40 CFR Part 141, Subpart C - Monitoring and Analytical Requirements

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to make conforming changes to existing drinking water regulations based on the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act of 2011 (RLDWA) and the Community Fire Safety Act of 2013 (CFSA). Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) prohibits the use and introduction into commerce of certain plumbing products that are not lead free. The RLDWA revised the definition of lead free to lower the allowable maximum lead content from 8.0 percent to a weighted average of 0.25 percent of the wetted surfaces of plumbing products and established a statutory method for calculating lead content. In addition, the RLDWA created exemptions from the lead free requirements for plumbing products that are used exclusively for nonpotable services as well as for other specified products. The CFSA further amended section 1417 to exempt fire hydrants from these requirements. EPA proposes to establish new requirements to assure that individuals purchasing, installing or inspecting potable water systems can identify lead free plumbing materials. Specifically, EPA proposes to establish labeling requirements to differentiate plumbing products that meet the lead free requirements from those that are exempt from the lead free requirements and to require manufacturers to certify compliance with the lead free requirements. These proposed requirements would reduce inadvertent use of non-lead free plumbing products in potable use applications and, consequently, reduce exposure to lead in drinking water and associated adverse health effects.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a review every six years of existing national primary drinking water regulations (NPDWRs) and determine which, if any, need to be revised. The purpose of the review, called the Six-Year Review, is to evaluate current information for regulated contaminants to determine if there is new information on health effects, treatment technologies, analytical methods, occurrence and exposure, implementation and/or other factors that provides a health or technical basis to support a regulatory revision that will improve or strengthen public health protection. EPA has completed a detailed review of 76 NPDWRs and at this time has determined that eight NPDWRs are candidates for regulatory revision. The eight NPDWRs are included in the Stage 1 and the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rules, the Surface Water Treatment Rule, the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule and the Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule. EPA requests comments on the eight NPDWRs identified as candidates for revision and will consider comments and data as it proceeds with determining whether further action is needed. In addition, as part of this Six-Year Review, EPA identified 12 other NPDWRs that were or continue to be addressed in recently completed, ongoing or pending regulatory actions. EPA thus excluded those 12 NPDWRs from detailed review. This document is not a final regulatory decision, but rather the initiation of a process that will involve more detailed analyses of factors relevant to deciding whether a rulemaking to revise an NPDWR should be initiated.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing a Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) rule that requires public water systems to collect occurrence data for contaminants that may be present in drinking water but are not yet subject to EPA's drinking water standards set under the SDWA. This rule identifies eleven analytical methods to support water system monitoring for a total of 30 chemical contaminants, consisting of nine cyanotoxins and one cyanotoxin group; two metals; eight pesticides plus one pesticide manufacturing byproduct (hereinafter collectively referred to as “pesticides”); three brominated haloacetic acid disinfection byproduct groups; three alcohols; and three semivolatile organic chemicals. EPA is also announcing a public meeting and webinar to discuss the implementation of the fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule.

