United States Office of Water EPA 815-R-01 -029
Environmental Protection 4607 November 2001
Agency
Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Regulation
Reporting Guidance
Printed on Recycled Paper
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Acknowledgments
This document was prepared in support of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for
EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water. Charles Job served as EPA's team leader for
development of the UCMR, and James Taft served as Targeting and Analysis Branch Chief. Rachel
Sakata, Chuck Job, and Phyllis Branson served as Work Assignment Managers. The Cadmus Group,
Inc., served as the prime contractor for developing this document.
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments i
Section 1. Introduction 1-1
1.1 Statutory Background 1-1
1.2 Program Overview 1-1
1.3 Purpose and Organization of this Document 1-4
Section 2. Reporting to EPA 2-1
2.1 Information to Be Reported 2-1
2.1.1 UCMR Contaminants 2-1
2.1.2 UCMR Data Elements 2-2
2.1.3 Special Data Reporting Instructions 2-5
2.1.4 Point of Contact Information 2-6
2.2 Data Reporting and Review Process 2-7
2.2.1 Central Data Exchange Registration 2-7
2.2.2 Data Upload by Laboratories 2-10
2.2.3 PWS Electronic Review and Approval 2-11
2.2.4 Non-electronic Upload or Review of Data 2-12
Section 3. Reporting to the Public 3-1
3.1 Information to be Included in Consumer Confidence Reports 3-1
3.2 UCMR Reporting Under the Public Notification Rule 3-2
3.3 Combining a Public Notice for the UCMR with a Consumer Confidence Report 3-2
APPENDICES
Appendix A — Acronym List A-l
Appendix B — Definitions B-l
Appendix C — Contact Information C-l
Appendix D — UCMR List of References D-l
11
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Tables
Table 2-1: Contaminants on the UCMR (1999) List 2-2
Table 2-2: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Reporting Requirements 2-3
Figures
Figure 1: UCMR (1999) Implementation Timeline 1-3
Figure 2: UCMR Data Upload, Review, and Approval Process 2-8
in
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Section 1. Introduction
1.1 Statutory Background
The Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR) established a program for monitoring
contaminants that were not previously monitored by public water systems (PWSs) under provisions of
the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Section 1445 of the SDWA, as amended in 1996, required the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish criteria for a revised monitoring program for
unregulated contaminants. In the past, unregulated contaminant monitoring has been performed according
to the program described in 40 CFR 141.40. The 1996 SDWA Amendments direct a substantially
revised UCMR Program. The Amendments also required EPA to publish, by August 1999, a list of
contaminants to be monitored under the revised UCMR. The National Drinking Water Contaminant
Occurrence Database (NCOD) was also established by the 1996 Amendments to the SDWA and will be
used to store and analyze data collected under the UCMR.
The revised UCMR program is one of the cornerstones of the sound science approach to future drinking
water regulation. In fulfillment of the 1996 SDWA Amendments, the UCMR monitoring program is
designed to support:
development of the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (a list of contaminants that EPA
is considering for possible regulation);
determinations by the Administrator regarding whether to regulate a contaminant; and
• development of future regulations.
The Agency promulgated revisions to the UCMR, which were published in the Federal Register on
September 17, 1999 and supplemented on March 2, 2000. An additional supplement to the UCMR, the
List 2 Rule, was finalized and published in the Federal Register on January 11, 2001. Together, these
regulatory revisions cover:
• the frequency and schedule for monitoring, based on PWS size, water source, and likelihood of
finding contaminants;
• a new, shorter list of contaminants for which PWSs will monitor;
• procedures for selecting and monitoring a nationally representative sample of small PWSs -
those serving 10,000 or fewer persons;
• procedures for entering the monitoring data into the EPA database, as required under SDWA
§1445.
1.2 Program Overview
The first component of the UCMR is Assessment Monitoring. This monitoring will be conducted by all
of the approximately 2,800 large community water systems (CWSs) and non-transient non-community
water systems (NTNCWSs) serving more than 10,000 persons (except those large PWSs that purchase
all of their water from another PWS), and by a statistically representative sample of 800 small CWSs
and NTNCWSs serving 10,000 or fewer persons (except those small PWSs that purchase all of their
water from another PWS). Assessment Monitoring will be conducted for the UCMR (1999) List 1
contaminants, for which analytical methods have already been developed and refined.
1-1
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
The second component of the UCMR includes the Screening Surveys. Each of the two Screening
Surveys will be conducted at 120 large PWSs and at 180 small PWSs randomly selected from the pool
of PWSs required to conduct Assessment Monitoring. Screening Survey monitoring will be conducted
for the List 2 contaminants for which analytical methods have been developed, but may need further
refinement before larger-scale monitoring is conducted.
The third component of the UCMR is Pre-Screen Testing, which may be conducted at a combined total of
up to 200 large and small PWSs. States may be asked to nominate PWSs that are particularly vulnerable
to the Pre-Screen Testing contaminants. Pre-Screen Testing may be conducted for some of the UCMR
(1999) List 3 contaminants for which analytical methods are in the initial stages of development.
EPA has also selected 30 small PWSs to serve as Index Systems. These PWSs will conduct Assessment
Monitoring each year of the 5-year UCMR cycle to provide additional programmatic information and
data quality control. EPA (or EPA contractors) will collect data on temporal variations in contaminant
occurrence, and on the environmental and operating conditions of these 30 small PWSs. The detailed
information from the Index Systems, together with the monitoring data generated through general UCMR
monitoring, will enable EPA to develop future regulations that better reflect the environmental
characteristics and operating conditions of the approximately 65,000 small PWSs.
