Summary
New Statutory and Regulatory Requirements for Large Public Water Systems
to Conduct Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
(Please refer to sources cited for complete requirements)
(Authority/Sources: Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1445(b); 40 CFR 141.35 and 141.40 as
modified in "Revisions to the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR) in the
Federal Registers of September 17,1999, page 50556; March 2, 2000, page 11372; and January
11, 2001, page 2273)
. (1) Applicability: All (large) Community and Non-Transient Non-Community Water
Systems serving more than 10,000 persons not purchasing all water from another system
(2) Effective implementation date: January 1, 2001
(3) Monitoring date: Any 12 month period from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2003
(See Table 1) based on monitoring level; one sampling event must be in vulnerable time
(4) Monitoring frequency: Surface water supplied systems to monitor in 4 consecutive
quarters; ground water supplied systems to monitor twice, approximately 6 months apart
(5) Sampling locations: Entry point to the distribution system (or representative Phase II/V
sampling points specified by State) for chemicals and distribution system points (total
coliform and THM sampling points)
(6) Monitoring levels: There are three levels of Monitoring, involving different numbers of
systems and different contaminant lists (see Table 2), based partly on analytical methods
availability:
(a) Assessment Monitoring for List 1 contaminants: required for all large systems
indicated in (1) above which must use certified laboratories following UCMR
quality control specifications
(b) Screening Suryey for List 2 contaminants: only required of 120 randomly
selected large systems - samples must be sent to EPA designated laboratories,
with sampling for List 2 chemicals hi 2002 and for Aeromonas in 2003
(c) Pre-Screen Testing, only required for a small subset of systems (up to 200
nationally) that are most vulnerable to List 3 contaminants - samples must be sent
to EPA designated laboratories, with sampling time not specified until methods
are developed
(7) Quality control: Additional quality control (QC) requirements are specified in the
regulation (40 CFR 141.40 Appendix)
(8) Reporting: Data must be reported using EPA's web-based electronic reporting system
through the analytical entity (i.e., laboratory) used by large system after system (PWS)
review and approval of submission to EPA; system must provide a copy of the results to
the State
(9) Data Elements: All data reported must include the 16 UCMR Data Elements (many
related to sample QC) and appropriate water quality parameters (please see Table 3)
(10) Public Notification: Results must be reported to the public under Consumer Confidence
Rule and Public Notification requirements
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Guidance Documents
To assist in the implementation of the UCMR, EPA is developing several guidance and summary
information documents. Currently available documents include:
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation Analytical Methods and Quality Control
Manual EPA # 815-R-00-006
Supplement A to the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation Analytical Methods and
Quality Control Manual EPA # 815-R-00-002
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation Guidance for Operators of Public Water
Systems Serving 10,000 or Fewer People EPA # 815-R-01-002
Table 1. Monitoring Frequency by Contaminant and Water Source Types
(Please refer to regulation as published in the Federal Register, September 17, 1999, p.50555, for
Contaminant Type
Chemical
Surface Water Source
Timeframe: 12 months
Ground Water Source
Timeframe: 12 months
Microbiological
Surface and Ground Water Sources
Timeframe 12 months
Frequency
Four quarterly samples taken as follows: Select either the first,
second, or third month of a quarter and sample in that same
month of each of four (4) consecutive quarters3 to ensure that
one of those sampling events occurs during the vulnerable timeb
Two (2) times in a year taken as follows: Sample during one
(1) month of the vulnerable timeb and during one (1) month five
(5) to seven (7) months earlier or later
Six (6) times a year taken as follows0: Select either the first,
second, or third month of a quarter and sample in that same
month of each of four (4) consecutive quarters, and sample an
additional 2 months during the warmest (vulnerable) quarter of
the year
""Select either the first, second, or third month of a quarter and sample in that same month of each of four (4)
consecutive quarters" means that you must monitor during each of the four (4) months of either: January, April,
July, October; or February, May, August, November; or March, June, September, December.
b "Vulnerable time" means May 1 through July 31, unless the State or EPA informs you that it has selected a
different time period for sampling as your system's vulnerable time.
c "Six (6) times a year, e.g., March, June, July, August, September, December.
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Table 2. Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (1999) List
List 1 - Assessment Monitoring
Chemical Contaminants
Contaminant
2,4-dinitrotoluene
2,6-dinitrotoluene
Acetochlor
DCPA mono- acid degradate *
DCPA di-acid degradate *
4,4'-DDE
EPTC
Molinate
MTBE
Nitrobenzene
Perchlorate
Terbacil
Analytical Methods
EPA 525 .2
EPA 525.2
EPA 525.2
EPA 515.1, EPA 515.2, EPA 515.3, EPA 515.4, D5317-93, AOAC
992.32
EPA 508, EPA 508.1, EPA 525.2, D5812-96, AOAC 990.06
EPA 507, EPA 525.2, D5475-93, AOAC 991.07
EPA 507, EPA 525.2, D5475-93, AOAC 991 .07
EPA 502.2, EPA 524.2, D5790-95, SM 6210D, SM 6200B, SM6200C
EPA 524.2, D5790-95, SM6210D, SM6200B
EPA 3 14.0
EPA 507, EPA 525.2, D5475-93, AOAC 991.07
* DCPA degradates are not separately determined by these methods, therefore, they will be reported as the sum of both degradates.
TableS. UCMR Data Elements for Reporting Sample Results
(Please refer to regulation as published in the Federal Register, September 13, 2000, p.55362, for
complete list with definitions.)
1. Public Water System (PWS) Identification Number
2. Public Water System Facility Identification Number - Identification Number & Sampling
Point Type Identification
3. Sample Collection Date
4. Sample Identification Number
5. Contaminant/Parameter
6. Analytical Results - Sign
7. Analytical Result - Value
8. Analytical Result - Unit of Measure
9. Analytical Method Number
10. Sample Analysis Type
11. Sample Batch Identification Number
12. Minimum Reporting Level
13. Minimum Reporting Level Unit of Measure
14. Analytical Precision
15. Analytical Accuracy
16. Spiking Concentration
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