SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

The Standardized Monitoring Framework:
A Quick Reference Guide
Overview of the Framework
Title*
The Standardized Monitoring Framework (SMF), promulgated in the
Phase II Rule on January 30, 1991 (56 FR 3526).
Purpose
To standardize, simplify, and consolidate monitoring requirements across contaminant
groups. The SMF increases public health protection by simplifying monitoring plans and
synchronizing monitoring schedules leading to increased compliance with monitoring
requirements.
General
Description
The SMF reduces the variability within monitoring requirements for chemical and
radiological contaminants across system sizes and types.
This document provides a summary of federal drinking water requirements; to ensure full compliance,
please consult the federal regulations at 40 CFR 141 and any approved state requirements.
Additional Requirements
The SMF outlined on these pages summarizes existing systems' ongoing federal monitoring
requirements only. Primacy agencies have the flexibility to issue waivers, with EPA approval, which take
into account regional and state specific characteristics and concerns. To determine exact monitoring
requirements, the SMF must be used in conjunction with any EPA approved waiver and additional
requirements as determined by the primacy agency.
New water systems may have different and additional requirements as determined by the primacy
agency.
SMF Benefits
For additional information:
Call the Safe Drinking Water
Hotline at 1-800-426-4791; visit
the EPA web site at
http://water.eDa.aov/drink
or contact your primacy
agency's drinking water
representatives.
See 40 CFR 141.23 regarding
lOCs; 40 CFR 141.24
regarding VOCs and SOCs;
and 40 CFR 141.26 regarding
Radionuclides.
Implementation of the SMF results in . . .
~	Increased public health protection through monitoring consistency.
~	A reduction in the complexity of water quality monitoring from a technical and managerial
perspective for both primacy agencies and water systems.
~	Equalizing of resource expenditures for monitoring and vulnerability assessments.
~	Increased water system compliance with monitoring requirements.
Regulated Contaminants
Inorganic
Contaminants (lOCs)
Fifteen (15)
(Nitrate, Nitrite, total
Nitrate/ Nitrite, and
Asbestos are exceptions
to SMF)
Synthetic Organic
Contaminants (SOCs)
&
Volatile Organic
Contaminants (VOCs)
Fifty-One (51)
Radionuclides
Four (4)
Utilitie
s Covered
All PWSs
Nitrate
Nitrite
CWSs
lOCs
SOCS
VOCs
Radionuclides
NTNCWSs
lOCs
SOCS
VOCs
Office of Water (4606M)
EPA 816-F-04-01Q
http://w3ter.epa.aov/drink
March 2004

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STANDARDIZED MONITORING FRAMEWORK
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Groundwater (Below Trigger Level)
Waiver2
No Waiver
Waiver2

I * | * i * | * i * i * i * n
No Waiver
Reliably and Consistently < MCL for Groundwater Systems
^ Groundwater and Surface Water (Above Trigger Level)3
Reliably and Consistently < MCL for Surface Water Systems
> MCL or Not Reliably and Consistently < MCL
U4
Waiver
X
X
X
X
X
X
< Detect and No Waiver
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I Waiver
X
X
X
X
X
X
< Detect and No Waiver
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Reliably and Consistently < MCL4
Detect or Not Reliably and Consistently < MCL
< Detect, Vulnerability Assessment, and Waiver5
No Waiver6


| < Detect, Vulnerability Assessment, and Waiver7
X
X
X
X
X
X
| No Waiver8
*
* *
* *
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*


| Reliably and Consistently < MCL4
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
| > Detect or Not Reliably and Consistently < MCL
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****

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STANDARDIZED MONITORING FRAMEWORK
Second Cycle
2nd Period
Third Cycle
2nd Period
3rd Period
Period
1st Period
3rd Period
CWSs & NTNCWSs
> 1/2 MCL
Groundwater Reliably and Consistently < MCL9
Surface Water with 4 Quarters of Results < 1/2 MCL9
TNCWSs
Standard Monitoring
< 1/2 MCL
Reliably and Consistently < MCL9
> 1/2 MCL or not Reliably and Consistently < MCL
< Detection Level
> Detection Level but < 1/2 MCL
> 1/2 MCL but < MCL
> MCL
**** **** ****
Waiver
No Waiver, Reliably and Consistently < MCL, or vulnerable
to asbestos contamination10
> MCL
Legend
* = 1 sample at each entry point to distribution system (EPTDS).
** = 2 quarterly samples at each EPTDS. Samples must be taken
during 1 calendar year during each 3-year compliance period.
**** = 4 quarterly samples at each EPTDS within time frame
designated by the primacy agency.
X = No sampling required unless required by the primacy agency.
# = Systems must monitor at a frequency specified by the primacy
agency.
! = When allowed by the primacy agency, data collected between
June 2000 and December 6, 2003 may be grandfathered to satisfy
the initial monitoring requirements due in 2004 for gross alpha,
radium 226/228, and uranium.
1Until January 22, 2006 the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic is 50 (jg/L; on January 23, 2006 the MCL for arsenic becomes 10 (jg/L.
2Based on 3 rounds of monitoring at each EPTDS with all analytical results below the MCL. Waivers are not permitted under the current arsenic
requirements, however systems are eligible for arsenic waivers after January 23, 2006.
3A system with a sampling point result above the MCL must collect quarterly samples, at that sampling point, until the system is determined by the primacy agency to be reliably
and consistently below the MCL.
4Samples must be taken during the quarter which previously resulted in the highest analytical result. Systems can apply for a waiver after 3
consecutive annual sampling results are below the detection limit.
Groundwater systems must update their vulnerability assessments during the time the waiver is effective. Primacy agencies must re-confirm that
the system is non-vulnerable within 3 years of the initial determination or the system must return to annual sampling.
6lf all monitoring results during initial quarterly monitoring are less than the detection limit, the system can take annual samples. If after a minimum of 3 years of annual sampling
with all analytical results less than the detectection limit, the primacy agency can allow a system to take 1 sample during each compliance period. Systems are also eligible for a
waiver.
7Primacy agencies must determine that a surface water system is non-vulnerable based on a vulnerability assessment during each compliance
period or the system must return to annual sampling.
8lf all monitoring results during initial quarterly monitoring are less than the detection limit, the system can take annual samples. Systems are also
eligible for a waiver.
'Samples must be taken during the quarter which previously resulted in the highest analytical result.
10Systems are required to monitor for asbestos during the first 3-year compliance period of each 9-year compliance cycle. A system vulnerable to
asbestos contamination due solely to corrosion of asbestos-cement pipe must take 1 sample at a tap served by that pipe. A system vulnerable to
asbestos contamination at the source must sample at each EPTDS.

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