United States Office of Water EPA # 815-R-01-002
Environmental Protection 4607 January 2001
Agency
Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Regulation
Guidance for Operators of
Public Water Systems
Serving 10,000 or Fewer
People
Printed on Recycled Paper
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
Foreword
This document provides guidance to owners and operators of small public water systems (systems
serving 10,000 or fewer people) on the requirements of the revised Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Regulation (UCMR) Program. The data collected through this program will be used to
support the development of the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL), to support the Administrator's
determination of whether to regulate a contaminant, and to develop future regulations. The revised
monitoring program is one of the cornerstones of the sound science approach to future drinking water
regulation which is one of the goals of the 1996 SDWA Amendments.
Please Note: A draft of this document was released for public comment as EPA 815-R-99-005.
This final guidance document is being released as EPA 815-R-01-002. Because of the evolving
nature of the UCMR Program, supplemental rule-making efforts may add additional contaminants
to be monitored and hence, additional sampling and analytical procedures may need to be identified.
If EPA issues additional UCMR rules, EPA will issue supplemental guidance to owners and
operators of small public water systems explaining the new requirements.
Under §1445(a)(2)(A) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in 1996, the EPA was
required to develop regulations for an unregulated contaminant monitoring program by August 1999.
The 1996 SDWA Amendments direct a substantially revised UCMR. The revised UCMR contains a
new list of contaminants and changes the number of public water systems (PWSs) that must conduct
monitoring and the frequency and schedule for monitoring (§141.40(a)). Additional regulatory actions
also include the cancellation of unregulated contaminant monitoring for small systems serving 10,000
or fewer people that was required under the previous unregulated contaminant monitoring program.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
Acknowledgments
This document was prepared in support of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
(UCMR) for EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW). Charles Job served as
EPA's team leader for development of the UCMR and James Taft as Targeting and Analysis Branch
Chief. Rachel Sakata and Yvette Selby served as Work Assignment Managers. The Technical Support
Center (TSC) of OGWDW, with Greg Carroll as TSC Chief, has the lead in UCMR implementation
and coordination of the sampling of all the small systems selected under the revised UCMR. Within
TSC, Daniel Hautman is the UCMR Implementation Team Leader and Proj ect Officer over the UCMR
implementation and small system sampling support contractor, Great Lakes Environmental Center
(GLEC). The UCMR Work Group has provided technical guidance throughout. External expert
reviewers and many stakeholders provided valuable advice to improve the UCMR Program and this
document. The Cadmus Group, Inc., served as the prime contractor providing support for various
components of this and other UCMR support work. The major contributions of Chris Higgins, Jonathan
Koplos, and Kim Clemente are gratefully acknowledged as are the contributions of UHL
subcontractors Michael Wichman, George Breuer, and others. George Hallberg served as Cadmus'
Proj ect Manager.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems
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Table of Contents
Foreword i
Acknowledgments ii
Section 1. Introduction 1
Section 2. Background Information and Monitoring Guidelines 3
2.1 How Does Monitoring Differ From the Previous Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Program? 3
2.2 Who Should Follow This Guidance? 5
2.3 How Were Small Systems Selected to Participate in the National
Representative Sample? 5
2.4 For Which Contaminants Am I Required to Monitor? 5
2.5 What are the Responsibilities of a System Selected to Participate in the
National Representative Sample? 8
2.6 When Will Sampling at the Selected Systems Begin? 8
2.7 How Often Will I Need to Collect Samples? 8
2.8 Who Will Pay for the Monitoring? 9
2.9 What Does it Mean to be Selected as an Index System? 9
2.10 What Laboratories Can Analyze UCMR Samples? 10
2.11 Do I Continue Monitoring for the Previous List of
Unregulated Contaminants? 10
2.12 Can the Samples I Collect for the UCMR also be Used to Meet my Standard
Compliance Monitoring Requirements? 10
Section 3. General Sampling Instructions 13
3.1 How Will I Obtain the Required Sampling Containers and Equipment? 13
3.2 What Must I Do If I Receive Two Sample Collection Kits? 13
3.3 How Do I Conduct the Sampling? 13
3.4 Where Do I Collect the Required UCMR Samples? 14
3.5 What Quality Control Requirements Must I Follow During
Sample Collection? 14
3.6 What Documentation Is Required at the Time of Sampling? 15
3.7 How Do I Send the Samples and Sampling Forms to the
Designated Laboratory? 15
3.8 How Soon Must I Return the Collected Samples to the
EPA-Designated Laboratory? 16
3.9 How Much Flexibility Do I Have Regarding the Timing of
Sample Collection? 16
3.10 When Would Resampling be Necessary? 16
in
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Section 4. Sampling Procedures 17
4.1 My System's Sampling Kit Just Arrived. What Do I Need to
Do with this Kit? 17
4.2 The Scheduled Week for Me to Collect these UCMR Samples Has Arrived.
What is the Exact Procedure that I Should Follow? 18
4.3 Samples Have Been Collected and All the Required Information Has Been
Recorded. What is the Procedure for Repacking the Sampling Kit and Shipping
these Samples to the EPA Contract Laboratory? 19
Section 5. Specific Data Reporting Instructions 21
5.1 What Data Do I Need to Report? 21
5.2 What Will Happen After I Return the Sample Collection Kit
to the Laboratory? 21
5.3 Will I Need to Notify the Public of Contaminant Occurrence Results? 23
5.4 What Will the Data be Used for? 23
5.5 Who Can I Contact With Further Questions? 23
Tables
Table 1. Contaminants on the UCMR (1999) List 4
Table 2. Uses and Environmental Sources of UCMR (1999) List 1
and List 2 Contaminants 6
Table 3. UCMR Reporting Requirements 21
Appendices
Appendix A Abbreviations and Acronyms A-l
Appendix B Definitions B-l
IV
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
Section 1. Introduction
The Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR) establishes a program for monitoring
contaminants that are not currently monitored by public water systems (PWSs) under the requirements
of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was required
to establish criteria for a revised monitoring program for unregulated contaminants under §1445 of the
SDWA, as amended in 1996. EPA was further required to publish a list of contaminants to be
monitored under the revised UCMR by August 1999. The National Drinking Water Contaminant
Occurrence Database (NCOD), also established by the 1996 Amendments to the SDWA, will be used
to store and analyze data collected under the UCMR.
EPA published the revised UCMR on September 17, 1999 (64 FR 50556). This revised rule replaces
the regulations currently in 40 CFR §§141.35, 141.40, and 142.15(c)(3) and modifies §142.16. The
revisions generally cover the following: (1) the frequency and schedule for monitoring based on PWS
size, water source, and likelihood of finding the contaminants; (2) a new, shorter list of contaminants
to be monitored; (3) procedures for selecting and monitoring a national representative sample of small
systems (systems serving 10,000 or fewer people), and; (4) procedures for placing the monitoring data
in the NCOD, as required under §1445. The data generated by this rule will be used to support the
development of the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL), the Administrator's determination of whether
or not to regulate a contaminant, and to develop drinking water regulations. The revised UCMR
Program is a cornerstone of the sound science approach to future drinking water regulation, which is
one of the aims of the SDWA Amendments.
The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to small PWSs selected to participate in the
national representative sample of small systems under the revised UCMR Program. The guidance is
designed to implement national policy on these issues. Of the approximately 65,000 small PWSs
eligible nationwide, only 800 PWSs serving 10,000 or fewer people have been randomly selected to
participate in the first component of UCMR monitoring. This guidance provides a general description
of the UCMR Program as it affects small systems and identifies the sampling and reporting
responsibilities of small PWSs selected to participate in the Assessment Monitoring component of the
revi sed UCMR Program. This guidance also highlights important changes in the UCMR which reduce
the monetary and administrative burden on small systems. It is important to note that this guidance
outlines the sampling and reporting responsibilities only for UCMR Assessment Monitoring (List 1)
contaminants. EPA will be issuing further guidance outlining the responsibilities of small PWSs
selected to monitor for List 2 (Screening Survey) contaminants, which was finalized with the
publication of the UCMR List 2 rule in early January 2001 (66 FR 2273). Further guidance will also
be issued for List 3 (Pre-Screen Testing), after analytical methods for these contaminants have been
promulgated.