General monitoring schedules are related to the type of monitoring (Assessment Monitoring, Screening
Survey, or Pre-Screen Testing) being conducted. Each participating PWS must conduct Assessment
Monitoring for the List 1 contaminants for a 12-month period in the first three years (2001 through 2003)
of the 5-year UCMR contaminant monitoring cycle (2001-2005), as per §141.40(a)(5). Randomly
selected large PWSs will sample for the UCMR List 2 contaminants in 2002 (for chemical contaminants)
and 2003 (for the microbiological contaminant, Aeromonas), while small PWSs will sample in 2001 and
2003, respectively. No timeframe has been established yet for Pre-Screen Testing for the UCMR (1999)
List 3 contaminants, but it may be conducted in 2003 or 2004.
Required monitoring locations are also related to the type of monitoring (see §141.40(a)(5)).
Assessment Monitoring samples must be collected at the entry point(s) to the distribution system unless
otherwise specified by the State or EPA.1 Samples for the first Screening Survey (for the List 2
chemicals) must always be collected at the entry point(s) to the distribution system (source water
samples are not permitted). Samples for the second Screening Survey, for Aeromonas, will be collected
at the three locations in the distribution system that represent: a midpoint location with typical
1 Note that systems may sample raw water sources for UCMR (1999) List 1 contaminants if this is the
compliance monitoring point required by the State. However, if samples are collected from source (raw) water,
and any of the List 1 contaminants are detected, then source water monitoring must be completed for the indicated
timeframe, and the PWS must also conduct sampling over the next twelve month period at the entry point to the
distribution system that is representative of the affected source water for the contaminant(s) found.
1-2
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance
November 2001
disinfectant residual levels, a point located furthest from the entry point, and a location with the lowest
disinfectant residual. Figure 1 provides a summary of the UCMR three-tiered monitoring approach, and
shows the implementation timeline of UCMR activities.
Figure 1: UCMR (1999) Implementation Timeline
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004 2005
Large Systems (serving more than 10,000 people)
List 1 Assessment Monitoring - All Large Systems
must monitor for one year during this three-year period.
Data must be reported electronically to EPA.
List 2 Screening
Survey
(Chemicals)
120 randomly
selected large
systems must
monitor.
List 2 Screening
Survey
(Aeromonas)
Second set of
randomly selected
120 large systems
must monitor.
Small Systems (serving 10,000 or fewer people)
List 1 Assessment Monitoring - 800 Small Systems
(statistically selected) must monitor for one year during
this three-year period, as specified by the State and
EPA. Approximately one-third monitor each year. EPA
pays for the costs of testing.
List 2 Screening
Survey
(Chemicals)
180 randomly
selected small
systems must
monitor; subset of
systems doing
List 1 monitoring
during this year.
List 2 Screening
Survey
(Aeromonas)
Second set of 180
randomly selected
small systems must
monitor; subset of
systems doing
List 1 monitoring
during this year.
Index Systems
30 Index Systems (selected from the 800 small systems) must monitor every year for List 1
contaminants during this five-year period, with additional support from EPA.
All Systems Conducting UCMR Monitoring
Systems
notified of
requirements
by EPA/State
Perchl orate
Laboratory
Proficiency
Testing
i
i
i
i
Reporting - All Large and Small Systems Monitoring for List 1 and List 2 Contaminants
must report results to customers under the Consumer Confidence or Public Notification Rule.
1-2
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
1.3 Purpose and Organization of this Document
This document provides guidance on reporting results from UCMR monitoring for the public water
systems, analytical laboratories, States, and EPA offices participating in the UCMR Program. In
addition to this guidance, EPA is developing an instructional four volume document, to which the reader
can refer for step-by-step instructions for using the data system (see Appendix D for further description
of the instructional document).
The remainder of this guidance document is organized into two major sections: Section 2 provides a
detailed discussion of the information that participating PWSs (and their laboratories) must report to
EPA and how these data are to be reported. Section 3 describes the reporting obligations of PWSs to
their consumers, as specified by the Consumer Confidence Report and Public Notification Rules.
Several appendices are included with this document for further reference.
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. Thus, this document 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 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. EPA may change this guidance in the future. Mention of trade names or
commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
1-4
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Section 2. Reporting to EPA
PWSs that are required to participate in the UCMR program must report monitoring data to EPA for
evaluation (§141.35(a)). This includes CWSs and NTNCWSs that serve more than 10,000 persons
(large PWSs). EPA will provide reporting for small PWSs. For this 5-year cycle of UCMR monitoring
(2001-2005), transient non-community water systems, and any PWSs that exclusively use purchased
water from other PWSs, that have not been notified by EPA or their State of the UCMR requirements are
excluded from the monitoring program.
Large and small PWSs are responsible for ensuring compliance with State reporting requirements
(§141.35(b)). EPA will pay for UCMR testing for small PWSs and will use contract laboratories to
conduct sample analysis and to handle the electronic reporting for these PWSs. While large PWSs are
responsible for appropriate and timely reporting of their UCMR monitoring results, the rule specifies
that their laboratories will electronically enter the monitoring results for their review and approval.
This section is divided into two major sub-sections: Section 2.1 describes the contact information and
monitoring data that must be provided to EPA; Section 2.2 details the methods by which the PWS or
laboratory are to report the required data to EPA.
2.1 Information to Be Reported
This section provides readers with the lists and descriptions of: UCMR contaminants for which
monitoring will be conducted; specific data elements to be reported to EPA for each contaminant;
special reporting instructions; and point of contact information.
2.1.1 UCMR Contaminants
As noted above, EPA has organized the list of UCMR (1999) contaminants into three sub-lists based on
the availability of analytical methods to detect their presence in drinking water and by the type of
monitoring to be conducted: Assessment Monitoring, List 1, consists of 12 chemical contaminants for
which standard analytical methods are available; Screening Survey, List 2, consists of 16 contaminants,
14 of which have monitoring requirements using newly developed analytical methods; and Pre-Screen
Testing, List 3, consists of 9 contaminants for which analytical methods are being researched. Many of
the contaminants on these lists are emerging contaminants, with little known about their occurrence, and
little known about their potential human health effects. Although there are currently more than 30
contaminants on these three lists, no more than 30 contaminants will be monitored during any 5-year
UCMR monitoring cycle.