This action announces the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) approval of alternative testing methods for use in measuring the levels of contaminants in drinking water and determining compliance with national primary drinking water regulations. The Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes EPA to approve the use of alternative testing methods through publication in the Federal Register . EPA is using this streamlined authority to make 16 additional methods available for analyzing drinking water samples. This expedited approach provides public water systems, laboratories, and primacy agencies with more timely access to new measurement techniques and greater flexibility in the selection of analytical methods, thereby reducing monitoring costs while maintaining public health protection.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing final regulatory determinations not to issue national primary drinking water regulations for four of the 116 contaminants listed on the Third Contaminant Candidate List. The Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended in 1996, requires the EPA to make regulatory determinations every five years on at least five unregulated contaminants. A regulatory determination is a decision about whether or not to begin the process to propose and promulgate a national primary drinking water regulation for an unregulated contaminant. On October 20, 2014, the agency published its preliminary determinations not to regulate dimethoate, 1,3-dinitrobenzene, terbufos, terbufos sulfone and begin the process to regulate strontium. The agency requested public comment on the determinations, process, rationale and supporting technical information. The agency received comments from 14 individuals or organizations on the preliminary regulatory determinations. After careful review and consideration of the public comments, the agency is making a final determination not to regulate dimethoate, 1,3-dinitrobenzene, terbufos and terbufos sulfone. The agency, however, is delaying the final regulatory determination on strontium in order to consider additional data and decide whether there is a meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction by regulating strontium in drinking water.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) rule that requires public water systems to collect occurrence data for contaminants that may be present in tap water but are not yet subject to EPA's drinking water standards set under SDWA. This rule, revised every five years as required by SDWA, benefits public health by providing EPA and other interested parties with scientifically valid data on the national occurrence of selected contaminants in drinking water, such as cyanotoxins associated with harmful algal blooms. This data set is one of the primary sources of information on occurrence, levels of exposure and population exposure the Agency uses to develop regulatory decisions for emerging contaminants in the public drinking water supply. This proposal identifies eleven analytical methods to support water system monitoring for a total of 30 chemical contaminants/groups, consisting of ten cyanotoxins/groups; two metals; eight pesticides plus one pesticide manufacturing byproduct (hereinafter collectively referred to as “pesticides”); three brominated haloacetic acid groups of disinfection byproducts; three alcohols; and three semivolatile organic chemicals. EPA is also announcing a public webinar to discuss this proposal of the fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces a public meeting and webinar to obtain input on potential revisions to regulations for the Prohibition on Use of Lead Pipes, Solder and Flux. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) prohibits the use or introduction into commerce of pipes, pipe or plumbing fittings or fixtures, solder and flux that are not lead free. These revisions are necessary due to SDWA amendments enacted by Congress in the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act of 2011 and the Community Fire Safety Act of 2013.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a public meeting and webinar to discuss the agency's preliminary determinations on whether or not to develop drinking water regulations for five unregulated contaminants listed on the third Contaminant Candidate List (CCL3). The EPA published and requested public comment on its preliminary regulatory determinations of these five contaminants in the Federal Register (FR) on October 20, 2014. In that FR document, the agency announced its preliminary determinations to regulate one contaminant (i.e., strontium) and to not regulate four contaminants (i.e., 1,3-dinitrobenzene, dimethoate, terbufos and terbufos sulfone). On December 9, 2014, EPA will hold a public meeting and webinar to present and solicit public input on the process to identify, and the information used to evaluate, contaminants for the third Regulatory Determination effort; and the preliminary regulatory determinations for the aforementioned five unregulated contaminants listed on CCL3, including the supporting rationale for these determinations.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in 1996, requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make regulatory determinations every five years on at least five unregulated contaminants. A regulatory determination is a decision about whether or not to begin the process to propose and promulgate a national primary drinking water regulation (NPDWR) for an unregulated contaminant. These unregulated contaminants are chosen from the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL), which SDWA requires the agency to publish every five years. EPA published the third CCL (CCL 3) in the Federal Register on October 8, 2009. This notice presents the preliminary regulatory determinations and supporting rationale for 5 of the 116 contaminants listed on CCL 3. The agency is making preliminary determinations to regulate one contaminant (i.e., strontium) and to not regulate four contaminants (i.e., 1,3-dinitrobenzene, dimethoate, terbufos and terbufos sulfone). EPA seeks comment on these preliminary determinations.

This action announces the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) approval of alternative testing methods for use in measuring the levels of contaminants in drinking water and determining compliance with national primary drinking water regulations. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to approve the use of alternative testing methods through publication in the Federal Register . EPA is using this streamlined authority to make 21 additional methods available for analyzing drinking water samples. This expedited approach provides public water systems, laboratories, and primacy agencies with more timely access to new measurement techniques and greater flexibility in the selection of analytical methods, thereby reducing monitoring costs while maintaining public health protection.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Standards and Risk Management Division's Technical Support Center (TSC) announces a public meeting and webinar to discuss the approach to the fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 4) for public drinking water systems. EPA will present information concerning the status of the agency's efforts in the areas of analyte selection, analytical methods, sampling design, determination of minimum reporting levels and other possible revisions relative to the current rule.