The SDWA provisions and EPA regulations described in this document contain legally binding
requirements. This document does not substitute for those provisions or regulations, nor is it a
regulation itself. It does not impose legally-binding requirements on EPA, States, or the regulated
community, and may not apply to a particular situation based upon the circumstances. EPA and State
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
decisionmakers retain the discretion to adopt approaches on a case-by-case basis that differ from this
guidance where appropriate. Any decisions regarding a particular facility will be made based on the
applicable statutes and regulations. Therefore, interested parties are free to raise questions and
objections about the appropriateness of the application of this guidance to a particular situation, and
EPA will consider whether or not the recommendations or interpretations in the guidance are
appropriate in that situation based on the law and regulations. EPA may change this guidance in the
future without notice or an opportunity for comment. Mention of trade names or commercial products
does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
Section 2. Background Information and Monitoring Guidelines
2.1 How Does Monitoring Differ From the Previous Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
Program?
EPA published a Direct Final Rule in the January 8, \999FederalRegister (64 FR 1493), separate
from the new UCMR, that canceled the third round of unregulated contaminant monitoring for small
systems under the previous program. As some small systems would have been subject to this third
round of monitoring in 1999 and 2000 under the previous program, this monitoring was canceled to
reduce costs to small systems. The cancellation of this third round of monitoring does not affect the
reliability of the data already collected under the previous program. As required under the 1996
amendments to SDWA, EPA made numerous changes to the previous unregulated contaminant
monitoring program. The most important changes relating to small PWS responsibilities under the
revised UCMR Program are discussed briefly below. These issues will be discussed in more detail
throughout this guidance document.
1. The revised UCMR Program includes a group of 28 chemical and 8 microbiological
contaminants on the UCMR (1999) List. This new list of contaminants is shown in Table 1 and
is comprised of three monitoring components: Assessment Monitoring (sampling and analyzing
for List 1 contaminants); Screening Survey (for List 2 contaminants); and Pre-Screen Testing
(for List 3 contaminants). Many of the contaminants on these lists are emerging contaminants
about which little is known of their occurrence nationally, or their potential human health
effects. Although there are currently 36 contaminants on these three lists, no more than 30
contaminants will be monitored during any 5-year UCMR listing cycle.
2. Under previous unregulated contaminant monitoring, systems with fewer than 150 service
connections were waived from monitoring, provided they made their facilities available for
the States to monitor. These systems may now be required to monitor for unregulated
contaminants if they are selected as part of the national representative sample of small systems
under the revised UCMR Program (§141.40(a)(l)(iv)). In the revised program, only a
nationally representative sample of 800 small systems are required to monitor. As fewer
systems will monitor under the revised program, a much smaller burden to the community of
small PWSs will be imposed than under the previous unregulated contaminant monitoring
program.
3. EPA will pay for the monitoring and reporting costs of small PWSs in the revised UCMR.
Small systems will be required to collect water samples, but EPA will pay the costs of
shipping samples to the laboratory and sample analysis (§141.40(a)(4)(iii)).
4. Since the goal of the UCMR is to collect occurrence data to estimate human exposure to
contaminants, information on the lack of contaminant occurrence is equally as important as
information on the presence of such a contaminant. Because of this, small PWSs selected to
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems
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participate in the national representative sample will not be eligible for unregulated
contaminant monitoring waivers.
5. PWSs were previously required to report unregulated contaminant monitoring results to EPA
and/or the States. In the revised UCMR, the EPA-designated laboratories will report the
results of contaminant monitoring to EPA for the small PWSs selected as part of the national
representative sample. EPA is not requiring that the data be reported to the State, but does
require that the State receive a copy of the data (§141.35(b)).
Table 1. Contaminants on the UCMR (1999) List
List 1 Contaminants
2,4-dinitrotoluene
2,6-dinitrotoluene
Acetochlor
DCPA mono-acid degradate
DDE
DCPA di-acid degradate
EPIC
Molinate
MTBE
Nitrobenzene
Perchlorate
Terbacil
List 2 Contaminants
1 ,2-diphenylhy drazine
2-methyl-phenol
2,4-dichlorophenol
2,4-dinitrophenol
2,4,6-trichlorophenol
Alachlor ESA
Diazinon
Disulfoton
Diuron
Fonofos
Linuron
Nitrobenzene (low-level)
Prometon
RDX
Terbufos
Aeromonas hydrophila
List 3 Contaminants
Lead-210
Polonium-210
Adenoviruses
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae),
other fresh water algae, and their
toxins
Caliciviruses
Coxsackieviruses
Echoviruses
Helicobacter pylori
Microsporidia
Contaminants on UCMR (1999) List 1 will be monitored under the Assessment Monitoring component of the
revised UCMR Program, contaminants on UCMR (1999) List 2 will be monitored under the Screening Survey
component of the revised UCMR Program, and UCMR (1999) List 3 contaminants will be monitored under the
Pre-Screen Testing component of the revised UCMR Program. This table reflects the final UCMR (1999) List,
as published in the September 17, 1999 Federal Register (64 FR 50556), as well as the revisions included in
the Perchlorate and Acetochlor Rule published in the March 2, 2000 Federal Register (65 FR 11372), and the
final List 2 Rule and clarifications to the UCMR, published on January 11, 2001 (66 FR 2273).
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
2.2 Who Should Follow This Guidance?
This guidance applies only to small PWSs that are selected as part of the national representative
sample under the Assessment Monitoring component of the revised UCMR Program. Only selected
community water systems (CWSs) and non-transient non-community water systems (NTNCWSs) that
are notified by their State, EPA, or a contractor assisting EPA with UCMR implementation will be
included in this representative group and will be required to participate in this Assessment Monitoring
sampling (§141.40(a)(l)(iv)). Transient non-community water systems (TNCWSs) will not be
included in this monitoring. Approximately 800 systems have been randomly selected from the
population of approximately 65,000 small CWSs and NTNCWSs that were eligible.
2.3 How Were Small Systems Selected to Participate in the National Representative
Sample?
Section 1445(a)(2) of SDWA mandates that only a representative sample of small PWSs may be
required to monitor for unregulated contaminants. The representative sample must be large enough to
adequately represent the true population of small PWSs across the nation. Thus the monitoring results
from the representative sample of small systems must provide valid contaminant occurrence
information upon which EPA can base regulatory decisions, while at the same time, minimizing the
monetary burden to small systems.
EPA developed a statistically-sound process to randomly select 800 small systems to participate in
this national representative sample. To ensure that the number of systems in the national representative
sample reflect the total population of small PWSs across the nation, the national sample was randomly
selected and weighted by the population served, the source of water (ground water or surface water),
and geographic location (State). A sample size of 800 small PWSs (CWSs and NTNCWSs) is
adequate to provide a 99% likelihood that the random sample represents the actual population of these
small PWSs across the nation. In other words, there is only 1 chance in 100 that the monitoring results
will not be representative of the entire population of small PWSs. For more information on the
statistical design of the national representative sample, please refer to the document enthledNational
Representative Sample of Small Water Systems: Statistical Design and State Plans for Unregulated
Contaminant Monitoring (EPA 815-R-99-003). This background document is available by calling
the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791, or by viewing it on EPA's Internet
Homepage for the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (www.epa.gov/safewater).
