United States                 Office of Water                 EPA816-F-97-013
                    Environmental Protection          (4606)                      December 1997
                    Agency	


vxEPA   INFORMATION COLLECTION  RULE

                FEDERAL DATABASE

       The Information Collection Rule (ICR) Federal Database is designed to help EPA develop new
regulations under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

WHAT IS THE INFORMATION COLLECTION RULE?
       The Information Collection Rule is an effort by EPA to collect and analyze data to study the
risk/risk tradeoff involved in disinfecting drinking water. Public water systems use disinfectants to
remove bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in the water. However, disinfectants (such as chlorine) can react
with the natural organic content of the water to form byproducts which may pose a risk of cancer.
Additional information is needed to accurately assess the health risks of this tradeoff. The Information
Collection Rule (ICR) will produce a database to provide EPA with information on the occurrence in
drinking water of 1) disinfection byproducts or DBFs, and, 2) disease-causing microorganisms
(pathogens), including Cryptosporidium. EPA will use the information collected by this rule and in this
database along with current research to determine whether revisions need to be made to EPA's current
drinking water filtration and disinfection rule and to  determine the need for new regulations for
disinfectants and disinfection byproducts.
       This is a collaborative effort involving not only EPA and the water utility  industry, but also state
and local officials, environmentalists, and consumer advocates.

WHAT DATA ARE BEING COLLECTED?   >
       Approximately 300 large utilities must collect data on the presence and levels of microbial
contaminants and disinfection byproducts in their drinking water as well, as on the effectiveness of
different treatment technologies to reduce these levels. This includes monitoring for bacteria, viruses,
and protozoa over an 18 month period, as well as measuring the levels of organic  materials in water that
react with disinfectants to form byproducts, the level of disinfectants, and the level of disinfection
byproducts. This 18 month monitoring began in July 1997.
       The ICR Federal Database will be used to collect data that will be used  in  future regulation
development, specifically the Long Term Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule and Phase 2 of the
Disinfectant/Disinfection Byproduct Rule. The data being collected are based upon the negotiated
agreement between industry and EPA and are anticipated to provide a superior quality of data than that
previously available.

IS MY WATER SYSTEM A PART OF THIS TESTING?
       Water systems that get their water from surface water sources such as lakes and rivers and serve
at least 100,000 people must participate. Additionally, water systems that rely on ground water as the
source of their drinking water and serve at least 50,000 people must participate.
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WHEN WILL ICR INFORMATION BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC?
       EPA will collect and analyze the information and share it with the public and interested
stakeholders  for the development of future rulemaking. This information will begin to be available
beginning in  late 1998. The data will be used in the next regulation negotiation process, which will begin
in mid-1999.

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