This action announces the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) approval of alternative testing methods for use in measuring the levels of contaminants in drinking water and determining compliance with national primary drinking water regulations. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to approve the use of alternative testing methods through publication in the Federal Register . EPA is using this streamlined authority to make 84 additional methods available for analyzing drinking water samples. This expedited approach provides public water systems, laboratories, and primacy agencies with more timely access to new measurement techniques and greater flexibility in the selection of analytical methods, thereby reducing monitoring costs while maintaining public health protection.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is finalizing revisions to the 1989 Total Coliform Rule (TCR). The Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) offers a meaningful opportunity for greater public health protection beyond the 1989 TCR. Under the RTCR there is no longer a monthly maximum contaminant level (MCL) violation for multiple total coliform detections. Instead, the revisions require systems that have an indication of coliform contamination in the distribution system to assess the problem and take corrective action that may reduce cases of illnesses and deaths due to potential fecal contamination and waterborne pathogen exposure. This final rule also updates provisions in other rules that reference analytical methods and other requirements in the 1989 TCR (e.g., Public Notification and Ground Water Rules). These revisions are in accordance with the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments, which require EPA to review and revise, as appropriate, each national primary drinking water regulation no less often than every six years. These revisions also conform with the SDWA provision that requires any revision to “maintain, or provide for greater, protection of the health of persons.” As with the 1989 TCR, the RTCR applies to all public water systems.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a public meeting on November 15, 2012, concerning monitoring, binning and microbial toolbox information as part of the regulatory review of the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2 rule). At this meeting, EPA plans to discuss and solicit public input on data and information related to several topics. The first topic is the results of the first round of LT2 Cryptosporidium monitoring that are used to determine which one of the four categories ( i.e., bins) a public drinking water system (PWS) should be placed. The second topic is the implications of predicted occurrence and bin category placement that may result from a second round of Cryptosporidium monitoring using the existing or enhanced analytical methods. The third topic is the effectiveness of Escherichia coli as a screen to identify small filtered PWSs that need to perform Cryptosporidium monitoring for bin placement. The fourth topic is the determination of the potential credits assigned to different risk mitigation tools. EPA will also provide background information on the LT2 rule's monitoring and binning requirements, microbial toolbox options for risk management, and the agency's Six Year Review process. EPA will consider the data and/or information discussed at this meeting during the agency's review of the LT2 rule, which the agency has announced as part of both the Retrospective Review Plan under Executive Order (E.O.) 13563 and the third Six-Year Review under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a public meeting and webcast to share information with the public related to treatment technologies, analytical methods and other information pertaining to the development of a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for Perchlorate.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a public meeting on August 16, 2012, to discuss and solicit input from States, manufacturers, drinking water systems, other interested groups and consumers on the implementation of the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act of 2011 (“the Act”). The Act was signed on January 4, 2011, and will be effective on January 4, 2014. The Act amended Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which prohibits the use of certain plumbing products that are not “lead free” (as defined by SDWA), and makes it unlawful to introduce into commerce products that are not “lead free.”

This action announces the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) approval of alternative testing methods for use in measuring the levels of contaminants in drinking water and determining compliance with national primary drinking water regulations. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to approve the use of alternative testing methods through publication in the Federal Register . EPA is using this streamlined authority to make 10 additional methods available for analyzing drinking water samples required by regulation. This expedited approach provides public water systems, laboratories, and primacy agencies with more timely access to new measurement techniques and greater flexibility in the selection of analytical methods, thereby reducing monitoring costs while maintaining public health protection.

The 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) require that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the agency) 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.

EPA is holding three meetings of the Arsenic Small Systems Working Group to discuss barriers to the use of arsenic treatment technologies and alternative affordability criteria. The first and second of these meetings will be held via Webcast. The third meeting will be held in Arlington, Virginia. Interested members of the public may participate in the two Webcasts via the Internet and may attend the third meeting in person.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a public meeting on April 24, 2012, concerning information that may inform the regulatory review of the uncovered finished water reservoir requirement in the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2 rule). At this meeting, EPA will provide background information on the LT2 rule's uncovered finished water reservoir requirement and the agency's Six Year Review process. EPA also plans to discuss and solicit public input on data and information related to microbial occurrence of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, viruses, and other pathogens/indicators in uncovered finished water reservoirs; public health risks; strategies to control or remove contaminants in uncovered finished water reservoirs; and potential assessment approaches to determine the effectiveness of these control and/or removal strategies. The primary focus of this meeting is to have a scientific and technical discussion related to uncovered finished water reservoirs. EPA will consider the data and/or information discussed at this meeting during the agency's review of the LT2 rule, which the agency announced as part of EPA's Retrospective Review Plan under Executive Order (E.O.) 13563 in August 2011.

EPA is holding an initial meeting of the Arsenic Small Systems Working Group to provide input and recommendations on barriers to the use of point-of-use and point-of-entry treatment units, package plant, and modular units, as well as alternative affordability criteria that give extra weight to small, rural, and lower income communities. This meeting will be held via Webcast and the public may attend this meeting.