2.4 For Which Contaminants Am I Required to Monitor?
You must collect samples for the 12 UCMR (1999) List 1 contaminants listed in Table 2 under the
Assessment Monitoring component of the revised UCMR Program (§ 141.40(a)(l)(iv)). List 2 and List
3 contaminants (see Table 1) will be monitored under the Screening Survey and Pre-Screen Testing
components of the revi sed UCMR Program, respectively. Monitoring requirements for the UCMR Li st
2 contaminants have been finalized, and were published in the Federal Register on January 11, 2001
(66 FR 2273). For those systems selected for the List 2 Screening Surveys, additional guidance will
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems
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be issued in the form of supplementary fact sheets and by way of the sampling instructions that you
will be issued with the sampling kits. For more information on List 3 contaminant monitoring
requirements, please refer to the UCMR (1999) Preamble and Rule (64 FR 50556). EPA will also
issue additional guidance when monitoring is required for List 3 contaminants.
Table 2 lists the UCMR (1999) List 1 and List 2 contaminants for which monitoring is required under
the Assessment Monitoring component of the UCMR Program, as well as their potential environmental
sources (§ 141.40(a)(3)).
Table 2. Uses and Environmental Sources of UCMR (1999) List 1 and
List 2 Contaminants
Contaminant Name
Use or Environmental Source
List 1 Contaminants
2,4-DNT
2,6-DNT
Acetochlor
DCPA di-acid degradate
DCPA mono-acid
degradate
DDE
EPIC
Molinate
MTBE
Nitrobenzene
Perchlorate
Terbacil
Used in the production of isocyanate, dyes, and explosives
Used as mixture with 2,4-DNT (similar uses)
Herbicide used with cabbage, citrus, coffee, and corn crops
Degradation product of DCPA; an herbicide used on grasses and
with fruit and vegetable crops
Degradation product of DCPA; an herbicide used on grasses and
with fruit and vegetable crops
weeds
weeds
Degradation product of DDT; a general insecticide
Herbicide used on grasses and weeds, with potatoes and corn
Selective herbicide used with rice; controls watergrass
Octane enhancer in unleaded gasoline
Used in the production of aniline, which is used to make dyes, herbicides,
and drugs
Oxygen additive in solid fuel propellant for rockets, missiles and
fireworks
Herbicide used with sugarcane, alfalfa, and fruit crops
List 2 Chemical Contaminants
1 ,2-diphenylhy drazine
2-methylphenol
Used in the production of benzidine and anti-inflammatory drugs
Released in automobile and diesel exhaust, coal tar and petroleum refining,
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems
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Table 2. Uses and Environmental Sources of UCMR (1999) List 1 and
List 2 Contaminants
Contaminant Name
2,4-dichlorophenol
2,4-dinitrophenol
2,4,6-trichlorophenol
Alachlor ESA and other
acetanilide pesticides
Diazinon
Disulfoton
Diuron
Fonofos
Linuron
Nitrobenzene
Prometon
RDX (royal demolition
explosive, hexahydro-
l,3,5-trinitro-l,3,5-triazine)
Terbufos
Use or Environmental Source
Chemical intermediate in herbicide production
Released from mines, metal, petroleum, and dye plants
By-product of fossil fuel burning, used as bactericide and wood/j
preservative
glue
Degradation product of alachlor and other acetanilide pesticides, herbicides
generally used with corn, bean, peanut, and soybean crops to control
grasses and weeds
Insecticide used with rice, fruit, vineyards, and corn crops
Insecticide used with cereal, cotton, tobacco, and potato crops
Herbicide used on grasses in orchards and wheat crops
Soil insecticide used on worms and centipedes
Herbicide used with corn, soybean, cotton, and wheat crops
Used in the production of aniline, which is used to make dyes, herbicides,
and drugs
Herbicide used on annual and perennial weeds and grasses
Used in explosives; ammunition plants
Insecticide used with corn, sugar beet, and grain sorghum crops
List 2 Microbiological Contaminant
Aeromonas
Present in all freshwater and brackish water
Refer to Table 1 for definitions of chemical abbreviations.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
2.5 What are the Responsibilities of a System Selected to Participate in the National
Representative Sample?
If your system is selected to participate in the national representative sample, you must collect samples
at the times and locations specified by the revised UCMR (§141.40(a)(l)(iv)). These sampling
specifications are outlined in this guidance and in further documentation to be provided to you by
EPA, its UCMR contractor, or your State at the time you are notified of your selection.
You are responsible for collecting water samples and sending the samples to a laboratory designated
by EPA to be analyzed for the contaminants of interest (§141.40(a)(4)(i)(A)). In some cases, your
State may elect to conduct the sampling for you, especially if your State currently collects your water
samples for regulated contaminant compliance monitoring. Your State will inform you of your
responsibilities if the State elects to collect the water samples.
EPA will pay the costs of shipping sample bottles to the laboratory and the costs of laboratory
analyses. You will not have to report monitoring results directly to EPA, since EPA will arrange to
receive results electronically (or in another manner approved by EPA) from the EPA-designated
laboratory, and will provide a copy of the results to you and your State. Participating small systems
will have 30 days to review and comment on the data. Following this, EPA will wait 60 days before
placing data for small PWSs in the NCOD to allow for further quality control review by you and your
State. It is important to note that as a small PWS, you are still responsible for ensuring that monitoring
results are reported to EPA and that a copy is sent to your State.
Small CWSs must also notify the public of UCMR monitoring results through annual Consumer
Confidence Reports as required by 40 CFR §141.153(d). NTNCWSs are required to notify persons
served by the system of the availability of UCMR results, within 12 months after the results are known,
as required by the revised public notification rule (65 FR 25982), under 40 CFR §141.207. (Note:
Because the revised public notification rule goes into effect at different times in different States,
owners and operators should check with their State drinking water agency to determine which public
notice requirements apply.)
2.6 When Will Sampling at the Selected Systems Begin?
The 800 systems selected for inclusion in the national representative sample will be notified by the
State or EPA at least 90 days before sampling will begin. Each system will collect samples in only
1 of the 3 years of Assessment Monitoring (2001, 2002, or 2003). The State or EPA will specify the
year in which you must monitor for the UCMR (1999) List 1 contaminants (§ 141.40(a)(5)(iii)(A)).
2.7 How Often Will I Need to Collect Samples?
Your monitoring schedule will be provided to you by the State, EPA, or EPA's UCMR implementation
contractor. Each system in the national representative sample will collect samples for 1 year during
the 3-year Assessment Monitoring period (2001 to 2003). Systems using surface water sources, or
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
ground water under the influence of surface water, must sample four times per year for 1 year during
the Assessment Monitoring period (§141.40(a)(5)(iii)(A)). One of the sampling times must occur
between May 1 and July 31, or another period of greatest vulnerability as specified by the State or
EPA, and the other three sampling times must occur in the same relative month of each of the remaining
quarters (§141.40(a)(5)(iii)(A)). For example, if a PWS collects samples in May (second month of
the quarter), then the system must also sample in February, August, and November. Systems using
ground water sources will sample two times per year for 1 year during the Assessment Monitoring
period, with one of these sampling times occurring between May 1 and July 31, or another period of
greatest vulnerability as specified by the State or EPA. The second set of samples for ground water
systems must be collected 5 to 7 months before or after the vulnerable period sampling event
(§141.40(a)(5)(iii)(A)). Approximately one-third of systems will monitor each year of the 3-year
period.
2.8 Who Will Pay for the Monitoring?
EPA will pay for the costs associated with obtaining the necessary sampling bottles and containers,
transporting the samples, and analyzing the samples at EPA contract laboratories. EPA will not
reimburse systems for labor hours used to collect these samples or to ensure the results are reported
to the public.
