Broomfield, Colorado USA, July 27, 2005 - Stretching the boundaries of innovation in the geospatial waterworks industry, MWH Soft, a leading global provider of water resources applications software, today announced a new release of its acclaimed Protector™ extension for H₂OMAP and InfoWater Suite advanced geospatial platforms. The latest version extends Protector's water security and vulnerability assessment capabilities by adding new risk management functionality. The result gives water system professionals expanded power and flexibility in estimating and managing the consequences of an emergency, disruption, or a crisis event on drinking water infrastructures and shortening response time more easily than ever before. Protector™ enables water utilities to prepare for and respond to unforeseen incidents with maximum effectiveness, quickly locating and isolating areas of their systems affected by a contamination or water main break, instantly communicating critical information to personnel and affected customers, and developing sound remedial measures.

Harnessing the power of advanced geospatial technology and graph-theoretical algorithms, the new Protector™ extension is a complete emergency response solution for water distribution systems. It allows water utilities to model the propagation of naturally disseminated, accidentally released, or intentionally introduced contaminants and chemical constituents throughout water distribution systems and assess the effects of water treatment on the contaminant. Users can also evaluate the potential impact of unforeseen facility breakdown (e.g., significant structural damage such as pipe breaks and/or operational disruption).

Protector™ enables water utilities to locate areas of their systems affected by contamination or breakdown; identify populations at risk and convey customer notification information; and identify the minimum number of valves to close to isolate a contamination or facility breakdown event and minimize water supply interruption. Finally, the new extension helps water utilities trace contaminant sources; compute required purging water volumes; develop efficient flushing strategies; determine the resulting impact on fire-fighting capabilities; and prepare data for eventual prosecution.

The new Protector™ release reinforces MWH Soft's longstanding leadership in the water industry and reflects its continuing commitment to delivering pioneering and innovative technology to improve the safety and security of the nation's water supply. It is specifically designed to help water utilities reduce their infrastructure vulnerability and enhance their ability to prepare for and respond to natural disasters and emergencies. The program can be effectively used to identify viable solutions before an incident occurs, or to assist in responding should it occur. Key users will include municipal water utilities, city and county public works departments, and federal, state, and local emergency response and regulatory agencies.

"With this release, we are responding to feedback from our customers asking for practical water system operation and management tools. We have responded by enhancing the capabilities of our state-of-the-art Protector module with new features and functionality that can be implemented quickly and easily," said Paul F. Boulos, Ph.D, President and Chief Operating Officer of MWH Soft. "This vanguard module, unparalleled in the industry, will critically assist water utilities around the world in improving the operation and management of their systems, mitigating a range of risks, protecting public health, ensuring a safe, reliable potable water supply, and giving their customers added security and peace of mind."

Early reaction to the new Protector™ has been strong and enthusiastic. "As a leader in hydraulic network modeling applications, MWH Soft continues to raise the bar in innovation, performance, reliability, convenience, and ease of use," said Christopher M. Bros, Principal Engineer with MWH EMEAI. "The company clearly listens to the wants and specific needs of its customers, and continues to rapidly deliver an impressive array of quality products. These releases are giving water utilities powerful, cutting-edge technologies that enable them to better operate, manage, maintain and safeguard their systems and forge stronger customer relationships."

Pricing and Availability
The H₂OMAP Water and InfoWater Protector™ extension is now available worldwide by subscription to the Platinum Program. Subscription members can immediately download the new extension free of charge directly from www.mwhsoft.com. The MWH Soft Subscription Program is a friendly customer support and software maintenance program that ensures the longevity and usefulness of MWH Soft products. It gives subscribers instant access to new functionality as it is developed, along with automatic software updates and upgrades. MWH Soft product extensions are available only through the Platinum Program. For the latest information on the MWH Soft Subscription Program, visit www.mwhsoft.com or contact your local MWH Soft Certified Representative.