Table 2-1, below, reflects the final UCMR (1999) List of contaminants, 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).
2-1
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance
November 2001
Table 2-1: Contaminants on the UCMR (1999) List
List 1 Contaminants - Assessment Monitoring
2,4-dinitrotoluene
2,6-dinitrotoluene
Acetochlor
DCPA di-acid degradate
DCPA mono-acid degradate
DDE
EPIC
Molinate
MTBE
Nitrobenzene
Perchlorate
Terbacil
List 2 Contaminants - Screening Surveys
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
List 3 Contaminants - Pre-Screen Testing
Lead-210
Polonium-210
Adenoviruses
Cyanobacteria (blue-green
algae), other fresh water algae,
and their toxins
Caliciviruses
Coxsackieviruses
Echoviruses
Helicobacter pylori
Microsporidia
* Nitrobenzene has been added to List 2 from the original UCMR (1999) List to track its occurrence at a concentration
lower than the List 1 nitrobenzene minimum reporting level.
2.1.2 UCMR Data Elements
To provide a foundation for quality data, the Agency has identified 16 data elements to be reported with
the analytical result for each UCMR contaminant (note that data element 17 is not being used at this
time). All participating PWSs must ensure that these data elements are reported with each UCMR
sample (including each spiked sample and spike duplicate sample analyzed for quality control purposes
and associated with each sample and its sample batch).
Small PWSs will only be responsible for providing data elements 1 through 3 (as is specified on the
sample tracking form that accompanies the sampling kits), as the remaining data elements will be
provided by the EPA-designated contract laboratory. Small PWSs will need to check that the pre-
printed information on the sampling form is correct.
The required data elements are listed below in Table 2-2. A brief definition of each data element is
provided in the table.
2-2
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance
November 2001
Table 2-2: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring 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
3. Sample Collection Date
4. Sample Identification Number
5 . Contaminant/Parameter
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 must either be static or traceable to previous numbers and
type identifications throughout the period of unregulated contaminant
monitoring. The Sampling point identification number is a three-part
alphanumeric designation, made up of:
a. The Public Water System Facility Identification Number is an
identification number established by the State, or at the State's
discretion by the PWS, that is unique to the PWS for an intake for
each source of water, a treatment 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 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 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
disinfectant 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 level 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.
An alphanumeric value of up to 15 characters assigned by the laboratory to
uniquely identify containers or groups of containers containing water
samples collected at the same time and sampling point.
The unregulated contaminant or water quality parameter for which the
sample is being analyzed.
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance
November 2001
Table 2-2: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Reporting Requirements
Data Element
6. Analytical Results - Sign
7. Analytical Result - Value
8 . Analytical Result - Unit of Measure
9 . Analytical Method Number
10. Sample Analysis Type
1 1 . Sample Batch Identification
Number
12. Minimum Reporting Level
13. Minimum Reporting Level Unit of
Measure
Definition
An alphanumeric value indicating whether the sample analysis result was:
a. (<) "less than" means the contaminant was not detected or was
detected at a level "less than" the minimum reporting level (MRL).
b. (=) "equal to" means the contaminant was detected at a level "equal
to" the value reported in "Analytical Result - Value."
The actual numeric value of the analysis for chemical and microbiological
results, or the MRL if the analytical result is less than the contaminant's
MRL.
The unit of measurement for the analytical results reported, [e.g.,
micrograms per liter, (ug/L); colony-forming units per 100 milliliters,
(CFU/lOOmL), etc.]
The identification number of the analytical method used.
The type of sample collected. Permitted values include:
a. RFS - Raw field sample - untreated sample collected and
submitted for analysis under this rule.
b. RDS - Raw duplicate field sample - untreated field sample
duplicate collected at the same time and place as the raw field
sample and submitted for analysis under this rule.
c. TFS - Treated field sample - treated sample collected and
submitted for analysis under this rule.
d. TDS - Treated duplicate field sample - treated field sample
duplicate collected at the same time and place as the treated field
sample and submitted for analysis under this rule.
The sample batch identification number consists of three parts:
a. Up to a 10-character laboratory identification code assigned by
EPA;
b. Up to a 15 -character code assigned by the laboratory to uniquely
identify each extraction or analysis batch.
c. The date that the samples contained in each extraction batch were
extracted or in an analysis batch were analyzed, reported as an 8-
digit number in the form 4-digit year, 2-digit month, and 2-digit
day.
Minimum Reporting Level (MRL) refers to the lowest concentration of an
analyte that may be reported. Unregulated contaminant monitoring MRLs
are established in § 141 .40 monitoring requirements for unregulated
contaminants.
The unit of measure to express the concentration, count, or other value of a
contaminant level for the MRL reported, (e.g., ug/L, colony forming
units/100 mL (CFU/100 mL), etc.).
2-4
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance
November 2001
Table 2-2: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Reporting Requirements
Data Element
14. Analytical Precision
15. Analytical Accuracy
16. Spiking Concentration
17. Presence/ Absence
Definition
Precision is the degree of agreement between two repeated measurements
and is monitored through the use of duplicate spiked samples. For
purposes of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR),
Analytical Precision is defined as the relative percent difference (RPD)
between spiked matrix duplicates. The RPD for the spiked matrix
duplicates analyzed in the same batch of samples as the analytical result
being reported is to be entered in this field. Precision is calculated as
Relative Percent Difference (RPD) between spiked matrix duplicates from
the mean using:
RPD = absolute value of [(X, - X2) /{(X, +X2)/2}] x 100%
where:
• Xj is the concentration observed in spiked field sample minus the
concentration observed in unspiked field sample.
