SAFE
DRINKING
WATER HOTLINE
Fiscal Year 2008
Annual Report
October 2007 - September 2008
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Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Hotline Annual Statistics Summary 2
Annual Trends 5
Questions and Answers 8
Federal Register Summaries 12
Hotline Annual Statistics 19
Addendum: Fiscal Year 2008 Fourth Quarter Statistics 21
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
National Toll-free No.: (800) 426-4791
See past monthly reports at
http ://www. epa.gov/safewater/hotline
For More Information Contact:
Harriet Hubbard, EPA Project Officer (202) 564-4621
Operated by The Track Group / Booz Allen Hamilton
Under Contract #GS-23F-0135N/1140
EPA DISCLAIMER
Answers to questions in all Safe Drinking Water Hotline quarterly and annual reports are intended to be purely informational and
are based on SDWA provisions, EPA regulations, guidance, and established policy effective at the time of publication. The
answers given reflect EPA staffs best judgment at the time and do not represent a final or official EPA interpretation. This
report does not substitute for the applicable provisions of statutes and regulations, guidance, etc., nor is it a regulation itself.
Thus, it does not impose legally-binding requirements on EPA, States, or the regulated community. An answer to a question in
this report may be revised at any time to reflect EPA's revisions to existing regulations, changes in EPA's approach to
interpreting its regulations or statutory authority, or for other reasons. EPA may provide a different answer to a question in this
report in the future.
Also, an answer provided in this report may not apply to a particular situation based upon the circumstances. Any decisions
regarding a particular case 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 an answer in this report to a particular situation, and
EPA will consider whether or not the recommendations or interpretations in the answer are accurate and appropriate in that
situation. The information in this report is not intended, nor can it be relied upon, to create any rights enforceable by any party in
litigation with the United States.
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Introduction
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the national law that ensures the quality of America's drinking
water and furthers EPA's mission to protect human health and safeguard the environment. The Act, as
amended in 1996, requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide atoll-free hotline
that consumers can call to obtain accurate and real-time information about annual water quality reports
and drinking water contaminants (42 U.S.C. 300g-3, Section (4)(A) and (4)(B)). The Safe Drinking
Water (SOW) Hotline, operated by Booz Allen Hamilton, provides this essential public outreach service
for EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW), the office that is responsible for
implementing the SDWA. The Hotline also answers questions about federal drinking water regulations
and standards, source water protection, and the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. In fiscal
year 2008 (FY 2008), the Hotline responded to 9,141 phone calls and 751 e-mails generated through
the Enterprise Customer Service Solution (ECSS), which resulted in more than 17,000 questions.
The questions came from a diverse audience including public water systems (PWSs), federal, state and
local governments, businesses, and citizens.
The SOW Hotline's staff of drinking water regulatory experts responded to an average of 36 questions
from callers each operating day of FY 2008, providing real-time assistance to Hotline users' questions
regarding regulatory and policy clarifications, document requests, and referrals for additional sources of
information. Questions were received from federal and state officials, non-governmental organizations,
local public water system operators, and consumers, among others. Additionally, Spanish-speaking staff
responded to more than 164 requests for drinking water information from Spanish-speaking individuals.
Information Specialists recommended thousands of documents and processed requests for hard copies,
provided over 6,900 referrals to relevant agencies and organizations (when inquirers required information
beyond the purview of the Hotline), and drafted 21 formal Questions and Answers and 38 Federal
Register summaries.
The Hotline's mission of providing quality technical assistance continues to be enhanced through
technological advances and operational improvements. The SOW Hotline phone system offers callers
several self-serve options intended to provide useful information and reduce the hold time required to
reach an Information Specialist. During this fiscal year, over 8,000 callers opted to hear recorded
messages about consumer confidence reports (CCRs), local drinking water quality and tap water testing
for public water system (PWS) customers, and drinking water quality and tap water testing for household
well owners. The phone system also provides an option for direct transfers to the Water System's
Council Wellcare Hotline for callers seeking information on private household wells. More than 2,400
callers utilized this option.
In order to provide real-time outreach service to water professionals, regulators, and the general public,
the Hotline must maintain the most current information and consistently strive to understand each caller's
needs and interests. The SOW Hotline report, Water Lines, is published in response to those needs.
