Can the same technology used to inspect sewer lines provide near-instantaneous contaminant readings? A Milwaukee-based provider of pretreatment systems and removal services expects to answer the question within three years. Advanced Chemical Systems Inc. is working to commercialize a fiber-optic water-quality monitoring system developed by the U.S. Center for Water Security at the University of Wisconsin. The sensor uses pulses of light to look for targeted water and wastewater contaminants in the cladding, the part of the fiber optics that reflects light. Researchers also are using “fiber-optic combinatorial chemistry” to develop a tool that identifies the exact location of a harmful agent within a drinking water distribution system.