• X2 is the concentration observed in duplicate spiked field sample
minus the concentration observed in unspiked field sample.
Accuracy describes how close a result is to the true value measured
through the use of spiked field samples. For purposes of unregulated
contaminant monitoring, accuracy is defined as the percent recovery of the
contaminant in the spiked matrix sample analyzed in the same analytical
batch as the sample result being reported and calculated using:
% recovery = [(ami found in spiked sample - amt. found in
sample) / amt. spiked] x 100%
The concentration of method analyte(s) added to a sample to be analyzed
for calculating analytical precision and accuracy where the value reported
use the same unit of measure reported for Analytical Results.
Reserved. (Not needed for current reporting.)
2.1.3 Special Data Reporting Instructions
Appropriate and consistent reporting of UCMR monitoring data is critical to EPA's efforts to evaluate
the data for future regulatory development. The following special reporting instructions will help to
ensure the consistency and quality of the UCMR data.
Reporting of Results Obtained for the DCPA Mono- and Di-Acid Degradates
The analytical methods approved under the UCMR for measuring the DCPA mono- and di-acid
degradates do not, as approved, allow for the identification and quantification of the individual
acids. To provide for the consistent reporting of results to the NCOD and to avoid confusion, EPA is
specifying that the single analytical result obtained from these methods should be reported as total
DCPA mono- and di-acid degradates. As a result, data element 5, Contaminant/Parameter, will not
have as acceptable values "DCPA mono-acid degradate" or "DCPA di-acid degradate." Instead, the
appropriate acceptable value for this data element will be "Total DCPA mono- and di-acid
degradates."
2-5
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Reporting of Additional Quality Control (QC) Data for Perchlorate
Each laboratory performing perchlorate analyses using EPA Method 314.0 will need to monitor and
record additional QC data for each sample analysis. It is the responsibility of the laboratory to
provide this additional QC information to the PWS and maintain it in the laboratory's own records.
However, the only case in which this additional QC data must be reported to EPA is the rare
situation in which all the field samples in an analysis batch require pretreatment. In this case, the
laboratory should refer to the UCMR guidance document: UCMR (1999) List 1 and List 2 Chemical
Analytical Methods Quality Control Manual (QC Manual) (EPA 815-R-01-028).
Special State Reporting Requirements
PWSs should be aware that some States may have reporting requirements beyond those specified in
the UCMR, such as immediate reporting of monitoring results which suggest an imminent threat to
public health. States have been asked to address any additional reporting requirements (or waiver of
requirements) when they notify PWSs of their UCMR responsibilities. In the absence of any State
direction on this matter, PWSs are expected to provide States with a copy of monitoring results
concurrent with reporting those results to EPA via the electronic reporting system.
Reporting of Previously Collected Data
PWSs are allowed to report the results of previously collected drinking water contaminant data for
any of the UCMR contaminants (listed in Table 2-1, above), as long as the data meet the specific
requirements of §141.40(a)(3), (4), and (5) and Appendix A of §141.40 (see §141.35(g)). In
addition, the data elements listed above in Table 2-2 must also be reported with any monitoring
results from previously collected data.
2.1.4 Point of Contact Information
In addition to the data elements listed above, the UCMR requires PWSs and laboratories to provide
point of contact information, including name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address (40
CFR141.35(d))for:
• PWS technical person - the person at the PWS who is responsible for the technical aspects of
UCMR activities, such as details concerning sampling and reporting;
• PWS official UCMR spokesperson - the person at the PWS who is able to function as the official
spokesperson for the PWS; and
• Laboratory contact person - the person at the laboratory who is able to address questions
concerning the analyses performed.
PWSs are asked to provide this information at the outset of their year of monitoring and to provide
updates if it changes during the course of UCMR implementation. The contact information will be used
to facilitate communications with PWSs and their laboratories regarding any reporting
problems/modifications, resolution of specific data questions, and periodic distribution of any UCMR
related materials.
2-6
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
2.2 Data Reporting and Review Process
This section provides a description of the steps in the electronic reporting process that PWSs,
laboratories, and EPA must go through before the UCMR data is made available to the public through the
NCOD. The UCMR data upload, review, and approval process will follow a specific schedule and
chain of custody. Figure 2 illustrates the timing and flow of this process.
After drinking water samples have been analyzed, PWSs can instruct their laboratories to upload their
UCMR results directly through EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX). The CDX, which is under final
development by EPA, is the central point where PWSs and laboratories will log in to submit, view, and
correct UCMR data. The Safe Drinking Water Accession and Review System (SDWARS) is the
database where UCMR data will be stored during the upload and review process, prior to making the
data available to the public through the NCOD.
EPA is developing several options for the electronic reporting: for laboratories that have sound
electronic reporting capabilities, data can be uploaded in standard flat file format, or extensible mark-up
language (XML) format; laboratories can also choose to enter the data into an on-line form that will be
accessed through the CDX.
Once the laboratory completes its analysis and data upload (e.g., when it is posted to SDWARS), it will
provide the PWS with the analytical results electronically through SDWARS. Large PWSs must then
conduct their review and approval to allow EPA access to the data within a 30-day review period after
the month in which they receive the data. Following PWS approval of the data, the State, EPA, and the
PWS have an additional 60 days to conduct a quality control review before transferring the results to the
NCOD, where the data will be available to the public.
As noted above, EPA will pay for UCMR testing for small PWSs that were selected to participate in the
UCMR and will use contract laboratories to conduct sample analysis and to report on behalf of these
PWSs.
2.2.1 Central Data Exchange Registration
To provide a secure reporting process, EPA is requiring that PWSs and laboratories register as users of
EPA's CDX before they are allowed access to the data reporting and reviewing sections of the Web site.