Water Lines contains typical questions answered by Hotline staff, abstracts of pertinent Federal Register
entries, call and ECSS question and comment statistics, and caller profiles. The FY 2008 Safe Drinking
Water Hotline Annual Report is a review of the cumulative statistics, trend analyses, questions and
answers, and Federal Register summaries gathered from the Water Lines reports.
Note: Booz Allen Hamilton produces three quarterly issues of Water Lines. Information from the fourth
quarter of each fiscal year is incorporated into an annual report, which is a cumulative review of the fiscal
year. This annual report includes an addendum of statistics for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year.
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Hotline Annual Statistics Summary
The Safe Drinking Water Hotline answers questions, via telephone and through the ECSS application, related to
the Safe Drinking Water Act and the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. The Hotline previously
responded to questions through e-mail but discontinued the practice in favor of ECSS. ECSS is an interactive
knowledge base, accessible through the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water's Web site, that allows Web
users the opportunity to search for answers to common questions or to submit a question to the Hotline. Hotline
Information Specialists also assist customers in accessing relevant regulations, Federal Register notices, and EPA
guidance documents, via Internet and in hard copy, and by providing helpful referrals for questions beyond the
Hotline's purview. The Hotline offers its services in both English and Spanish. During FY 2008, there were
more than 190,000 hits on the Safe Drinking Water ECSS Interface. In addition, the Hotline responded to
9,141 telephone calls, and 751 questions and comments (i.e., ECSS questions and comments). A single call
often generates multiple questions, and a total of 17,106 questions from callers were answered by the Hotline
in FY 2008. Detailed statistics of the breakdown in type of callers and the topics of questions asked are included
in the Hotline Annual Statistics section of this report on page 19.
Telephone Calls and Electronic Correspondence Comparison: The telephone call and electronic
correspondence volumes for FY 2008 are lower than the total volumes received during FY 2007. This is possibly
attributed to the continual increase in the use of the Internet to obtain documents and general information as well
as increased familiarity with consumer confidence reporting and a decrease in significant regulatory development
over the past year.
Contact Mode
Calls
ECSS Generated E-mails
Total
FY 2008
9,141
751
9,892
FY 2007
10,016
851
10,867
The following chart illustrates the distribution of calls and electronic correspondence in FY 2008, compared to FY
2007. The total number of calls peaked in June and July due to the annual distribution of consumer confidence
reports.
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Annual Report
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
Distribution of Calls and Electronic Correspondence
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Caller Profiles: As illustrated by the chart below, the Hotline serves a diverse group of customers. Of the more
than 9,000 calls received during the FY 2008, the largest category of Hotline customers, by far, are citizens
who obtain their drinking water from public water systems. Citizens are followed by private household well
owners, PWS operators, consultants, government officials, individuals who communicated with Hotline staff in
Spanish, and academic institutions. The "other" category in the chart below includes analytical laboratories,
people who accessed the Hotline from other countries, environmental groups, medical professionals, and news
media representatives.
Caller Pro file
•D-W7
PWS
| Consul
[Other
Governmen
^J Spanish Spe
1 Schools
izen -
e Wells
Operators
tants
akers
PLH
1000 2000 3000 4000
Number of Callers
5000
6000
7000
-3-
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
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Annual Report
Top Ten Referrals: Referrals are often provided when questions require input from state regulators, local water
systems, not-for-profit organizations, or other federal agencies. In FY 2008, the Hotline provided 6,921 referrals,
to a variety of organization/offices including local water systems, state laboratory certification offices, and state
drinking water programs. The top ten referrals are displayed below.
Referrals Frequently Provided by the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
5
£
| Local Water System
Stale Laboratory Certification
nffj^r
NSF/WQA/UL
| EPA Internet
FDA/IBWA
IAGWT/WSC
Other
| Local Public Health
| Other Hotlines
200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Number of Referrals
1400
1600 1800
2000
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
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Annual Report
Top Ten Caller Topics: Year after year, certain issues, such as consumer confidence reports, local drinking
water quality, and tap water testing, consistently top the list of the most frequently discussed topics at the Safe
Drinking Water Hotline. The most prevalent and consistent theme of questions received at the Hotline was
citizens' concern for their home drinking water. The table below lists the ten topics that were most frequently
discussed with Hotline callers during FY 2008.
