
buried under mud by waves of water that
filled the city from broken and
overwhelmed levees before the streets
were hesitantly drained. Lingering
reservoirs of water, dripped over old
clapboards, and collapsed gutters,
streamed down windowpanes, and
gurgled through widening crevices in
buildings’ dilapidated roofs. The grass at
curbsides was brown, coated with clumped brown sludge. The sidewalks were the same
shade of brown hosting a three inch thick layer of scum. Electricity had been out in
metropolitan New Orleans for five days and was not expected to be back for at least
another week. Local communication was disrupted; no home phones were working,
many cellular phone receiving towers were down, only a few walkie-talkies worked in
the area. New Orleans was wounded beyond the physical. It was spiritually and
psychically devastated. (Long Way Home, Velva Boles)
Hurricane Katrina emerged over water in the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Keys,
and strengthened to the 2005 season's third major hurricane before reorganizing into the most
powerful storm in the Central Gulf since Hurricane Camille, and fourth category five hurricane
in three years with winds as high as 175 mph. It became the fourth most powerful hurricane in
American history.

PERILS OF FLOOD WATER

Floodwaters can be contaminated by agricultural or industrial chemicals and hazardous agents
from hazardous waste sites. Floods have the strength to unearth buried hazardous waste and
chemical containers and move them far from their normal storage places. Depending on location
and sanitation conditions, flood water will contaminate drinking water supplies: surface water,
groundwater, and distribution systems. Groundwater wells can be rendered useless from
inundation of water laced with toxins, chemicals, animal carcasses, septic seepage, and
municipal sewage. Ammonia, nitrate and phosphates are major constituents of sewage.

Contaminates can include automotive fluid acids, ammonia, nitrate, phosphates, boron, chloride,
cyanide, fluoride, radium, selenium, sulfates; various radioactive isotopes; human and animal
waste; bacteria living in the soil; and heavy metals – products of manufacturing process of many
common household items- such as, pesticides, batteries, electroplated metal parts and textile
dyes. The types and amounts of chemicals present in flood water depend on type of facilities
chemical plants and oil refineries, in the area; types of chemicals stored around the flooded


region (storage tanks, agricultural facilities and hazardous waste dumpsites); structural damage
done to facilities and homes that release or react to form toxic chemicals; weather conditions
which affects the growth of bacteria and molds, and the extent of flooding which determine how
soon rescue operations can begin.

Infectious diseases are spread through water supplies
contaminated with bacteria, most notably E. coli,
Salmonella typhi, Shigella and Hepatitis A. Most cases of
sickness associated with flood conditions are brought about
by ingesting contaminated water. The signs and symptoms
experienced by the victims of waterborne microorganism
infection include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal
cramps, muscle aches, and fever. Tetanus, however, can be
acquired through broken areas of the skin, such as cuts,
abrasions, or puncture wounds that come in contact with
wet soil or contaminated water. Tetanus is an infectious
disease that affects the nervous system and causes
“lockjaw” characterized by severe muscle spasms. Initial
symptoms begin as a headache and difficulty swallowing a
week after exposure, later swallowing difficulty develops
into difficulty moving the jaws apart and then symptoms
progress to irreversibly rigid muscle contractures with a fatal outcome.

Water-ladened solid waste disposal sites (or sanitary landfills) produce a liquid which contain a
wide range of contaminants: bacteria, viruses, nitrogen, phosphates, metals and synthetic organic
compounds. Synthetic organic contaminants include pesticides, chlorinated solvents,
hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenols. Although, the organochlorine, DDT- a highly toxic
compound, was discontinued more than 20 years ago its content is persistently high in soils.
Chlorinated solvents, hydrocarbons, and other synthetic organic chemicals have various levels of
toxicity, mobility and persistence in the environment because they are still used by industry,
small businesses and households.