CDX registration began in March 2001.
There are two types of registration within the CDX: one for pre-registered participants, and an open
registration process. Participants that are pre-registered will already have their name and contact
information in the database. Additionally, treatment facility and sampling point information may already
be stored in the database for PWSs that are pre-registered.
A specific set of PWSs and laboratories are pre-registered in the CDX. EPA will provide written
notification to large PWSs and laboratories that are pre-registered and will include the CDX Web site
address and a unique "Customer Retrieval Key" (CRK) that will allow them to complete the registration
process within CDX. The current Web site for accessing the CDX is: http://epacdx.lmi.org, although the
specific address is subject to change as the registration and reporting process progresses. If this site
address does change, go to: www.epa.gov/safewater/standard/ucmr/reporting.html, and you will be
linked to the proper location.
2-7
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance
November 2001
Figure 2: UCMR Data Upload, Review, and Approval Process
Sampling conducted by
PWS or State
Laboratory analysis completed; Analytical results posted
through CDX to SDWARS/UCMR; Results approved by
laboratory for release to PWS for review and approval
PWS review of data (either on-line or hard copy); PWS approval of
data due 30 days after month in which it receives results (approval
must be electronic)1
Further review and analysis of data by EPA, State,
PWS; To be completed within 60 days after data approved
by PWS
Results made available to the public
through NCOD
1 The results of unregulated contaminant monitoring must be reported within 30 days following the
month in which the system received the results from the laboratory. For example, if the system
receives monitoring results on February 14th from the laboratory, the system or laboratory must
report the results to EPA no later than March 30th. Electronic indication of approval of data is
necessary for EPA to gain access to data.
2-8
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
The pre-registered participants include:
• Laboratories that are pre-registered include the contract laboratories that will be analyzing the
small PWSs samples, as well as the laboratories that were in the database from the Information
Collection Rule. In using this criteria, EPA may have pre-registered some laboratories that will not
actually participate in the UCMR, and it may have missed pre-registration of some laboratories that
will be participating. Thus, the CDX allows for an "open registration" process (described below).
• PWSs that are pre-registered include:
— The national representative sample of 800 small PWSs - EPA's implementation contractor will
be handling the quality review of data for these PWSs, therefore they do have the option to
register with the CDX to review their data. A hard copy of their data will be provided to them
for review; and
— All large PWSs (those that were listed as serving greater than 10,000 persons) in EPA's Safe
Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS/FED). Note that similar to the pre-registration of
laboratories, use of this SDWIS/FED criteria will likely have pre-registered some PWSs that are
not subject to the UCMR monitoring requirements, and may have missed pre-registration of some
large PWSs that actually should be participating in UCMR monitoring. The accuracy and
completeness of the large PWS pre-registration will depend on the accuracy of the inventory data
that populates SDWIS/FED.
As noted, some large PWSs that were pre-registered to participate in the UCMR, may not be
required to conduct UCMR monitoring. A PWS is not subject to the UCMR regulations if:
1. It actually serves 10,000 or fewer retail and wholesale persons (except for the sample of 800
small PWSs);
2. It is inactive (this may include PWSs that no longer serve enough customers to be considered
a PWS, or a PWS that has been shut down);
3. It merged with another PWS (e.g., no longer operates as a separate PWS);
4. It purchases all of its water from another PWS; or
5. It is a transient non-community water system.
Conversely, if a PWS is required to conduct UCMR monitoring but did not make it onto the pre-
registration list, then the PWS must use the open registration dialogue within the CDX (this
process is described briefly below).
At the CDX Web site, pre-registered participants are asked to fill out information about themselves and
their organization. Users will be asked for a unique username and password in addition to their pre-
determined CRK. Required contact information fields include: address, phone, and e-mail address.
Once the appropriate contact information fields have been completed, users are asked to send a
"Sponsor Letter" to EPA. The purpose of the Sponsor Letter is to confirm which individual(s) at the
organization will have access to the PWS data, and what level of permissions each individual should
have (e.g. reviewing, submitting, or approving data). Users will not have access to the data upload or
review screens until EPA receives and processes the organization sponsor letter.
2-9
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance
November 2001
PWSs or laboratories that will be participating in the UCMR and are not pre-registered will need to
register with the CDX through an "open registration" process. Announcements regarding open
registration for CDX will be made through various trade organizations and on the UCMR Web site.
Similar to the pre-registered users, these organizations will sign on with a unique user name and
password. They too will need to submit a sponsor letter.
CDX registrants need to identify their "role" in the processing of UCMR data.
• Laboratory users may identify themselves as either:
1. Reviewers - users that may only view data in SDWARS;
2. Submitters - users that may only post or view data to SDWARS;
3. Approvers - users that may view, post and also approve data to be passed onto PWSs for
review.
• PWS users may identify themselves as either:
1. Reviewers - users that may only view data in SDWARS;
2. Approvers - users that may view and also approve data to be passed onto EPA review.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Every laboratory and PWS must have at least one registered user defined
with the role of "Approver" to successfully pass data from one organization to another.
The first thing that PWSs are asked to do once they have been given access to the data is to review the
PWS facility and sampling point information, and edit as needed. Ensuring that this information is
accurate is important to successful upload and tracking of UCMR monitoring data.
Laboratories that wish to register, and have not received a pre-regi strati on
notice, should contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 to
determine the Laboratory Identification Code (Lab-ID). After receiving their
Lab-ID, the laboratory should contact EPA's CDX help desk for the UCMR
between 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST/EDT at 888-890-1995 to request that they
be added to the CDX, and to get further instructions on registration.
PWSs that wish to register, and have not received a pre-regi strati on notice,
should contact EPA's CDX help desk for the UCMR between 8:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. EST/EDT at 888-890-1995 to request that they be added to the CDX, and to
get further instructions on registration.
