PathoINVEST: Pathogen Contamination Investigations During Emergencies

Emergencies and disasters (such as earthquakes and floods), may contaminate drinking water
systems with pathogens, that can affect the health of both First Responders and Citizens. As part
of the Horizon 2020 “Pathogen Contamination Emergency Response Technologies” (PathoCERT)
project, we are developing a Digital Twin tool (PathoINVEST) to assist First Responders and
Water Authorities in investigating and responding efficiently to drinking water contamination
events. In this paper, we present preliminary work on PathoINVEST, its architecture, and how it
operates with the PathoCERT ecosystem of technologies. Moreover, using an illustrative case
study, we demonstrate how PathoINVEST will process data and produce useful insights for the
First Responders during a realistic contamination event. This work demonstrates how different
research results can be integrated into a holistic water contamination emergency management
system, in accordance with the needs of First Responders who need to make decisions within a
limited time frame and to reduce the impact of a contamination event.