United States
Environmental Protection Office of Water EPA 570-B-88-017
Agency 4601 April 1988
&EPA LEAD MONITORING PROTOCOL
FOR DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS
-------
-------
APR I 3 1986
Lead Monitoring Protocol For Drinking Water Systems
Introduction .
This protocol is a revision of the January 14, 1988, draft
which was circulated for comment. The purpose of this Protocol
is to allow public water systems to collect data which will help
lene'rated under this monitoring protocol to be used for
compliance purposes if the public water ^^em performed
quarterly monitoring for one year. Sampling protocols *°r *»
Coolers and buildings other than single family residences are
discussed in a separate document.
TlUs protocol is intended for use by public water systems to
a short Report should be submitted with the data detailing t
difference? in the monitoring procedures. Please submit all
data and reports to:
the
Jeffrey B. Kempic
Office of Drinking Water
WH-550D
U.S. EPA
401 M Street S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460
The format of the data reporting is discussed
protocol. If there are any questions Jbo*t f J-|ea* ^
protocol, please call Jeffrey Kempic at (202) 475-9567.
sample Si** Selection Criteria
o The intent of these criteria is to locate those.ho«^.that
are likely to have waiter with elevated levels of lead:
- Homes served by lead service lines or with interior lead
plumbing
- Homes with copper plumbing and lead/tin solder, especially
those homes that are less than 5 years old
- Homes that receive tb« »o.t corrosive .theurthest
e^cydi:?^
system in relatively ^buffered waters, or at locations with
particularly high chlcrifts levels.
- Homes with consumer co,*U>nt£ about quality of drinking rater .
-------
-2-
Number of Sample Sites
gfiEulation_Served Minimum Number of Sample Sites
500 < " 10
500 - 3,300 10
3,301 - 10,000 20
10,001 - 100,000 30
> 100,000 50
Frequency of Monitoring
It is recommended that water systems monitor on a quarterly
basis. It is preferred that the samples from all of the sites
be collected on the same day. It is important that the system
specify what treatments are in use and the length of time they
have been in place when the samples are taken.
Sample Location
The samples should be taken from the cold water kitchen tap
in single family homes. The homes selected should be based on
the sample site selection criteria.
Sampling Protocol for Single Family Residences:
o Morning First Draw (overnight standing for at least 8 hours)
#1 250 ml. taken immediately upon opening the tap,
without wasting any water; then shut off the water
#2 i^ 750 ml. taken immediately after sample #1, without
**.. wasting any water between sample fl and sample 32
#3 250 ml. sample taken after the water turns cold or
any other indication that the water is
representative of the service line
#4 250 ml. running sample taken after the water has
run for about three additional minutes after
sample #3 or has otherwise been determined to be
representative of water in the main
-------
-3-
After sample #4 is taken, the pH, alkalinity, and residual
chlorine must be tested.
pH - Follow the instructions provided with the measurement
apparatus or pH test kit. Portable calibrated pH
meters are preferable to colorimetric test kits. pH
papers are generally unreliable.
Alkalinity - Take a 250 ml. sample from the freely flowing tap
after the pH test has been completed. This sample
is sent to the laboratory with the samples that
will be analyzed for lead. The results of the pH
analysis should also be sent with this sample. The
laboratory will analyze for total and
phenolphthalein alkalinity.
Residual Chlorine - Follow the procedure in the DPD Colorimetric
Test Kit or other test kit to analyze for
free and combined residual chlorine. Record
the results for free and combined residual
chlorine.
After the pH, alkalinity, and residual chlorine analyses have
been completed, the water is shut off and all plumbing in the
house is not used for one half-hour. Then, the one half-hour
standing samples are taken for comparison with the morning first
draw samples. The fixed first draw samples are being considered
as an alternative to the morning first draw samples in the
regulatory monitoring.
o Fixed First Draw (half-hour standing)
#1 250 ml. taken immediately upon opening the tap,
without wasting any water; then shut off the water
#2 750 ml. taken immediately after sample #1, without
wasting any water between sample fl and sample §2
#3 250 ml. sample taken aftar the water turns cold-or
any other indication thu* the water is representative
of the service line.