2.9 What Does it Mean to be Selected as an Index System?
An Index System is a small PWS that will monitor for UCMR (1999) List 1 contaminants every year
for the entire UCMR 5-year cycle (2001 to 2005) to establish general information on small PWS
operating conditions. Index System monitoring will provide more detailed information on variations
in contaminant occurrence over time and under the various environmental and operating conditions
unique to small systems. These data are being collected so that future regulations can better reflect
small system characteristics and conditions. Only 30 small systems were chosen as Index Systems
from the random sample of 800 small PWSs included in UCMR monitoring.
EPA will pay for Index System monitoring, including provisions for sampling equipment, sample
shipment, testing, and analysis. In addition to paying for Index Systems, the State, EPA, an EPA
contractor, or another federal agency assisting with UCMR implementation will send a field technician
to each Index System to collect the samples. At the time of sampling, additional system information
will be collected to characterize the environmental setting affecting the system including precipitation,
land and water resource use, and environmental factors (such as soil type and geology). Index Systems
will also be required to report information on system operating conditions (such as water source,
pumping rates, and environmental setting)(§141.40(a)(6)). This information will assist EPA in more
fully evaluating small system operations and future regulations of small systems. Systems selected as
Index Systems will receive further guidance from EPA.
Index Systems will also receive an official UCMR sampling year for which monitoring results will
be included in the NCOD. Monitoring results for all 5 years of the UCMR cycle will not be included
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
in the NCOD to avoid double counting systems and monitoring results. For a more detailed
explanation of the way in which small systems were randomly selected for UCMR monitoring, please
refer to the document entitled National Representative Sample of Small Water Systems: Statistical
Design and State Plans for Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring (EPA 815-R-99-003).
2.10 What Laboratories Can Analyze UCMR Samples?
Only laboratories that are designated and on contract with by EPA may analyze the UCMR samples
for small systems (§141.40(a)(4)(iii)). The EPA UCMR implementation and small system sampling
coordination contractor, Great Lakes Environmental Center (GLEC), will send a sampling kit to your
system, or to your State sampling coordinator, containing all required supplies and bottles for an
individual sampling point. Included in this kit will be an express, overnight shipment air bill which
will need to be affixed to the outside of the sampling kit and which will be pre-printed with the
laboratory name, address, and EPA account number designated for the shipping charges. These
specified laboratories will be approved by EPA for all appropriate monitoring methods required for
use under the UCMR. EPA will have analytical services contracts in place with multiple laboratories
to test Assessment Monitoring samples from small systems and Index Systems over the 5-year UCMR
cycle. GLEC will provide sampling equipment and necessary instructions to small PWSs.
2.11 Do I Continue Monitoring for the Previous List of Unregulated Contaminants?
As of January 8, 1999 EPA canceled monitoring for the previous list of 48 unregulated contaminants
for small PWSs. EPA canceled the last monitoring round under the previous unregulated contaminant
monitoring program since this monitoring period will coincide with Assessment Monitoring under the
revised UCMR. This will decrease the amount of overlap between these programs and reduce
unnecessary costs to small PWSs.
2.12 Can the Samples I Collect for the UCMR also be Used to Meet my Standard Compliance
Monitoring Requirements?
Maybe. Eleven of the twelve contaminants included for Assessment Monitoring on List 1 are organic
compounds and will be analyzed by the EPA contract laboratories using EPA analytical methods that
are approved for compliance monitoring. The original intent of the UCMR was to reduce the
monitoring burden on public water systems and allow the concurrent analysis of the unregulated
contaminants on List 1 while these systems were conducting standard compliance monitoring. If your
State has established a specific compliance monitoring schedule to match the UCMR schedule or if
your State does not object to your system adopting the UCMR monitoring schedule as an alternate to
the standard compliance monitoring schedule established by your State, it may be possible for you to
conduct concurrent monitoring. To confirm your eligibility for concurrent monitoring, contact your
State drinking water program office.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
If your State will allow this concurrent monitoring and EPA's contract laboratory has certification for
your State to conduct standard compliance monitoring, your system will only be responsible for the
additional cost of the laboratory reporting the compliance data to you and/or your State. As the
analytical cost for UCMR monitoring will be covered by EPA, your system may benefit by only
needing to pay the EPA contract laboratory any additional cost attributed to reporting your compliance
monitoring results. If you are interested in conducting your standard compliance monitoring concurrent
with your UCMR monitoring, first contact your State to confirm your eligibility, and then either contact
Dan Hautman at EPA OGWDW's TSC, or GLEC.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
Section 3. General Sampling Instructions
3.1 How Will I Obtain the Required Sampling Containers and Equipment?
EPA's UCMR small system implementation contractor, GLEC, will send a sampling kit to your system
1 to 2 weeks prior to the specific week scheduled for sample collection at your small system. If your
State will collect these samples, the State sampling coordinator will receive these kits several weeks
in advance along with a sampling schedule. The sample collection kit will include:
1) an insulated sample shipping container or containers;
2) all required sampling bottles;
3) U-TEK freeze packs to keep samples cool in transit back to the laboratory;
4) any chemicals needed to dechlorinate and/or preserve samples;
5) a pre-paid return shipping docket;
6) sample collection data forms; and
7) any additional instructions or materials needed for sample collection, dechlorination,
and preservation.
GLEC will provide a telephone number for you to call if any of the sample collection kit components
arrive damaged or if any other problems or questions arise during sample collection. Included in the
sample kit instructions will be directions which specify that the U-TEK freeze packs must be placed
in a freezer for a minimum of 24 hrs prior to collection of samples. These frozen U-TEK freeze packs
should then be placed in the shipping containers when returning the collected samples to the
laboratories (§ 141.40(a)(5)(iii)(D)).
3.2 What Must I Do If I Receive Two Sample Collection Kits?
If you are collecting the samples for your system, you will receive at least one sampling kit for each
sampling point. Some kits will be specifically designed to hold additional bottles which will need to
be collected for quality control purposes. In addition, to ensure consistent, high-quality results for the
UCMR, two identical sampling kits will be sent for 10% of all sampling points. This identical kit will
be sent to a second laboratory for analysis. By collecting an identical set of samples but sending the
samples to different laboratories for analysis, the consistency of results between laboratories can be
monitored. If you receive two sample kits, you must collect the samples for each kit simultaneously,
and you must return each kit to the laboratory specified on the pre-paid return shipping docket
contained in each kit (§141.40(a)(5)(iii)(F)).
3.3 How Do I Conduct the Sampling?
In general, the methods used for sample collection and preservation will be very similar to the
methods used for compliance sampling. As with compliance sampling, you should follow all safety
and chemical handling instructions provided by GLEC when collecting samples for the UCMR.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
To ensure accurate data for the UCMR, the specific sampling instructions included in the sample
collection kits should be followed. In addition, you should take all necessary precautions identified
by the laboratory to avoid contamination of your samples. These precautions will include avoiding
activities such as handling gasoline, cleaning solvents, or disinfection chemicals immediately prior
to sample collection. GLEC will provide specific sample collection instructions with the sampling
kit.
3.4 Where Do I Collect the Required UCMR Samples?
You must collect UCMR samples at the locations specified in the regulation and described in this
guidance (§141.40(a)(5)(iii)(B)). For contaminants on the UCMR (1999) List 1, samples must be
collected at entry points to the distribution system (EPTDSs) representing each non-emergency water
source in routine use over the 12-month period of monitoring, unless the State has specified other
sampling points that are used for compliance monitoring under 40 CFR §§141.24(f)(l), (2), and (3)
(§141.40(a)(5)). Thus, UCMR samples will most often be collected from the EPTDS. However, if the
State has specified that source water sampling points are to be used for standard compliance
monitoring, these UCMR samples may need to be collected from the source (raw) water. The State
or EPA will include detailed sample location instructions in their notification to the system, and GLEC
will also include these sampling instructions in each sample collection kit sent to you.
