MoreThe EPA revises their Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulations (UCMR 3) for Public Water Systems.
According to Federal Register, Vol. 77, No. 85, the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) require that the U.S. EPA establish criteria for a program to monitor unregulated contaminants and publish a list of up to 30 contaminants to be monitored every five years. This final rule meets the SDWA requirement by publishing the third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (i.e., UCMR 3), listing the unregulated contaminants to be monitored and addressing the requirements for such monitoring.
This final rule describes analytical methods to monitor for 28 chemical contaminants and describes the monitoring for two viruses. UCMR 3 provides EPA and other interested parties with scientifically valid data on the occurrence of these contaminants in drinking water, permitting the assessment of the number of people potentially being exposed and the levels of that exposure. These data are one of the primary sources of occurrence and exposure information the agency uses to develop regulatory decisions for these contaminants. In addition, as part of an Expedited Methods Update, this rule finalizes amendatory language for a drinking water inorganic analysis table (“Inorganic chemical sampling and analytical requirements”) in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This minor editorial correction to the table does not affect the UCMR program.
Entities regulated by this action are public water systems (PWSs). All large community and non-transient non-community water systems serving more than 10,000 people are required to monitor. A community water system (CWS) means a PWS, which has at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves an average of at least 25 year-round residents. A non-transient non-community water system (NTNCWS) means a PWS that is not a CWS and regularly serves at least 25 of the same people over six months per year.
Only a nationally representative sample of “small” community and non-transient non-community systems serving 10,000 or fewer people are required to monitor for the chemical analytes (see USEPA, 2001 for a description of the statistical approach for the nationally representative sample). EPA will pay for the analysis of samples collected by these small systems. Transient non-community water systems (TNCWS) (i.e., systems that do not regularly serve at least 25 of the same people over six months per year) are not required to monitor for the chemical analytes.
However, transient ground water systems serving 1,000 or fewer people may be selected for virus monitoring. If selected, these systems are required to permit EPA to sample and analyze for List 3 contaminants and pathogen indicators. EPA will pay for all sampling and analysis costs associated with virus monitoring at these small systems. Exhibit 1 summarizes UCMR 3 applicability by system type and size.
Exhibit 1
This final rule describes analytical methods to monitor for 28 chemical contaminants and describes the monitoring for two viruses. UCMR 3 provides EPA and other interested parties with scientifically valid data on the occurrence of these contaminants in drinking water, permitting the assessment of the number of people potentially being exposed and the levels of that exposure. These data are one of the primary sources of occurrence and exposure information the agency uses to develop regulatory decisions for these contaminants. In addition, as part of an Expedited Methods Update, this rule finalizes amendatory language for a drinking water inorganic analysis table (“Inorganic chemical sampling and analytical requirements”) in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This minor editorial correction to the table does not affect the UCMR program.
Entities regulated by this action are public water systems (PWSs). All large community and non-transient non-community water systems serving more than 10,000 people are required to monitor. A community water system (CWS) means a PWS, which has at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves an average of at least 25 year-round residents. A non-transient non-community water system (NTNCWS) means a PWS that is not a CWS and regularly serves at least 25 of the same people over six months per year.
Only a nationally representative sample of “small” community and non-transient non-community systems serving 10,000 or fewer people are required to monitor for the chemical analytes (see USEPA, 2001 for a description of the statistical approach for the nationally representative sample). EPA will pay for the analysis of samples collected by these small systems. Transient non-community water systems (TNCWS) (i.e., systems that do not regularly serve at least 25 of the same people over six months per year) are not required to monitor for the chemical analytes.
However, transient ground water systems serving 1,000 or fewer people may be selected for virus monitoring. If selected, these systems are required to permit EPA to sample and analyze for List 3 contaminants and pathogen indicators. EPA will pay for all sampling and analysis costs associated with virus monitoring at these small systems. Exhibit 1 summarizes UCMR 3 applicability by system type and size.
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