2.2.2 Data Upload by Laboratories
EPA is requiring electronic reporting by laboratories to facilitate "one-entry" of data, to reduce
reporting errors and to reduce the time involved in investigating, checking and correcting errors at all
levels (laboratory, PWS, State and EPA). Once the sponsor letter is processed by EPA, data may be
uploaded by laboratories through the CDX to SDWARS.
2-10
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Laboratories that plan to submit data electronically will have two options:
Standard flat file format — using pipe delimited files; or
• New XML or extensible mark-up language format.
For batch uploads, laboratories can either send one finalized set of data or upload partial batches.
EPA has developed an on-line data entry screen protocol to provide a third electronic reporting option
over the Web. The data entry screen can be used by any registered laboratory or PWS. The computer
that is used for Web form submissions should have a supported browser (Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
with 128-bit cipher strength encryption) and should be connected to a printer.
When the data upload is complete, laboratories should verify data submissions by logging onto the CDX
Web site, and review the data stored in SDWARS to ensure that the transaction was received in a
translatable format. It is the laboratory's responsibility to ensure that all such data has been approved by
the appropriate user, and to notify the PWS that the data are available for review. After the laboratory
electronically indicates that the data are final (approved) and ready for PWS review, the data are not
accessible to the laboratory for editing unless the PWS electronically transfers permissions back to the
laboratory through SDWARS.
2.2.3 PWS Electronic Review and Approval
Once the PWS is notified by the laboratory that the data are ready, the PWS has 30 days following the
month in which it was notified to review and approve the data. The PWS must conduct its review and
approval to allow EPA access to the data within a 30-day review period. The 30 days are counted
following the end of the month in which the PWS receives the results. For example, if the PWS received
the results on September 14, 2001, it has until October 31, 2001 to complete its review and approval
(see §141.35(c)). Also, as with any required monitoring, the PWS has the responsibility for timely
reporting within, or shortly following the monitoring period (e.g., the quarter), as specified in
§141.31(a).
Please note that EPA has made an exception to the normal reporting schedule for
the first rounds of monitoring during 2001 to allow time to ensure the readiness
of the electronic reporting system. For those results received by public water
systems prior to January 1, 2002, PWSs are required to report their data by
April 30, 2002.
The PWS can review the results in one of two ways (see §141.35(e)):
• it can instruct the laboratory to post its monitoring results to review the data on-line and
electronically indicate its approval to make the data available to EPA; or
• it can elect to receive a hard copy of the results for review and then indicate its approval to the
laboratory to upload the data to EPA. (However, the PWS, or its representative, must provide
electronic approval within the data system to provide EPA access to the data.)
If during review the PWS notices a problem with the data (such as missing required data elements), it
should notify the laboratory and relinquish data review and editing permissions back to the laboratory so
that the problem(s) can be rectified. After the laboratory reviews and rectifies any problems with the
2-11
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
data, and renews the PWS permissions for data review by indicating laboratory approval of data, the
PWS can then review and electronically approve the data, making it available to EPA. Note that
because the rule does not give any allowances for PWS review beyond 30 days of the month data was
made available to it, the PWS should begin its review as soon as possible, in case there are any
problems with the data.
Note: the data are never available for updating to both laboratory and PWS simultaneously.
After the data are approved by the PWS and reported to EPA, the State and EPA will have an additional
60 days to conduct a quality control review. EPA will then transfer the data from SDWARS to NCOD,
where the data will be available to the public.
As noted above, EPA will pay for UCMR testing for small PWSs that were selected to participate in the
UCMR, and will use contract laboratories to conduct sample analysis and to report on behalf of these
PWSs. EPA's implementation contractor will conduct a quality control review of the small PWS data.
However, small PWSs will receive hard copies of their data to review and comment on, if they so
choose.
2.2.4 Non-electronic Upload or Review of Data
EPA expects that very few laboratories or large PWSs will not have the ability to upload or review data
over the Internet. The Agency encourages laboratories or PWSs that do not own a computer to use a
local library computer or other publicly accessible computer. However, EPA recognizes that some may
be unable to upload or review these data electronically. PWSs or laboratories that are participating in
the UCMR that do not have access to the Internet should contact the EPA Office of Ground Water and
Drinking Water (OGWDW) Infrastructure Branch at 202-260-4934 to establish an alternate process for
UCMR reporting.
2-12
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Section 3. Reporting to the Public
Reporting UCMR information to the public is part of the SDWA's right-to-know provisions. SDWA
§1445 (a)(2)(E) requires all PWSs that monitor for unregulated contaminants to inform the public if any
unregulated contaminants have been detected in their drinking water and to notify the public that the
monitoring results are available. The public reporting requirements for the UCMR are the same whether
the PWS is conducting Assessment Monitoring, Screening Surveys, or Pre-screen Testing. PWSs must
notify the public of the results of unregulated contaminant monitoring through consumer confidence
reports and public notification.
3.1 Information to be Included in Consumer Confidence Reports
Published on August 19, 1998 (63 FR 44511), the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule requires
community water systems (CWSs) to report unregulated contaminant monitoring results whenever such
contaminants are detected. CCRs are required of CWSs only. The CCR Rule does not apply to non-
community water systems.
The CCR is an annual drinking water quality report that gives PWS customers fundamental information
about their drinking water. In addition to identifying the PWS's water source, the CCR provides
information on the water's susceptibility to contamination and on other topics.
The centerpiece of the CCR is a table displaying the levels of detected contaminants, including
unregulated contaminants, in finished water. For each detected unregulated contaminant for which
monitoring is required, the table must display the average of any monitoring results from the year and the
range of detections. A PWS may briefly explain in the CCR why it is monitoring for unregulated
contaminants. The explanation may read as follows:
Unregulated contaminants are those for which EPA has not established drinking
water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist
EPA in determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water
and whether future regulation is warranted.