Chlorinated solvents (trichloroethylene and methylene chloride), which are commonly used as
degreasing agents by industry and dry cleaners, are most problematic. Dioxin is not produced or
used commercially in the United States, but is formed mainly during combustion of a variety of
chlorinated organic compounds. Dioxin is released to the environment in emissions from the
incineration of municipal refuse and certain chemical wastes, in exhaust from automobiles
powered by leaded gasoline, in emissions from wood burning in the presence of chlorine, in
accidental fires involving transformers containing polychlorinated biophenols and chlorinated
benzenes, and from the improper disposal of certain chlorinated chemical. Dioxin is an
extremely toxic compound; its water solubility is low so, most of the dioxin mixed in water will
adhere to sediments and suspended silts. The behavior of metals in water is a function of the


suspended sediment composition and the water chemistry. The
solubility of metals in surface waters is predominately controlled by Whenever a flood
the water pH, the type and concentration of ligand/binding material on hits, a lack of clean
which the metal can be adsorbed, the oxidation state of the mineral water and sanitation
components and the reducing/ oxidation conditions of the environment. facilities reaches
Low pH signifies an acidic environment and in this condition, water dangerous levels in a
disolves more metal ions. All heavy metals exist in surface waters in matter of days, if not
colloidal, particulate, and dissolved phases. The colloidal and hours. Access to
particulate metal may be found in hydroxides, oxides, silicates, sulfides both will become
and adsorbed to clay or organic matter. The soluble forms are generally farther and farther
ions or unionized organometallic complexes. out of reach and
could lead to a
Amounts of chemicals released into flood water are highest near
widespread health
industrial sources. Dissolved metal contaminants of concern include:
crisis as flood waters
aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, copper, chromium, iron, lead,
continue to rise.
lithium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum nickel, silver, uranium, and
zinc. The most problematic form of mercury is methylmercury which
is found in pulp wood bleaching and paper manufacturing and “run-
off” from large tracts of farmland. Non-metallic water contaminants include: acids, ammonia,
nitrate, phosphates, boron, chloride, cyanide, fluoride, radium, selenium, sulfates and various
radioactive isotopes.

Mining operations commonly introduce high levels of sulfuric acid that leach
toxic metals from sediment and rocks into water. Flood water comingling with
acid mine drainage/ acid rock drainage from metal mines, coal mines and
disturbed earth at construction sites contain elevated levels of nickel, copper,
lead, arsenic, aluminum, and manganese. The disturbance of acid sulfate soils
during a flood constitutes an environmental hazard by acidifying water. Sediment composed of
fine sand and silt has high levels of adsorbed metals. Toxic chemicals often attach to sediment
particles on land and ride the particles into surface waters where the pollutants settle with the
sediment or detach and become soluble in the water column.

Pools of standing or stagnant water become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing the risk
of encephalitis, West Nile Virus and other mosquito-borne diseases. The presence of wild
animals in populated areas increases the risk of diseases caused by fleas and ticks bites. Insect
bites increase the risk of having breaks in the skin providing an entry point for flood water
contaminants. The most immediate health risk for the general public following flooding and
contamination of surface water is water-borne microorganisms and fast-acting toxins Pooled
water remaining from any flood supports the growth of microorganisms: bacteria, viruses, and
molds. The most serious problem that arises from skin contact with floodwater is exposure to
tetanus-causing bacteria which can enter the body wherever the skin is broken.


Regardless of the situation, sanitation and personal hygiene are critical
NEED FOR issues during emergencies and disasters. It’s extremely important to
stay as clean as possible because survival is directly related to how well
POTABLE
you practice good hygiene in an adverse environment. Water is the
WATER
most critical aspect in establishing and maintaining good hygiene and it
quickly becomes the most valuable asset in a disaster. The act of
shaving, washing the face, and brushing the teeth makes a big
difference in an individual’s outlook on life. Personal hygiene won’t change what is going on in
the environment, but it improves what is going on inside a person’s mind. Eliminating body odor
and keeping clean raises morale and gives an individual a sense of well-being.

Best practices in sanitation and hygiene can prevent illnesses Although different
that are most common in disaster situations. Many of these chemicals cause
illnesses cause acute diarrhea that can lead to dehydration. different health effects,
Illness during times of a disaster is extremely difficult to the signs and symptoms
treat. The most important thing to do to prevent the spread of most associated with
chemical poisoning are
waterborne disease is hand-washing with plenty of soap and
headaches, skin rashes,
clean water. Following a disaster, poor hygiene, sleep
dizziness, nausea,
deprivation and increased stress levels lower the immune
excitability, weakness,
responses and make people more susceptible to disease. and fatigue. Children
(especially infants), the
Recommendations for good hand cleaning require wetting elderly, and those who
hands with clean, running water and applying soap; have existing health
rubbing hands together to make lather and scrubbing them conditions or
compromised immune
well on the front and back, between fingers, and under nails.
systems are at greater
Hands should be rubbed for at least 20 seconds, rinsed under
risk of developing
running water then dried under air or using a clean towel. complications being
This is particularly important before preparing or eating exposed to improperly
food, handling a baby, after toilet use, after handling articles cleaned and sanitized
contaminated with floodwater, before smoking, or any other water.
activity that involves touching items that may enter the
mouth. Much care must be taken not to contaminate the
container that stores a water supply.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands, but sanitizers
do not eliminate all types of germs. A safe water supply is necessary for washing hands, bathing
and brushing teeth. A minimum of one gallon of water per person per day is needed for drinking,
cooking and washing. Emergency sources of water inside the home include melted ice cubes,
water from the toilet tank (not the bowl) and water pipes, water inside the hot water tank. Water
from a swimming pool and waterbed water may be used for bathing and flushing toilets and
laundering. Wash cloths and dish towels must be cleaned often with soap and potable water