If monitoring at source water sampling points indicates detection of any of the contaminants on the
monitoring list, then you must shift sample collection to the EPTDS for all future monitoring under the
UCMR, unless the State or EPA determines that no treatment or processing was in place that would
affect the measurement of the contaminants. In that case, the sampling at the EPTDS would not be
required (§141.40(a)(5)). The requirement for UCMR samples to be collected at the EPTDS follows
the existing regulatory approach and provides data for exposure assessment.
For other aspects of the UCMR (such as the Screening Survey or Pre-Screen Testing), you may be
required to collect samples from other sampling points. These sampling points may include the point
in the distribution system with the longest residence time and/or the point in the distribution system
with the lowest residual disinfectant level. When monitoring at any additional sampling points is
required, further guidance will be provided by EPA or the State.
3.5 What Quality Control Requirements Must I Follow During Sample Collection?
There are three general types of quality control requirements that apply to sample collection:
1. You must collect all samples using the sampling procedures specified by the UCMR, identified
by GLEC and presented in this guidance (§141.40(a)(5)(iii)(E)). For all contaminants other
than perchlorate, a dechlorinating agent will be placed in the sample collection bottle,
therefore, do not rinse sample bottles as they are collected.
2. Some samples will be collected in duplicate or triplicate. When duplicate (or triplicate)
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
samples are required, both (or all three) samples should be collected using the exact same
sample collection, dechlorination, and preservation procedures unless otherwise instructed
by GLEC (§141.40(a)(4)(iii)). Duplicate and triplicate samples will be used to verify the
precision and accuracy of analytical measurements determined at the laboratory. Detailed
instructions will be provided by the laboratory in the sampling kit specifying which samples
must be collected in duplicate or triplicate (§141.40(a)(5)(iii)(E)).
3. Field Reagent blanks (sometimes referred to as Shipping or Travel blanks) will be included
in the sampling kit provided by GLEC. These blanks contain clean water, and are used to
determine if samples have been contaminated in the field or during the shipping process. Do
not open the blanks at any time. Do not remove these designated blank samples from the
sampling kit.
3.6 What Documentation Is Required at the Time of Sampling?
You should complete and then submit all sampling forms in the shipping container when you ship the
container and samples back to the designated EPA contract laboratory. For the first sampling kit you
receive, you will be required to fill out Data Elements 1 - 3 on the sampling form provided
(§141.40(a)(5)(iii)(G)). The UCMR data elements are discussed in Section 5. For all sampling kits
received thereafter, many of the data elements will be pre-printed by GLEC on the sampling forms,
but you should still check and confirm that all information on the sampling form is correct. For every
sampling event, you will be required to record and report Data Element 3, Sample Collection Date,
on the sampling form provided by the laboratory (§141.40(a)(5)(iii)(G)). It is also important that you
ensure that all numbers on the sampling forms match the numbers on the sample bottles. In addition,
you should note any problems or unusual circumstances related to sampling in the appropriate areas
specified on the forms. If significant problems arise, such as accidentally broken bottles, do not
substitute components of the kit with those available at your system: call GLEC at the number
provided and have a replacement sampling kit sent to your facility.
3.7 How Do I Send the Samples and Sampling Forms to the Designated Laboratory?
You should send the samples, along with the sampling forms, to the laboratory for analysis
immediately following collection and preservation. Place the collected samples (and completed
sampling forms), along with the frozen U-TEK freeze packs, into the insulated shipping container
included in the sample collection kit. The frozen U-TEK freeze packs will keep the samples chilled
at approximately 4° C during shipment. However, samples should not be allowed to freeze during
transport: use only the number of U-TEK freeze packs provided and designated by GLEC. Follow the
specific sample packing instructions that will be provided by GLEC in the sample collection kit.
After the samples are packed, immediately ship the samples and accompanying documentation to the
designated EPA contract laboratory via overnight delivery. Pre-paid shipping forms for overnight
delivery will be provided by the laboratory in the sample collection kits. You should schedule sample
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
container pick-up or drop-off with the designated shipping company to ensure that samples are shipped
on the same day of collection.
3.8 How Soon Must I Return the Collected Samples to the EPA-Designated Laboratory?
You must collect, pack, and ship samples in the same day. Therefore, you must collect samples early
enough in the day to ensure same-day shipment (§141 .40(a)(5)(i)(A)). Furthermore, you must collect
and ship samples early enough in the week (i.e., not on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) so that samples
can be received and processed by the laboratory within 30 hours of sample collection
3.9 How Much Flexibility Do I Have Regarding the Timing of Sample Collection?
For systems selected as part of the national representative sample of small systems, samples should
be collected within the week identified by GLEC. If this is not convenient, contact GLEC regarding
the possibility of altering the sampling schedule to a different week within the prescribed sampling
month.
3.10 When Would Resampling be Necessary?
Sample containers may occasionally break during shipment to the laboratory. If a sample container
breaks, it will be necessary to collect the samples a second time. You may also need to resample if,
at the determination of the EPA contract laboratory, samples previously collected and shipped to the
laboratory were improperly collected or shipped. Resampling will also be necessary if you do not
ship the samples back to the laboratory within the specified holding time for the samples. GLEC will
send you additional sample collection kits and instructions for resampling when necessary.
Resampling should be conducted within the same month as the original sampling event, or, atthe latest,
within the same quarter.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
Section 4. Sampling Procedures
Sampling procedures for samples collected under the Assessment Monitoring component of the UCMR
are contaminant- and method-specific. These procedures, as outlined below, must be followed for all
samples collected for the UCMR (§ 141.40 Appendix A). These instructions will be reproduced and
also included in the sample collection kit sent to you by GLEC.
4.1 My System's Sampling Kit Just Arrived. What Do I Need to Do with this Kit?
STEP #1 A: Initially, locate a sampling kit contents checklist to insure that all the required components
of the kit are included. Check off each item to be sure you have received all the necessary items. If any
items are missing or broken, please contact Great Lakes Environmental Center (GLEC).
STEP #2A: You should receive at least one sampling kit for each UCMR sampling point at your
facility. Be sure the sampling point indicated on the sample tracking form included in the kit matches
the point you will be sampling. If you do not receive a sampling kit for each sampling point, please
contact GLEC as above. Typically, these sampling points are those locations where your typical
compliance monitoring samples are collected.
STEP #3A: Leave the white, Styrofoam cooler wrapped in the plastic bag in the cardboard box and
simply fold down the plastic to access the top of the cooler. Retain the Ziploc plastic bag, which holds
all the required paperwork associated with the sampling kit including sampling instructions and
sample tracking form, for future use during sampling and for subsequent shipment with the samples to
the laboratory.
STEP #4A: CRITICAL - You will need to place the U-TEK freeze packs into a freezer for at
least 24 hours (48 hours, if possible) prior to collecting samples. Lay the U-TEK freeze packs
flat in the freezer so that they retain close to their original shape (for easy packing with
samples) and do not freeze in a deformed shape. DO NOT COLLECT AND SHIP THE
SAMPLES IF THE U-TEKFREEZE PACKS ARE NOT COMPLETELY FROZEN. SAMPLES
RECEIVED AT THE LABORATORY WARM WILL BE INVALID AND NECESSITATE RE-
SAMPLING
STEP #5A: Samples should be collected during the assigned sampling week. Samples SHOULD BE
collected on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, or as a last resort, on Thursday. Samples MUST NOT
be collected on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (§141.40(a)(5)(i)(A)). If for any reason, you cannot
collect samples during your specified week, please contact GLEC.
STEP #6A: Read ALL the instructions before collecting samples.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
4.2 The Scheduled Week for Me to Collect these UCMR Samples Has Arrived. What is the
Exact Procedure that I Should Follow?