Topic
Questions
Percent of Total
Caller Questions*
Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
Local Drinking Water Quality
Tap Water Testing
Home Water Treatment Units
Lead
Maximum Contaminant Levels
Conforms
Other/Background
Public Notification
Complaints About PWSs
1,887
1,804
1,503
995
792
758
746
704
632
585
11%
11%
9%
6%
5%
4%
4%
4%
4%
3%
*Callers asked a total of 17,106 questions.
Annual Trends
The Hotline staff gathers general statistical data on the calls to which it responds. These data, combined with the
staff members' insight and observations, often provide a unique opportunity to identify and analyze trends in the
number and types of Hotline inquiries. One statistic of interest is that even though the Hotline answered less calls
and ECSS e-mails in FY 2008, the Hotline responded to more questions. One reason more questions are being
asked per contact (call or ECSS e-mail) is that the general public is more educated on drinking water issues,
which can lead to more interest and more questions on drinking water topics.
Fiscal Year Comparison of Contacts and Questions
1R 000
14 000
. 12 000
OJ
S 10 000
E o nnn
"2. c nnn
D,UUU
A nnn
j nnn
n
nCalls/ECSS E-mails
D Questions
Fiscal Year 2007
Fiscal year 2008
Fiscal Year
-5-
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
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Annual Report
Lead Questions: Questions about lead in drinking water are consistently among the most frequently asked
questions of the Safe Drinking Water Hotline. During FY08, callers continued to show concern for lead in
drinking water. The total number of lead related questions were higher in FY08 (790 questions) than FY07 (767
questions), which may be attributed to a new requirement being implemented in FY08 that all consumer
confidence reports must include a short information statement about lead in drinking water and its effects on
children.
Lead Questions by Month
(/)
X
o
o
•o
i
S 00
z
n
1 — 1
—
• —
Oct-07 Nov-07 Dec-07 Jan-08 Feb-08 Mar-08 Apr-08 May-08 Jun-08 Jul-08 Aug-08 Sep-08
Month
General Trends: The top five most common question topics, as illustrated in the chart below, increase during
CCR season. Questions about CCRs, lead, local drinking water quality, home water treatment units, and tap
water testing spike during that period as consumers' attention is directed to their drinking water by the annual
report.
Topic Trend
600
500 -
<» 400 - -
-•-Lead
—D—Consumer Confidence Report
—A—Home Water Treatment Units
—X—Local Drinking Water Quality
X Tap Water Testing
300
o
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ECSS Use Trends: Over the past three years, the use of EPA's Enterprise Customer Service Solution has steadily
grown. The chart below details the number of sessions initiated during each of the past three fiscal years. A
session is defined as the use of the end-user page (i.e., using the FAQ search page). A session ends when the end-
user submits a question to the Hotline , leaves the FAQ search pages, or a two hour period of time has elapsed,
which ever comes first. Even though the number of sessions has increased each year from FY06 to FY08, the
number of questions submitted to the Hotline through ECSS has decreased each year. The Hotline received 920
ECSS submitted questions in FY06, 851 in FY07, and 751 in FY08. This trend may be due to the fact that the
public is finding the answers they need through the ECSS system. Thus, as more and more sessions are initiated
each year by a public relying more on the Internet for answers, the Hotline is not receiving a correlating increase
in the number of submitted questions.
Safe Drinking Water ECSS Interface Sessions
1 cnnnn
to 1 4nnnn .
o
's 1 9nnnn -
to
Q 4 nnnnn
*5r
o annnn .
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Annual Report
Questions and Answers
The following questions and answers, organized by
subject, represent the range of questions addressed by the
Hotline on a variety of topics. These questions were
included in FY 2008 quarterly Hotline reports. Questions
addressed during the fourth quarter of FY 2008 are noted
with an asterisk (*) and were not included in any previous
reports.
General Information
Q: A community water system exceeds the secondary
maximum contaminant level (SMCL) for fluoride. Can
the system provide the annual Tier 3 public notification in
the consumer confidence report (CCR)?