since bacteria can remain on towels, cloths and linen.
Flooded indoor areas must be scrubbed with warm soapy Childhood lead poisoning
water with particular attention to food-contact surfaces in southern United States
(counter tops, pantry shelves, refrigerators, stoves and was linked to the ingestion
cutting boards) and areas where small children play. of old leaded paint chips

Health consequences associated with human consumption of heavy metals are linked to mental
retardation and learning disabilities in children; development of cancers and death due to
toxicity. Most clinically studied metals are copper, nickel, cadmium, chrome, arsenic, lead and
mercury. These heavy metals become toxic because they are not metabolized by the body and
accumulate in the soft tissues. Symptoms of acute toxicity are usually severe and rapid in onset:
cramping, nausea, and vomiting; pain; sweating; headaches; difficulty breathing; impaired
cognitive, motor, and language skills; mania; and convulsions. Children may develop toxic levels
from the normal hand-to-mouth activity while in contact with contaminated soil or water.

Heavy metals have been used as instruments of murder for centuries. Arsenic is the single substance most commonly
thought of as a poison. Arsenic was the primary component of the spray known as Lewisite that was used by the
British during trench warfare in World War I. Exposure produced severe edema of the eyelids, gastrointestinal
irritation, and both central and peripheral neuropathies. The first antidote to heavy metal poisoning, and the basis for
chelation therapy today, was British Anti-Lewisite (BAL, or dimercaprol), a large molecule with sulfhydryl groups that
bind arsenic, as well as other metals, to form stable covalent bonds that can then be excreted by the body.

Heavy metal toxicity causes damage in the central nervous system, lowers energy levels by
decreasing the metabolic rate, and damages blood components, lung, kidney, and liver tissues.
Commonly encountered toxic heavy metals in flood waters are lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury,
iron, aluminum, antimony, chromium/chrome, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, uranium ,
vanadium, zinc, radium, and uranium. The first step in clinically treating any heavy metal
toxicity is to identify the toxic elements and begin the removal process. The screening process
involves getting hair analysis and 24-hour urine collection to determine timeline of poisoning
and estimated load of heavy metal present. Metal chelating drugs, intravenous EDTA,
intravenous Vitamin C and replacement mineral infusions are initiated early for the metal
removal process. Once laboratory tests indicate that the heavy metals have been reduced to
undetectable levels, treatment is considered complete. Symptoms will often begin to improve
within days of treatment. Therapy may be required for six months to two years in high
concentration load cases.


CONTAMINANT HEALTH RISKS AND CONSEQUENCES

Lead toxicity can be a time bomb. Because of the molecular size of lead and its charge
LEAD similarities to calcium, lead can substitute for calcium and be incorporated into bone.
Children are especially susceptible to lead because developing skeletal systems require
high calcium levels. As more calcium is consumed throughout life, the lead stored in bone
will be mobilized into the blood system; once free in the system, lead causes kidney
poisoning (nephrotoxicity), nerve damage (neurotoxicity), and elevated blood pressure
(hypertension). Early signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in adults include pain,
numbness or tingling of the hands and feet, high blood pressure, muscle weakness,
headache, abdominal pain, memory loss, sexual difficulties in men, and problems during
pregnancy.

