United States Environmental Protection Office of Water EPA 815-F-98-005 Agency 4607 January 1998 4>EPA ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR CERTAIN PESTICIDES AND MICROBIAL CONTAMINANTS:HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROPOSED RULE Fact Sheet The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revises or replaces compliance methods for measurement of contaminants in drinking water based on user suggestions, changing regulatory needs and improvements in technology In this rule, EPA is proposing to approve the use of a new membrane filter medium known as MI Agar for the simultaneous detection of total coliform and E. coli. The new medium developed by EPA enables simultaneous detection of total coliform and E. coli because of their ability to form a fluorescent and blue product respectively on this medium. EPA is also proposing to amend the Surface Water Treatment Regulation to make the current recommendation to ship microbiological samples below 10°C a requirement. The proposed change will reduce changes in microbial densities during transit and storage, and render the method consistent with the Standard Method 9060B In addition, EPA is proposing to approve a revised method, EPA 5153, for acid herbicides; EPA will not withdraw approval of EPA Methods 515 1 or 515 2 for determination of acid herbicides because these methods are not obsolete. EPA is proposing to withdraw approval of Method 549 1 for diquat and replace it with an improved version, Method 549.2 Withdrawal of Method 549 I will be effective 18 months after promulgation of a final rule that would approve Method ~ 549 2 for diquat. EPA is also proposing an ASTM method (D5317-93) for acid herbicides provided quality control limits specified in EPA Method 515 1 are met EPA is proposing to amend the certification regulations to clarify the drinking water parameters for which a laboratory must be approved rather than certified by the State Another amendment will require a laboratory to successfully analyze a PE sample for each method for which the laboratory seeks certification The amendment would clarify the original intent of requiring a certification document to describe both the analyte and approved method covered by the document. The drinking water industry is expected to favor this rulemaking Analytical laboratories will particularly welcome the option to use the modern technologies and procedures that are contained in the new methods For more information, contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, 1 (800) 426-4791 ------- |