STEP #1B: Verify that the U-TEK freeze packs are completely frozen.
STEP #2B: Collect samples at least 2 or 3 hours before the time of your FedEx or UPS pick-up.
STEP #3B: Wear the latex gloves while collecting the samples to avoid contamination.
STEP #4B: At each sample point, remove any aerators which may be attached to the faucet or tap and
let the water run for 10 minutes.
STEP #5B: Filling the sample bottles.
Each sample bottle is color-coded with a dot on the label. Fill and preserve each sample bottle
according to the specific instructions (below) for each color. DO NOT RINSE OUT ANY OF THE
SAMPLES BOTTLES. Collect all samples with the water running at a slow but steady stream (about
the diameter of a pencil). Collect the sample directly from the tap, not through any hose or tubing.
GREEN dot (Method 314.0): Fill the white, plastic, 125 mL sample bottle to the neck but not
overflowing. Cap the bottle and place it into its original location in the sampling kit cooler.
For this sample, DO NOT ADD ANY ACID.
LIGHT BLUE dot (Method 515.4): Fill the 250 mL amber glass bottle to the neck but not
overflowing. Cap the bottle, invert it three or four times to mix the dechlorinating agent, and
place it back into its original location in the sampling kit cooler. For this sample, DO NOT
ADD ANY ACID.
YELLOW dot (Method 525.2): Fill the two glass, 1 liter sample bottles to the neck but not
overflowing. Cap each bottle and gently invert it three or four times to mix the dechlorinating
agent. (DO NOT SHAKE) Wait one minute, open the bottles, and using the graduated plastic
eye dropper, add 4 mL (fill the dropper 4 times to the 1 mL mark) of acid from the plastic vial
labeled 1:1 HC1 to each 1 liter sample bottle. (CAUTION: Handle the acid very carefully.
Wear the safety glasses and latex gloves. To prevent tipping the vial, hold it in one hand and
the dropper in the other as you dispense the acid.) Cap each sample bottle tightly, and gently
invert it three or four times to mix. Carefully and slowly open the sample bottle to release any
formed carbon dioxide, then re-cap the bottle and place it back into its original location in the
sampling kit cooler.
RED dot (Method 524.2): THESE VIALS MUSTBEFREE OF AIRBUBBLES WHEN THE
SAMPLE COLLECTION PROCESS IS COMPLETE. Fill the four glass, cylindrical 40 mL
sample vials to within Va inch of the top but not overflowing. (Leave the fifth, already filled
40 mL vial in its original location in the sampling kit cooler.) Cap the vials and gently invert
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
them three or four times to mix the dechlorinating agent. (DO NOT SHAKE) Wait one minute,
open each vial, and using the graduated plastic dropper, add 4 or 5 drops of acid from the
plastic vial labeled 1:1 HC1 to each sample vial. (CAUTION: Handle the acid very carefully.
Wear the safety glasses and latex gloves. To prevent tipping the vial, hold it in one hand and
the dropper in the other as you dispense the acid.) Carefully, using the vial cap, add just
enough water to completely fill the vials and form a meniscus (the curved surface of the water
formed by surface tension). Cap the sample vials tightly, gently invert, and check for air
bubbles in the vial. If there are any air bubbles present, carefully add additional water and
check again for air bubbles. Place the vials back into their original locations in the sampling
kit cooler.
STEP #6B: For all sample bottles, record on both the sample bottle label and on the sample tracking
form, the sampling date and check off the appropriate box to verify that the acid preservative was
added.
STEP #7B: Print and sign your name on the sample tracking form in the "sampled by" boxes.
4.3 Samples Have Been Collected and All the Required Information Has Been Recorded.
What is the Procedure for Repacking the Sampling Kit and Shipping these Samples to the
EPA Contract Laboratory?
STEP #1C: As samples are collected at the sampling point, place each sample bottle in the
appropriate opening in the foam insert inside the respective cooler.
STEP #2C: Refer to the checklist for repacking the sampling kit to make sure all necessary items are
re-packed into the cooler.
STEP #3C: Return the U-TEK freeze packs to the cooler as follows: place two (2) U-TEK freeze
packs in the vertical spaces next to the 1L bottles on both sides of the cooler, place the piece of 1/4"
foam on top of the bottles, place four (4) U-TEK freeze packs in a layer on top of the bottles.
STEP #4C: Place the lid on the cooler, pull the plastic bag up around the cooler and fold over the top
of the bag.
STEP #5C: The person shipping the samples should print and sign his/her name on the sample
tracking form in the "shipped by" boxes. Retain the bottom copy of the sample tracking form for your
records.
STEP #6C: Place the top copy of the completed sample tracking form in the Ziplock plastic bag and
place it on top of the cooler, inside the box.
STEP #7C: Close the cardboard box and seal it with shipping tape which has been provided.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
STEP #8C: Remove as much of the old airbill label as possible from the outside of the box. Peel off
the plastic backing from the pre-addressed FedEx (or UPS) air bill and affix it to the outside of the
box in approximately the same location as the original air bill.
STEP #9C: Be sure that the cooler is shipped the SAME DAY the samples are collected, for
EXPRESS overnight delivery the following morning at the laboratory.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
Section 5. Specific Data Reporting Instructions
5.1 What Data Do I Need to Report?
Table 3 lists the 17 data elements that must be reported for each UCMR sample (§ 141.35(d)(3)). Many
of these data elements are related to the quality of the analytical results and thus will be provided by
the EPA contract laboratory analyzing your samples. At the time you collect the first samples for the
revised UCMR Program, you may need to record Data Elements 1 and2(§141.40(a)(5)(iii)(G)). After
this initial sample collection, these data elements will appear pre-printed on the sampling forms you
receive from the laboratory for subsequent sampling. You should always check that the pre-printed
information is correct. In addition, you are responsible for recording Data Element 3, Sample
Collection Date, on the sample tracking form and on the collected sample bottles which will be
delivered to the EPA contract laboratory after every sampling event (§141.40(a)(5)(iii)(G)).
All other data elements will be provided by the EPA contract laboratory analyzing your samples.
While the EPA contract laboratory will electronically report your data to EPA for you, you will be
responsible for ensuring that these data are reported to the public as part of your Public Notification
and Consumer Confidence Reporting requirements (§141.207 and §141.153(d)), and that a copy is
provided to your State (§141.35(b)).
5.2 What Will Happen After I Return the Sample Collection Kit to the Laboratory?
The EPA contract laboratory will process and analyze all samples submitted. EPA and/or GLEC will
then provide you a copy of the data for your review. Your results will also be made available to your
State drinking water agency via the internet. These results will include all of the data elements
discussed above. Although GLEC will review the results and report them to you, you are still
responsible for checking over the data, and ensuring that the data elements are correct and that EPA
and the State receive your monitoring results.
Table 3. UCMR Reporting Requirements
Data Element
1. Public Water System
(PWS) Identification
Number
2. Public Water System
Facility Identification
Number - Sampling Point
Identification Number and
Sampling Point Type
Identification
Definition
The code used to identify each PWS. The code begins with the standard two-
character postal State abbreviation; the remaining seven characters are unique to
each PWS.
The Sampling Point Identification Number and Sampling Point Type Identification
should either be static or traceable to previous numbers and type identifications
throughout the period of unregulated contaminant monitoring. This identification
number is a three-part alphanumeric designation, made up of:
(a) the Public Water System Facility Identification Number, which is an
identification number established by the State, or at the State's discretion the
PWS, that is unique to the PWS for an intake for each source of water, a treatment
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems
January 2001
Data Element
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
Definition
plant, a distribution system, or any other facility associated with water treatment or
delivery and provides for the relationship of facilities to each other to be
maintained;
(b) the Sampling Point Identification Number, which is an identification number
established by the State, or at the State's discretion the PWS, that is unique to each
PWS facility that identifies the specific sampling point and allows the relationship
of the sampling point to other facilities to be maintained; and
(c) Sampling Point Type Identification, which is one of following:
SR - Untreated water collected at the source of the water system facility.