CADMIUM Cadmium interferes with a carrier protein in the body (metallothionein) which is
responsible for regulating the nutrient minerals, zinc and copper thus disrupts the
homeostasis or normal metabolic activities of the body.
MERCURY Mercury poses a great risk to humans, especially in the form of methylmercury. When
mercury enters water it is often transformed by microorganisms into the toxic methyl
mercury form. Symptoms of acute poisoning are pharyngitis, gastroenteritis, vomiting,
nephritis, hepatitis, and circulatory collapse. Chronic poisoning is usually a result of
industrial exposure or a diet consisting of contaminated fish (mercury is the only metal
that will bioaccumulate). Chronic poisoning may cause liver damage, neural damage, and
teratogenesis (USEPA, 1987). Sources of mercury include weathering of the earth's crust,
the burning of garbage and fuels, and industrial emissions.
ARSENIC Arsenic can cause severe toxicity through ingestion of contaminated food and water
resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, and cardiac abnormalities.
CHROMIUM The presence of abundant chromium anions in the water is generally a result of industrial
waste. The chronic adverse health effects are respiratory and dermatologic.
ORGANICS Toxic organic chemicals are synthetic compounds that contain carbon which persist and
accumulate in the environment; some of these compounds are suspected carcinogens and
reproductive toxicants. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of man-made
chemicals that contain 209 individual compounds with varying levels of toxicity; were
widely used as coolants and lubricants in transformers, capacitors, and other electrical
equipment until they were banned in 1977; exposure still occurs as a result of historical
contamination and the decommissioning of older transformers and capacitors, which have
lifetimes of 30 years or more.
PESTICIDES Pesticides are synthetic chemicals developed to control insect and plant pests. Pesticides
disperse into the environment, and can cause contamination of surface water and ground
water. Examples of pesticides are DDT, DDE, alachlor, malathion, diazinon, chlordane,
and carbofuran.
PATHOGENS Waterborne bacteria, viruses, and protozoa can cause human illnesses. These pathogens
may enter waters through an inadequately treated sewage, storm water drains, septic
systems, runoff from livestock pens, and sewage dumped overboard from recreational
boats regulatory agencies usually measure E. coli as an indicator bacteria (which are found
in great numbers in the stomachs of warm blooded animals).
SALINITY Salinity can render water undrinkable. Irrigation return flows are a frequent cause of
excess salinity, since agricultural runoff dissolves and concentrates mineral salts found in
soils. Urban and industrial uses can also cause salinity problem. Treated municipal sewage
adds about 35 kg of inorganic salts per year per person served. Wastewater from iron and
steel manufacturing, cement making, and other industries can add 200-500 mg per liter of
salt and other dissolved solids. Nitrate in drinking water supplies is particularly harmful to
infants leading to "methemoglobinemia," or "blue baby" syndrome.


Presently, following a disaster, water is bottled, trucked to a staging area and later moved to the
affected disaster area for distribution. Thousands of empty plastic bottles become a problem that
requires costly clean up. Often they are deposited into overloaded landfills where they will
remain for many years. Using water from a 16 ounce bottle makes it very difficult to practice
good hand-washing and bathing hygiene. In addition, undistributed bottles of water and melting
bags of ice set in warehouses waiting for another disaster event or disposal after the two year
date code expires. Ice is very necessary early after a disaster. Once power is lost to a refrigerator
or freezer, only food "cold-to-the-touch," is safe to be cooked and eaten. When power goes off in
the refrigerator, food inside will remain safely cold for only four to six hours.

The most immediate response to getting potable water in a Water Quality Guidelines for
flooded environment is to “clean up” the flood water for drinking water, freshwater aquatic
consumption. Simple filtration removes particulate matter life, irrigation water, and livestock
and ion exchange filtration is a proven technology for water are different. For each water
system, the guidelines establish the
effectively removing dissolved metals. Ion exchange
Maximum Acceptable Concentration
systems however, are effective only when they contain (MAC) of the entity in question that
contaminant-specific media matrix to address the is permitted in water having an
components dissolved in the water to be made potable. The assigned end use
deionizing components are selected based upon specific raw
water quality data. If flood water is the raw source of water,
its potentially hazardous contaminants must be determined prior to selecting an ion exchange
system. A major problem arises when the source water is found unsuitable; contain components
not removable, by the available filtration system on site.

