SBIR-STTR Award

MixZon, Inc., hypothesizes that lightweight infrared (IR) and video cameras mounted on an unmanned tethered helium balloon accessible via a wireless network can remotely sense water quality at site scales. MixZon will demonstrate the technical feasibility of a ground-based network to monitor and control balloon-mounted, IP-enabled wireless IR and video cameras for measurement of the spatial distribution of surface water temperature within the mixing zone. The mixing zone is the area where the initial dilution of a point source discharge occurs. This technology has immediate application to provide geospatial data for regulatory management and simulation model development and validation. Mixing zones are an important component of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) point-source discharge permitting process within total maximum daily load (TMDL) water quality management programs. MixZon will focus on mixing zones in rivers, where vertical mixing of point-source discharges is rapid and may be exhibited downstream for long distances, resulting in full lateral mixing. MixZon will integrate existing technology to demonstrate the rapid deployment of small balloon-mounted detectors to monitor mixing zones of industrial discharges. A balloon has a number of advantages over existing platforms for remote sensing of water quality. Existing platforms for remote sensing of water temperature at the site have limited availability, high costs, and long lead times to schedule deployment. The cost of a balloon platform is likely to be one-thirteenth to one-tenth the cost of the fixed-wing and helicopter alternatives, respectively. In addition, a low-cost balloon platform could be deployed on short notice by one to two people with minimal operator training and would be suitable for monitoring at fixed locations for longer time periods than is practical for current airborne sensors. Although water temperature is an important TMDL parameter in itself, temperature often can be used as a "tracer" to indicate the dilution and spatial distribution of other important TMDL water quality parameters, such as sediment and coliform, which may occur within a mixing zone. Although MixZon will focus only on detecting temperature as a water quality parameter, there is the potential to monitor the fate and transport of other discharge constituents, including shoreline recreational exposure to pathogens from wastewater discharges, determination of the spatial extent of contaminated sediment deposits from mining operations, the impact of contaminated groundwater interaction within groundwater/surface recharge zones, and analysis of thermal refugia habitat for endangered species management. Supplemental

Keywords:
small business, SBIR, water quality, mixing zones, pollution, water pollution, water temperature, monitoring, contaminants, wastewater discharge, groundwater, National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, NPDES, TMDL, recharge zones, remote sensing, EPA

We hypothesize that infrared (IR) cameras mounted on unmanned tethered helium balloons accessed via a wireless network can remotely sense water quality in mixing zones at site scales. Mixing zones are limited regions in water bodies where the initial dilution of point-source wastewater discharge occurs. Mixing zones are an important component of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting process within Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) water quality management programs. In Phase I, MixZone developed a low-cost, rapidly deployable, aerial remote sensing system for monitoring water quality in riverine mixing zones. Our patent-pending platform monitors outfall performance and focuses on temperature as a dilution tracer. In cooperation with EPA Region 10 and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, we successfully field demonstrated our system at an industrial discharge site. We proved the technical feasibility of our remote sensing concept to gather continuous, real-time, site scale, geo-reference mixing zone data for NPDES regulatory compliance and ESA habitat assessment. Alternative aerial remote sensing platforms have limited availability, high costs, and long lead times to schedule deployment. The cost of our platform will be 1/3 to 1/10 of competing technology. Our platform can be deployed by 2 to 3 people with minimal operator training and is suitable for monitoring at fixed locations for longer time periods than is practical for alternative airborne sensors. In Phase II, we will continue to focus on mixing zones in rivers, where vertical mixing of point sources discharges is rapid but may exhibit long downstream distances for full lateral mixing. We will develop technology to better aim and control our sensors. We will identify temperature differentials and associated wastewater types (e.g., process cooling waters, municipal effluents, pulp mill effluents, etc.), outfall configurations (e.g., surface shoreline, submerged single port, multiport diffuser), and ambient conditions that lead to successful monitoring. We will develop tools for hydrodynamic mixing zone model validation and calibrations. We will commercialize our platform by demonstrating deployment with industrial sponsors. We will work with EPA partners on technology verification. Although our platform detects temperature as a water quality parameter, the potential to model the fate and transport of other discharge constituents may be much more widespread (e.g., shoreline recreational exposure to pathogens from wastewater discharges, determination of spatial extent of contaminated sediment deposits from mining operations, detecting the impacts of contaminated groundwater interactions within in groundwater/surface recharge zones, and analysis of thermal refugia habitat for endangered species management). Supplemental

Keywords:
small business, SBIR, EPA, water pollution, groundwater monitoring, remote sensing of water, NPDES, water quality monitoring, water quality sensors