CCRs are to be mailed to all billing customers by July 1 each year. The report contains information
regarding monitoring from the previous year (e.g., a July 1, 2001 report would contain information from
events that occurred during January 1 to December 31, 2000.) In addition, operators must make a good
faith effort to distribute CCRs to all other users of the PWS. For example, a CCR could be further
'distributed' by posting it on the Internet or publishing the CCR or a notice of its availability in a local
newspaper. Within 3 months of distributing the CCR, the PWS must send a certification to the primacy
agency that the CCR was delivered to all customers and that the information in the CCR was correct.
EPA has published the guidance document Preparing Your Drinking Water Consumer Confidence
Report (EPA 816-R-99-002, March 1999) to assist providers in preparing CCRs. This guidance also
contains a sample certification form that PWSs can submit to their States. The Agency also has
developed the CCR writer, a computer program to help water suppliers create their consumer
confidence reports. Both are available on EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/safewater/ccrl .html.
5-1
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
3.2 UCMR Reporting Under the Public Notification Rule
The Public Notification (PN) Rule was published on May 4, 2000 (65 FR 25981). This regulation applies
to all PWSs, and requires those PWSs that are subject to the UCMR (both CWSs and NTNCWSs) to notify
the public annually that unregulated contaminant monitoring results are available. PN requirements apply
whenever a PWS is faced with a violation or situation affecting the water supply, to inform consumers
about their drinking water. Public notices tell consumers about the violation or situation, its potential
health effects, any steps they should take to protect their health, and how the PWS is addressing the
problem. In addition to requiring notification of violations, the PN Rule requires PWSs to provide special
notices for certain situations, including the availability of unregulated contaminant monitoring data (40
CFR 141.207). Special public notices of unregulated contaminant monitoring data are different from other
public notices: they do not have to contain all the elements required of other types of public notices.
Instead, they need to report only that the results are available and a phone number or contact from which
the results can be obtained.
CWSs must provide public notice by mail or hand delivery and by any other method - such as publication
in a local newspaper or posting in public places - necessary to reach people who would not normally be
reached by the first method. NTNCWSs must also provide notice by posting, hand delivery, or mailing to
each customer and known service connection and by any other method needed to reach people who would
not normally be reached by the first method. Notices must be issued within one year from the date the
monitoring results are known. Within 10 days of issuing the PN, a PWS must send to its State's primacy
agency a copy of the notice and a certification that all public notification requirements have been met.
Public notification also applies if a PWS fails to monitor for unregulated contaminants as required under
the UCMR. This violation notice would be more detailed including the 10 required elements specified in
the PN Rule at §141.205. The violation notice must be issued within one year of when the PWS failed to
monitor, following the same delivery methods as above.
EPA's Public Notification Handbook (EPA 816-R-00-010, June 2000) provides useful information for
PWS operators on how to write and distribute effective public notices. It also contains a sample
certification form that PWSs can submit to their State. The Handbook is available at
www.epa.gov/safewater/pn.html.
3.3 Combining a Public Notice for the UCMR with a Consumer Confidence Report
CWSs may use the CCR for public notice. However, if a CWS combines the PN and CCR, it must meet
the more stringent timing and distribution requirements of the PN Rule. Unlike CCRs, which must be
delivered in July and cover the previous calendar year, a public notice must be delivered within 12
months after the monitoring data are available. Therefore, if unregulated contaminant monitoring data are
available in the first half of the calendar year, a CCR issued in July of the following year would not meet
the PN timing requirements. Because the public notice would be brief, a PWS could fairly easily meet the
timing requirement by issuing a notice of availability, for example as an insert to water bills along with a
mailing to consumers who do not receive water bills.
PNs must be delivered to all individuals that are served by a PWS, while CCRs must be delivered only to
billing customers with a good faith effort made to reach other consumers. Because of this, if the CCR is
used to fulfill PN requirements, it must be provided to all consumers, not just the billing customers who
typically receive the CCR. In addition, because non-community water systems are not required to issue
CCRs, the CCR is not an option for notice of the availability of UCMR data for these PWSs.
5-2
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance
November 2001
APPENDICES
Appendix A:
Appendix B:
Appendix C:
Appendix D:
Acronym List
Definitions
Contact Information
UCMR List of References
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance
November 2001
Appendix A — Acronym List
CCR
CDX
CFR
CPU
CRK
CWS
DBF
DCPA
DDE
EP
EPA
EPIC
ESA
LD
MD
m/L
MR
MRL
MTBE
NCOD
NERL
NTIS
NTNCWS
OGWDW
PN
PWS
QC
RDS
RDX
RFS
RPD
SDWA
SDWARS
SDWIS/FED
SR
- Consumer Confidence Report
- central data exchange
- Code of Federal Regulations
- colony forming unit
- customer retrieval key
- community water system
- disinfection byproducts
- dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, chemical name of the herbicide dacthal
- dichloro dichlorophenyl ethylene, a degradation product of DDT
- entry point
- Environmental Protection Agency
- s-ethyl-dipropylthiocarbamate, an herbicide
- ethanesulfonic acid, a degradation product of alachlor
- Location in the distribution system where the disinfectant residual is the lowest
- midpoint in the distribution system, a sampling location
- milligrams per liter
- point of maximum retention
- minimum reporting level
- methyl-tert-butyl-ether, a gasoline additive
- National Drinking Water Contaminant Occurrence Database
- National Environmental Research Laboratory
- National Technical Information Service
- non-transient non-community water system
- Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
- public notice
- Public Water System
- quality control
- raw duplicate field sample
- hexahydro-l,3,5-trinitro-l,3,5-triazine
- raw field sample
- relative percent difference
- Safe Drinking Water Act
- Safe Drinking Water Accession and Review System
- Safe Drinking Water Information System/Federal Version
- source/raw water sampling point, prior to treatment
A-l
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Appendix A — Acronym List
TDS - treated duplicate sample
TFS - treated field sample
THM - trihalomethanes
UCMR - Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation/Rule
XML - extensible mark-up language
|ig/L - micrograms per liter
A-2
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 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)). In addition to the reporting information required for
Assessment Monitoring, the Index Systems must also report information on PWS operating conditions (such as
water source, pumping rates, and environmental setting) (§141.40(a)(6)). These PWSs must monitor each
year of the 5-year UCMR cycle, with EPA paying for all reasonable monitoring costs (§141.40(a)(4)(i)(A)).