Activated carbon is an alternative treatment option for the removal of dissolved metals from
water. Reverse osmosis reduces many pollutants and contaminants, separating them from the
water through two carbon filters, plus a membrane that works like an extremely fine filter that
can remove residue contaminants such as lead and mercury. Reverse osmosis is most commonly
implemented for pre-filtering or post-filtering water because its shortcoming is in removing
viruses and bacteria that cannot be filtered out. Water passing through activated carbon is
commonly used in concert with hand pumped filters to remove organic contaminants, taste, or
objectionable odors. Small, hand-pumped reverse osmosis filters were originally developed for
the military in the late 1980s for use as survival equipment included with inflatable rafts.
Granular activated carbon filtering, a form of activated carbon with a high surface area, absorbs
many toxic compounds. Activated carbon filters aren't usually used as the primary purification
techniques of portable water purification devices, but rather as secondary means to complement
another purification technique. Ceramic/carbon core filters with a 0.5 micron or smaller pore size
can be used for removing bacteria and cysts while also removing chemicals.

Ultraviolet light (germicidal UV-C light in the short wavelength range of 100–280 nanometers)
induces the formation of covalent linkages on DNA of bacteria and protozoan and thereby
prevents microbes from reproducing. Turbidity limits the effectiveness of this technology; water


must be clear for ultraviolet purification to work well. Water turbidity is the amount of
suspended and colloidal solids contained in the water giving rise to a “murkiness”. It should be
noted that water treated with ultraviolet light still has microbes present in the water; ultraviolet
light shuts done microbial reproduction. In the event that ultraviolet-treated water containing
neutered microbes is exposed to visible light for any significant period of time, a process known
as photo-reactivation can occur and the damage in the bacteria's reproductive DNA is repaired
thereby rendering them again capable of reproducing and causing disease. Ultraviolet-treated
water must therefore not be exposed to visible light for any significant period before
consumption, to avoid ingesting reactivated and dangerous microbes. Another concern with
ultraviolet purification of raw water is that pathogen sensitivities to ultraviolet light are varied;
protozoan cysts Cryptosporidium, Giardia and viruses are among the least sensitive
microorganisms.

IT’S TIME TO DO THINGS
DIFFERENTLY

Water Transit Solutions™ (WTS), a subsidiary of Dall Holding Company, Inc. of Atlanta,
Georgia, is an eco-friendly/green system that provides water and ice for deployment during
hurricanes, disasters and other events. This new technology-based solution moves bulk water
directly to points-of-deployment and can package water and ice on-site in recyclable plastic bags.
At the heart of the solution is an innovative logistic tracking system using radio frequency
identification technology developed jointly with AT&T. This tracking system monitors water
levels and tracks how much water and ice is required for each station. Information is conveyed
in real-time, making it possible to process water and ice needs, and to anticipate on-going supply
requirements during an event. This means “just-in-time, uninterrupted drinking water and ice”
can be available to citizens when needed. Using advanced equipment and technology, Water
Transit Solutions™ eliminates the need for warehousing or staging of water and ice, which
reduces the costs of providing buildings and storage operations.


Water Transit Solutions™ offers a complete
The Water Transit Solutions™ mobile
solution to supplying potable water, since the mobile
water and ice hydration platforms and
water and ice hydration platform is also equipped
equipment enables the accurate
with reverse osmosis water purification system
tracking of water and ice at all points
configured for purifying in situ flood water and other
in the system. This technology
local water sources. Unique to Water Transit
controls deliveries, lays out routes to
Solutions™ is its ability to obtain pure spring water
locations, and monitors water quality.
from privately owned waterways, mobilize it and
Food and Drug Administration
distribute it to disaster locations within 24 hours of
standards for the safe transport and
an incident.
sanitation of food products are
followed. Water Transit Solutions™ system utilizes a mobile
platform (patented adaptation of a fire-truck like
vehicle), housed at designated locations in every American state, province, and tribal territory
equipped to make local raw water potable, produce ice and provide an alternate power source to
operate its pumps as well as provide direct current and alternating current load centers to
emergency responders. Water Transit Solutions™ system is a self-contained, independently
powered water treatment system contained in a space-efficient footprint. The system design
provides for a collapsible storage tank that can provide water as needed to first responders and
community members. Water Transit Solutions™ mobile water and ice hydration platform is built
on a custom designed truck body, engineered to operate in any and all conditions and location.
The platform includes self-generated power, 120-240 VAC, with capacity to supply current to
other entities, equipped with ultraviolet water purification equipment and ready package and
distribute water and ice. The water bagging component bags water at a rate of 40 liters/ bag per
minute and the ice making machine produces cracked ice at a rate of 500 pounds an hour. Ice is
dispensed in eight pound bags. These platforms provide packaging volumes of water and ice in
impact-proof bags. The mobile water and ice hydration platform is deployed with 1500-2000
gallon of clean water in a sterilize
transport/storage tank. The
system provides for quality
testing of both raw source and
treated water. Water Transit
Solutions™ system employs
AT&T radio frequency
identification technology to
monitors water levels and
enables accurate tracking of
water and ice requirements at
each station assuring
uninterrupted drinking water
and ice availability. Water Transit Solutions™ water and ice hydration platform and refill tanker