-------
-4-
Alternate Sampling Protocol for Small Systems
This protocol is intended for use by those small systems
(systems serving less than 3,300 people) that want to
participate in the monitoring, but do not have the financial
resources to perform the complete sampling protocol. The only
difference between this sampling protocol and the recommended
protocol is the reduction in the number of lead samples required
at each location.
o Morning First Draw
#1 1 liter sample taken immediately upon opening the
tap, without wasting any water
#2 250 ml. sample taken after the water turns cold or
any other indication that the water is representative
of the service line
#3 250 ml. running sample taken after the water has run
for three additional minutes after sample #2 or has
otherwise been determined to be representative of
water in the main
X
The pH, alkalinity, and residual chlorine must be tested after
these lead samples have been taken. The procedure is the same
as in the recommended sampling protocol. There are no fixed
first draw samples taken for lead in this alternate sampling
protocol for small systems.
Treatment Plant Sampling
Location; Samples should be taken from the treatment plant
effluent.
Number of'Samples; One sample for each of the following
.£_. parameters;
1. Lead
2. pH
3. Alkalinity (Total & Phenolphthalein)
Note: These samples should be taken on the same day as the
house samples.
-------
-5-
Sample Preservation and Analysis
o Glass or plastic containers of specified volume with
preservatives as required in "Manual for Certification of
Laboratories Analyzing Drinking Water." The preservative
for lead samples is concentrated nitric acid (HN03).
o The method of analysis for lead (EPA method 239.2;
AA-graphite furnace) is described in the EPA manual "Methods
for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes."
o The method of analysis for total and phenolphthalein
alkalinity (Method 403) is described in Standard Methods for
the Examination of Waste and Wastewater. 16th Edition. The
phenolphthalein and the total alkalinities can be used to
determine which of the three principal forms of alkalinity
are present in the water. The three principal forms of
alkalinity are: bicarbonate, carbonate, and hydroxide
alkalinity. The relationships between the measured
alkalinities and these forms of alkalinity are listed in
Method 403. Total alkalinity and "carbonate alkalinity"
should be reported in the results of the analyses.
"Carbonate alkalinity" is defined in this protocol as the
alkalinity contributed by the bicarbonate alkalinity and the
carbonate alkalinity as defined ir Standard Methods. When
there is no hydroxide alkalinity present, the "carbonate
alkalinity" and the total alkalinity are equivalent.
o The method of analyzing treatment plant samples for pH (EPA
Method 150.1; Electrometric) is described in EPA's National
Primary Drinking Water Regulation;-.
o Each laboratory analyzing samples .vio.st determine the method
detection limit (MDL), as defined I:i 40 CFR Part 136
Appendix B, at which it is capable nf detecting lead. The
calculated MDL should be less tha-. -r equal to 1 ug/L. All
data down to the calculated MDL &': . .d be reported at the
determined concentration.
-------
-6-
Reporting Requirements:
Single Family Residences:
'
reP°rting foat *«»r the lead samples is
House
Identifier
street
address
or occupant
name or
location
number
* ' '
Sampling
Date
^^-^^
MFD
#1
Lead
I ^ ^i
MFD
Sampli
-^" ^
MFD
#3
as (mg/L)
MFD
#4
FFD
#1
FFD
#2
FFD
#3
labo'rrtory MDL s^uld be included with
-------
-7-
The preferred format for the other water quality
parameters is as follows:
House
Identifier
Sampling
Date
PH
Alkalinity as
CaCOs in mg/L
Total
Carbonate
Residual Chlorine
(mg/L)
Free
Combined
Please specify the methods used to calculate the water
quality parameters 'in the above reporting format.
The preferred reporting format for plumbing characteristics of each
residence is as follows:
House
Identifier
Age of
House
Age of
Plumbing
Type of
Material
Used for
Plumbing
Type of
Solder
(if any)
Type of
Material
used for
Service line
Type of
Home Water
Treatment
(if any
-
-------
-8-
Treatment Plant Effluent:
The preferred reporting format for the samples from
the treatment plant effluent is as follows:
Plant
Name
Sampling
Date
Effluent Alkalinity
as CaCOa in ng/L
Total
Carbonate
Effluent
PH
Types of
Corrosion Treatment
(if any)
------- |