Patent ID: 7249000

Claim:
A method of monitoring fluid quality, comprising the steps of: distributing sensor units to different end user locations of fluid delivery other than municipal water treatment facilities using a pre-existing product distribution system, said different end user locations of fluid delivery being controlled by different entities, wherein the sensor units each include a sensor comprising multiple sensing elements that are disposed on a substrate, said sensor being configured to measure multiple different chemical species, and wherein the sensor units are configured to be installed at end user locations of fluid delivery other than municipal water treatment facilities in a fluid distribution system and are configured to generate fluid quality measures based on measurements, the sensor units being configured to establish communication with a data collection system; receiving, at the data collection system, the fluid quality measures from sensor units installed at said end user locations of fluid delivery other than municipal water treatment facilities; and communicating at least one of said fluid quality and fluid quality measures to interested parties other than said entities.