trucks are to be located at selected secure sites in all of the 50 states and United States provinces.
The mobile platforms and equipment are stored and
maintained in a “ready to deploy status”, capable of being
deployed within six hours of official notice. With the use Nature created the first
of custom designed radio frequency identification water storage in the form
technology, wrist tags can be used to track water and ice of an “aquifer” within the
distribution to individual citizens who visit the mobile earth’s crust. Openings in
water/ice distribution site, thus providing an avenue for the crust allow water to
displaced citizens to reconnect with their communities. escape in the form of
The platform can be transported over the road, by rail, by “springs”. Water Transit
water or by air. Solutions™ duplicated
this phenomenon in the
Water Transit Solutions™ has developed a tank farm to
establishment of “tank
store clean water for emergency supply. WTS has control
farms” built with a
of a flow-through water storage tank farm with the
flow-through water
capacity to store seven million (7,000,000) gallons of
storage system
clean water every 24 hours. No sterilization is required to
contiguous a flowing
maintain freshness because tanks are installed directly
spring. The tank farm
into the spring flow –this natural flow creates an ongoing
houses seven million
supply of water to tank - once a tank reaches fill level,
gallons of clean water
the overflow returns to the source stream. The water
that turns over every
storage tank farm is designed to accommodate parked
24 hours such that no
tankers, short-term warehousing, helicopter pad, and rail
sterilization is required
accessibility all engineered for quick and easy
deployment. Self-contained mobile platforms are easily to maintain freshness.
loaded at the tank farm. The natural spring flow
creates an ongoing
Consumers are highly sensitive to the threat of supply that when the
contamination or disruption of America’s water supply. fill level is achieved,
The federal and state governments have long been active the overflow is
in addressing these risks and threats through regulations, returned to the spring.
technical assistance, research, and outreach programs. As
a result, an extensive system of regulations governing
maximum contaminants levels, emergency response planning, training, research, and education
have been developed to better protect the nation’s drinking water supply. Water Transit
Solutions™ is the answer that state and federal agencies have been looking for as described in
Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. 300F-300J-26.


ENDNOTES

1. Planetsave: Internet Blog (http://s.tt/12vSN)
2. North Carolina State University Water Quality Group; Biology and Agriculture
Engineering; NCState University and A&T State University Cooperative Extension
3. Charles A. Perry, U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency,
and National Weather Service
4. U.S. Department of Labor; Occupational Safety & Health Administration
5. Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Communications, 535 W. Jefferson St. Springfield, IL 62761
6. “Urban Survival - Sanitation and Hygiene During a Disaster”; David Hardin
7. Man v. Nature, National Geographic, May 2001
8. Shallat, T. (1994). Structures in the Stream: Water, Science, and the Rise of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
University of Texas Press
9. Shallat, T. (2000). “In the Wake of Hurricane Betsy.” Transforming New Orleans and Its Environs: Centuries of
Change, C.E. Colten (Ed.), University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, 121-137.
10. "Natural Hazards — Landslides". United States Geological Survey.
11. Tamrazyan, Gurgen P. (1967). "Tide-forming forces and earthquakes". Icarus 7 (1–3): 59–65.
12. B. Wisner, P. Blaikie, T. Cannon, and I. Davis (2004). At Risk - Natural hazards, people’s vulnerability and
disasters. Wiltshire: Routledge
13. D. Alexander (2002). Principles of Emergency planning and Management. Harpended: Terra Publishing
14. National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
15. Office of Noncommunicable Diseases, Injury and Environmental Health, National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)
16. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD)
17. World Health Organization. Safe Water and Global Health". Who.int. 2008-06-25.
18. "Water: How much should you drink every day?” Mayoclinic.com.
19. Gleick, PH., (editor), The World's Water: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources Island Press,
Washington, D.C
20. Water: Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Sector-Specific Plan as input to the National Infrastructure
Protection Plan May 2007
21. Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Water Security Division, EPA 817-R-07-001


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