EP - Entry point to the distribution system.
MD - midpoint in the distribution system where the chlorine residual would be
expected to be typical for the system such as the location for sampling coliform
indicator bacteria as described in 40 CFR 141.21.
MR - point of maximum retention is the point located the furthest from the entry
point to the distribution system which is approved by the State for trihalomethane
(THM) (disinfectant byproducts (DBP)) and/or total coliform sampling.
LD - location in the distribution system where the disinfectant residual is the
lowest which is approved by the State for THM (DBP) and/or total coliform
sampling.
The date the sample is collected reported as 4-digit year, 2-digit month, and 2-digit
day.
LAB*
LAB*
LAB*
LAB*
LAB*
LAB*
LAB*
LAB*
LAB*
LAB*
LAB*
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
Data Element
15. Analytical Accuracy
16. Spiking Concentration
17. Presence/Absence
Definition
LAB*
LAB*
LAB* (Reserved)
' LAB indicates that this data element will be either specified or determined and recorded by the EPA-designated laboratory.
5.3 Will I Need to Notify the Public of Contaminant Occurrence Results?
Yes. Small CWSs are required to notify the public of UCMR monitoring results through annual
Consumer Confidence Reports as specified by 40 CFR § 141.153 (d). NTNCWSs are required to notify
persons served by the system of the availability of UCMR results, within 12 months after the results
are known, as required by the revised public notification rule (65 FR 25982), under 40 CFR
§141.207.
5.4 What Will the Data be Used for?
The purpose of the revised UCMR is to collect contaminant occurrence data to help EPA decide
whether or not to regulate a contaminant. EPA's regulatory decisions are based on the concentration
of a contaminant in PWSs across the United States and the potential adverse public health effects of
a contaminant. The revised UCMR requires that PWSs monitor contaminants to determine the location
and concentration of a list of unregulated contaminants in public drinking water across the United
States, Tribal land, and Territories (§141.40(a)). The results provided by the UCMR Program will
be used by the EPA to determine which unregulated contaminants pose the greatest risks to human
health and, if necessary, to set priorities for the regulation of those contaminants. Contaminants that
are not detected at significant levels in drinking water will not be considered in future regulation,
unless other information becomes available.
5.5 Who Can I Contact With Further Questions?
For questions pertaining to this guidance, please contact your State drinking water agency or the
appropriate EPA Region. However, if your system is in Florida, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, or
Montana, please contact your EPA Region coordinator rather than your State agency.
EPA UCMR Implementation Team Leader:
Daniel Hautman, Technical Support Center, Standards and Risk Management Division, Office
of Ground Water and Drinking Water (143), 26 West Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Cincinnati,
OH 45268. (513)569-7274.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
EPA UCMR Implementation Support Contractor:
Robin Silva-Wilkinson, Great Lakes Environmental Center (GLEC), 739 Hastings Street,
Traverse City, MI 49686. (231) 941-2230.
Regional Contacts:
I. Chris Ryan, 1 Congress Street, llth Floor, Boston, MA 02118.
Phone:(617)918-1567.
II. Robert Poon, 290 Broadway, Room 2432, New York, NY 10007-1866.
Phone:(212)637-3821.
HI. Michelle Hoover, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia PA 19103-2029.
Phone:(215)814-5258.
IV Janine Morris, Sam Nunn Federal Center, 61 Forsyth St, SW, Atlanta GA 30303.
Phone: (404) 562-9480.
V Janet Kuefler, 77 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604-3507.
Phone:(312)886-0123.
VI. Andrew J. Waite, 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200, Dallas, TX 75202.
Phone: (214) 665-7332.
VH. Stan Calow,901 N. Fifth Street, Kansas City, KS 66101.
Phone:(913)551-7410.
VUI. Rod Glebe, One Denver Place, 999 18th Street, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80202.
Phone:(303)312-6627.
IX. Jill Korte, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
Phone:(415)744-1853.
X. Gene Taylor, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101.
Phone: (206) 553-1389.
General information may also be obtained from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline. Callers within
the United States may reach the Hotline at (800) 426-4791. The Hotline is open Monday through
Friday, excluding federal holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems
January 2001
2,4-DNT
2,6-DNT
4,4'-DDE
Alachlor ESA
AOAC
APHA
ASDWA
ASTM
CAS
CASRN
CCL
CCR
CFR
CPU
CFU/mL
CWS
DCPA
DCPA mono-
and di-acid
degradates
DDE
DDT
EPA
EPIC
EPTDS
ESA
GLEC
GW
GUDI
MCL
MDL
Appendix A
Abbreviations and Acronyms
- 2,4-dinitrotoluene
- 2,6-dinitrotoluene
- 4,4'-dichloro dichlorophenyl ethylene, a degradation product of DDT
- alachlor ethanesulfonic acid, a degradation product of alachlor
- Association of Official Analytical Chemists
- American Public Health Association
- Association of State Drinking Water Administrators
- American Society for Testing and Materials
- Chemical Abstract Service
- Chemical Abstract Service Registry Number
- Contaminant Candidate List
- Consumer Confidence Reports
- Code of Federal Regulations
- colony forming unit
- colony forming units per milliliter
- community water system
- dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, chemical name of the herbicide dacthal
degradation products of DCPA
dichloro dichlorophenyl ethylene, a degradation product of DDT
dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane, a general insecticide
Environmental Protection Agency
s-ethyl-dipropylthiocarbamate, an herbicide
Entry Point to the Distribution System
ethanesulfonic acid, a degradation product of alachlor
Great Lakes Environmental Center
ground water
ground water under the direct influence (of surface water)
maximum contaminant level
method detection limit
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems
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MRL - minimum reporting level
MTBE - methyl tertiary-butyl ether, a gasoline additive
NCOD - National Drinking Water Contaminant Occurrence Database
NTNCWS - non-transient non-community water system
OGWDW - Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
210Pb - Lead-210 (also Pb-210), a lead isotope and radionuclide; part of the uranium
decay series
pCi/L - picocuries per liter
210Po - Polonium-210 (also Po-210), a polonium isotope and radionuclide; part of the
uranium decay series
PWS - Public Water System
PWSF - Public Water System Facility
QA - quality assurance
QC - quality control
RDX - royal demolition explosive, hexahydro-l,3,5-trinitro-l,3,5-triazine
SDWA - Safe Drinking Water Act
SDWIS - Safe Drinking Water Information System
SDWIS FED - the Federal Safe Drinking Water Information System
SM - Standard Methods
SOC - synthetic organic compound
SW - surface water
TBD - to be determined
TNCWS - transient non-community water system
UCM - Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
UCMR - Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation/Rule
USEPA - United States Environmental Protection Agency
VOC - volatile organic compound
• g/L - micrograms per liter
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
Appendix B
Definitions
Assessment Monitoring means sampling, testing, and reporting of listed contaminants that have
available analytical methods and for which preliminary data indicate their possible occurrence in
drinking water. Assessment Monitoring will be conducted for the UCMR (1999) List 1 contaminants.
