Leakwise Oil-on-Water Detection System Uses Twitter to Send Oil Leak Alerts

May 25, 2011 - Boulder, CO - The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Leakwise Oil-on-Water Monitoring and Detection System from GE Analytical Instruments is using Twitter to send regular updates about water quality conditions and the presence of oil on water near Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay.

In April 2011, EPA Region 9 and Environmental Response Team (ERT) personnel established a mooring point just off Alcatraz Island as a test for the future deployment of the Leakwise ID-227WL Oil-on-Water Detection and Monitoring System. This system, named "Bob" for its bobbing motion in the water, consists of a floating wave rider, an integrated wireless controller, wireless communication antennas, and a solar panel with battery. Bob and other Leakwise ID-227WL units allow remote real-time monitoring for oil sheens.

The oil releases appear to come from subsurface contamination near Alcatraz and are thought to be caused by historical oil storage practices. Oil, which soaked into the underlying bedrock, leaks periodically and causes episodic oil sheens in San Francisco Bay.

EPA expects to leave the Leakwise system in place for several months. The Leakwise system will detect any oil sheen and transmit the information as a text message. Using an SMS relay service, these text messages are converted into an XML format and sent as tweets via Twitter. EPA is collecting the tweets from Leakwise and will download them into a database for further analysis. These readings will help EPA and the National Park Service (NPS) make decisions about the amount of intervention appropriate at this historical site. They will be able to better understand the frequency and extent of the oil releases and be able to provide rapid response action if necessary.

For more information about Leakwise, visit http://www.geinstruments.com/leakwise/