Listed contaminant means a contaminant identified as an analyte in Table 1, 141.40(a)(3) of the 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 parentheses 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.
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.
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.
Most vulnerable systems for Systems most vulnerable) means a subset of 5 to not more than 25 PWSs of all
monitored PWSs 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, PWS 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 PWSs (up to 200). 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 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 PWSs in the representative sample are selected using a stratified random
sampling process that ensures that this small subset of PWSs will be representative of all small PWSs
nationally.
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.
B-l
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Appendix B — Definitions
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.
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, and American Samoa are each treated as an individual state. All Tribal water systems in the
U.S. that 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 PWSs.
State Monitoring 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 PWSs (PWSs serving greater
than 10,000 people) which are required to monitor for Screening Survey contaminants. A State Plan will also
include the PWSs required to conduct Pre-Screen Testing, selected from the State's designation of vulnerable
PWSs.
Stratified Random Sampling is a procedure to draw a random sample from a population that has been divided
into subpppulations 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 PWSs randomly selected as nationally representative sample PWSs 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).
Vulnerable time (or vulnerable period) means the time 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.
B-2
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Appendix C — Contact Information
For further information on this guidance document, PWSs should contact their State Drinking Water
Agency or the appropriate EPA Region. State drinking water agencies with questions on this guidance
should contact their appropriate EPA Region coordinator, or the UCMR Implementation Team Leader
listed below.
EPA UCMR Implementation Team Leader:
Daniel Hautman, Technical Support Center, Standards and Risk Management Division, Office of
Ground Water and Drinking Water (MS 140), 26 West Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Cincinnati, OH
45268. (513)569-7274.
LMI Hotline:
888-890-1995, available from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST
Safe Drinking Water Hotline:
800-426-4791
Regional Contacts:
I Chris Ryan, 1 Congress Street, 11th Floor, Boston, MA 02118.
Phone:(617)918-1567.
H Robert Poon, 290 Broadway, Room 2432, New York, NY 10007-1866.
Phone:(212)637-3821.
m 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.
VE 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.
C-l
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
C-2
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Appendix D — UCMR List of References
The documents listed below present detailed information on UCMR program
requirements for PWSs, States, and EPA Regions who are responsible for UCMR
;==-:= -f. program planning, implementation, and oversight. All documents are available by
calling the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791, or by viewing it on
EPA's UCMR Web site: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ucmr.html.
Please note: 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. For this reason, EPA will issue supplemental guidance to
owners and operators of small public water systems explaining any new requirements. EPA
anticipates developing supplemental guidance after analytical methods are approved for monitoring
the UCMR (1999) List 2 and 3 contaminants in subsequent rules.
Guidance Documents
1. Implementation Guide for Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule:
\blume I - Introduction to CDX and UCMR Submission
\blume II - Web Forms
Volume m - [not relevant to UCMR1
\blume IV - XML Standards for Submitting Data
\blume V - Flat File Format
Forthcoming
This five volume document provides detailed information on how to use the EPA Central Data
Exchange and the Safe Drinking Water Accession and Review System for the UCMR. This
guidance is available on the Web at: http://epacdx.Imi.org/FAO.asp.
2. UCMR (1999} List 1 and List 2 Chemical Analytical Methods Quality Control Manual
EPA815-R-01-028
This document replaces the UCMR Analytical Methods and Quality Control Manual and
Supplements, and adds the new analytical methods QC information from UCMR (1999) List 2.
3. Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation Guidance for Operators of Public Water
Systems Serving 10.000 or Fewer People
EPA815-R-01-002
This document identifies the sampling and reporting responsibilities of small PWSs selected
to participate in the Assessment Monitoring component of the UCMR. This guidance also
highlights important changes in the UCMR which reduce the monetary and administrative
burden on small PWSs. Please Note: A draft of this document was released for public
comment as EPA 815-R-99-005, and a subsequent final document was released with the
number EPA 815-R-00-018. This final guidance document is being released with the number
EPA 815-R-01-002, and replaces the previous versions.
D-l
-------
UCMR Reporting Guidance November 2001
Fact Sheets
1. Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation: Monitoring for List 1 Contaminants by Large
Public Water Systems
EPA815-F-01-003
This is a fact sheet for large public water systems which provides a brief overview of their
responsibilities in implementing the Assessment Monitoring portion of the UCMR.
2. Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation: Monitoring for List 1 Contaminants by Small
Public Water Systems
EPA815-F-01-004
This is a fact sheet for small public water systems which provides a brief overview of their
responsibilities in implementing the Assessment Monitoring portion of the UCMR.
3. Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation: Screening Survey for List 2 Contaminants by
Selected Large Public Water Systems
EPA815-F-01-005
This is a fact sheet for large public water systems which provides a brief overview of their
responsibilities in implementing the Screening Survey portion of the UCMR.
4. Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation: Screening Survey for List 2 Contaminants by
Selected Small Public Water Systems
EPA815-F-01-006
This is a fact sheet for small public water systems which provides a brief overview of their
responsibilities in implementing the Screening Survey portion of the UCMR.
D-2
------- |