Index Systems means a limited number of small CWSs and NTNCWSs, selected from the Assessment
Monitoring systems in State Plans, that will be required to provide more detailed and frequent
monitoring for the UCMR (1999) List 1 contaminants (§141.40(a)(6)). The Index Systems will be
selected to geographically coincide with watersheds and areas studied under the United States
Geological Survey's National Mater Quality Assessment program. In addition to the reporting
information required for Assessment Monitoring, the Index Systems must also report information on
system operating conditions (such as water source, pumping rates, and environmental setting)
(§ 141.40(a)(6)). These systems must monitor each year of the 5-year UCMR cycle, with EPA paying
for all reasonable monitoring costs (§ 141.40(a)(4)(i)(A)). This more detailed and frequent monitoring
will provide important information with which EPA can more fully evaluate the conditions under
which small systems operate.
Listed contaminant means a contaminant identified as an analyte in Table 1, 141.40(a)(3) of the
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR). To distinguish the current 1999 UCMR
listed contaminants from potential future UCMR listed contaminants, all references to UCMR
contaminant lists will identify the appropriate year in parenthesis immediately following the acronym
UCMR and before the referenced list. For example, the contaminants included in the UCMR (1999)
List include the component lists identified as UCMR (1999) List 1, UCMR (1999) List 2 and UCMR
(1999) List 3 contaminants.
Listing cycle means the 5-year period for which each revised UCMR list is effective and during which
no more than 30 unregulated contaminants from the list may be required to be monitored. EPA is
mandated to develop and promulgate a new UCMR List every 5 years.
Monitored systems means all community water systems serving more than 10,000 people, and the
national representative sample of community and non-transient non-community water systems serving
10,000 or fewer people that are selected to be part of a State Plan for the UCMR. (Note that for this
round of Assessment Monitoring, systems that purchase their primary source of water are not included
in the monitoring.)
Monitoring (as distinct from Assessment Monitoring) means all aspects of determining the quality of
drinking water relative to the listed contaminants. These aspects include drinking water sampling and
testing, and the reviewing, reporting, and submission to EPA of analytical results.
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Most vulnerable systems for Systems most vulnerable) means a subset of 5 to not more than 25
systems of all monitored systems in a State that are determined by that State in consultation with the
EPA Regional Office to be most likely to have the listed contaminants occur in their drinking waters,
considering the characteristics of the listed contaminants, precipitation, system operation, and
environmental conditions (soils, geology and land use).
Pre-Screen Testing means sampling, testing, and reporting of the listed contaminants that may have
newly emerged as drinking water concerns and, in most cases, for which methods are in an early stage
of development. Pre-Screen Testing will be conducted by a limited number of systems (up to 200).
States will nominate up to 25 of the most vulnerable systems per State for Pre-Screen Testing. The
actual Pre-Screen Testing systems will be selected from the list of nominated systems through the use
of a random number generator. Pre-Screen Testing will be performed to determine whether a listed
contaminant occurs in sufficient frequency in the most vulnerable systems or sampling locations to
warrant its being included in future Assessment Monitoring or Screening Surveys. Pre-Screen Testing
will be conducted for the UCMR (1999) List 3 contaminants.
Random Sampling is a statistical sampling method by which each member of the population has an
equal probability (an equal random chance) of being selected as part of a sample (the sample being
a small subset of the population which represents the population as a whole).
Representative Sample (or National Representative Sample) means a small subset of all community
and non-transient non-community water systems serving 10,000 or fewer people which EPA selects
using a random number generator. The systems in the representative sample are selected using a
stratified random sampling process that ensures that this small subset of systems will proportionally
reflect (is "representative" of) the actual number of size- and water type-categories of all small
systems nationally. In finalizing State Plans, a State may substitute a system from the replacement list
for a system selected as part of the original representative sample, if a system on the representative
sample list in the State Plan is closed, merged or purchases water from another system.
Sampling means the act of collecting water from the appropriate location in a public water system
(from the applicable point from an intake or well to the end of a distribution line, or in some limited
cases, a residential tap) following proper methods for the particular contaminant or group of
contaminants.
Sampling Point means a unique location where samples are to be collected.
Screening Survey means sampling, testing, and reporting of the List 2 contaminants. These
contaminants have analytical methods which have been recently developed, and have uncertain
potential for occurrence in drinking water. Under the final List 2 Rule (66 FR 2273), two Screening
Surveys will be conducted by a subset of approximately 180 small systems from the 800 small systems
conducting Assessment Monitoring. Screening Survey one will be conducted by small systems during
2001 for the List 2 chemical contaminants. Screening Survey two will be conducted by small systems
during 2003 for the List 2 microbiological contaminant, Aeromonas.
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
State means each of the fifty States, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and Tribal lands. For
the national representative sample, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana
Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands are each
treated as an individual State. All Tribal water systems in the U. S. which have status as a State under
Section 1451 of the Safe Drinking Water Act for this program will be considered collectively as one
State for the purposes of selecting a representative sample of small systems.
State Monitor ing Plan for State Plan) means a State's portion of the national representative sample
of CWSs and NTNCWSs serving 10,000 or fewer people which must monitor for unregulated
contaminants (Assessment Monitoring, Screening Survey(s) and Index Systems) and all large systems
(systems serving greater than 10,000 people) which are required to monitor for Screening Survey
contaminants. A State Plan may be developed by a State's acceptance of EPA's representative sample
for that State, or by a State's selection of systems from a replacement list for systems specified in the
first list that are closed, are merged, or purchase water from another system. A State Plan also
includes the process by which the State will inform each public water system of its selection for the
plan and of its responsibilities to monitor. A State Plan will also include the systems required to
conduct Pre-Screen Testing, selected from the State's designation of vulnerable systems. The State
Plan may be part of the Partnership Agreement (PA) between the State and EPA.
Stratified Random Sampling^ a procedure to draw a random sample from a population that has been
divided into subpopulations or strata, with each stratum comprised of a population subset sharing
common characteristics. Random samples are selected from each stratum proportional to that stratum's
proportion of the entire population. The aggregate random sample (compiled from all the strata
samples) provides a random sample of the entire population that reflects the proportional distribution
of characteristics of the population. In the context of the UCMR, the population served by public water
systems was stratified by size (with size categories of 500 or fewer people served, 501 to 3,300
people served, and 3,301 to 10,000 people served) and by water source type supplying the water
system (ground water or surface water). This stratification was done to ensure that systems randomly
selected as nationally representative sample systems would proportionally reflect the actual number
of size and water type categories nationally.
Testing means, for the purposes of the UCMR and distinct from Pre-Screen Testing., the submission
and/or shipment of samples following appropriate preservation practices to protect the integrity of the
sample; the chemical, radiological, physical and/or microbiological analysis of samples; and the
reporting of the sample's analytical results for evaluation. Testing is a subset of activities defined as
monitoring.
Unregulated contaminants means chemical, microbiological, radiological and other substances that
occur in drinking water or sources of drinking water that are not currently regulated under the federal
drinking water program. EPA has not issued standards for these substances in drinking water (i.e.,
maximum contaminant levels or treatment technology requirements). EPA is required by Congress to
establish a program to monitor for selected unregulated contaminants in public water systems to
determine whether they should be considered for future regulation to protect public health. The
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UCMR Guidance for Small Public Water Systems January 2001
selected contaminants are listed in 141.40(a)(3), Table 1, the UCMR List.
Vulnerable time (or vulnerable period) means the time (or, in some cases, the 3-month quarter) of
the year determined as the most likely to have the listed group of contaminants present at their highest
concentrations or densities in drinking water. The vulnerable determination, in the case of the UCMR,
i s made by the EPA or by the State (under arrangement with the EPA) for a system, subset of systems,
or all systems in a State. The vulnerable determination is based on characteristics of the contaminants,
precipitation, system operations, and environmental conditions such as soil types, geology, and land
use. This determination does not indicate or imply that the listed contaminants will be identified in the
drinking water with certainty, but only that sampling conducted during the vulnerable period
presumably has the highest likelihood of identifying those contaminants in higher concentrations
relative to other sampling times of the year, if and when the contaminants occur.
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