A: The notice deadline for Tier 3 violations is 12 months,
allowing a single annual report where applicable.
Systems may choose to include this notice in their annual
CCR. Community water systems that exceed the SMCL
of 2 mg/1 for fluoride but do not exceed the MCL of 4
mg/1 must include special fluoride language in the annual
report. Primacy agencies may require earlier initial
notification or more frequent repeat notification on a case-
by-case basis.
Q: Does EPA have opportunities for operator certification
training for Tribes and Tribal water system operators?
A: EPA has posted a Web site that presents a list of
training opportunities that may be of interest to Tribes and
Tribal water system operators. Operators can click on a
region to learn about training opportunities that are
available in the upcoming months. There is also an
option to click on Online/Correspondence Training
Opportunities for a summary of online opportunities
available nationwide. Certified operators should check
with the organization that certified them to make sure the
training selected counts toward their CEUs. This list
includes trainings that are not sponsored by EPA and may
have fees associated with them. This Web site is updated
quarterly and available at
www. epa. gov/safewater/tribal/training. html
Q: Does EPA have a program to simplify the process of
preparing a Public Notification (PN)?
A: To assist water systems in developing a PN, EPA has
developed the PN iWriter program, which allows water
systems to input data and generate Public Notifications
that are compliant with federal regulations. The tool also
allows the user to insert and edit EPA recommended text.
The PN iWriter is a web-based tool and is intended for
use by those systems with internet access. There is no CD
available. PN iWriter is available at www.pniwriter.org.
Q: What distance does EPA recommend between a
household drinking water well and a septic system?
A: Due to the presence of nitrates and bacteria in septic
tanks, EPA recommends a distance of at least 50 feet
between a newly constructed well and a septic system. In
addition, household owners should contact local and state
health departments for regulations and guidance on
placement and construction of private wells (Drinking
Water from Household Wells, EPA816-K-02-003, January
2002). Additional information on household wells is
available at www.epa.gov/safewater/privatewells.
Q: How is the drinking water aboard cruise ships
regulated?
A: Cruise ships operating under the American flag using
domestic waters must comply with federal drinking water
regulations and, if pertinent, state drinking water
regulations. These vessels are considered interstate
carrier conveyances comparable to airlines or railroads.
Cruise ships that sail in international waters are under the
purview of the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program.
Information about the Vessel Sanitation Program is
available at www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/default.htm.
Q: What is the Check Up Program for Small Systems
(CUPSS)?
A: CUPSS is a free desktop program developed by EPA
to facilitate and prioritize asset management for small
systems. The user-friendly desktop program requires no
internet connection and minimal software. Water systems
can use the CUPSS program to integrate asset
management activities into utility practices. CUPSS and
resources for using the program are available at
www. epa. gov/cupss.
Q: During a boil water advisory, the Center for Disease
Control (CDC) Web site recommends cleaning and
sanitizing food preparation equipment, tableware, and
utensils with commercially-bottled water, water hauled
from an approved public water system, water from a
licensed drinking water hauler truck, or water that has
been disinfected for Cryptosporidium through boiling. If
tableware has been washed with water contaminated with
Cryptosporidium, can the tableware then be microwaved
to ensure deactivation of the microorganism that may be
left on the tableware?
A: The research on microwave effectiveness for
inactivating Cryptosporidium is inconclusive; however,
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more studies show that it is ineffective. It is
recommended to follow the CDC tableware cleaning
guidelines, which include washing dishes with boiled
water.
Q: During a boil water advisory or other disaster that
may cause tap water to be unsafe to drink, can water from
a swimming pool or water bed be used for drinking?
A: Water from swimming pools and water beds should
not be for drinking because it may contain harmful
contaminants. Sources of water than can be used in
emergencies include bottled water, ice cubes, rainwater
collected in food grade containers and then boiled, and
water collected from hot water heaters or toilet tanks (not
the bowl) and then boiled (Disaster Readiness Fact Kit;
Emergency Drinking Water Treatment, NSF
International).
*Q: The 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act established the
Public Water System Supervision (PWSS) Program, the
Underground Injection Control (UIC) program, and the
Sole Source Aquifer (SSA) program. Can the
implementation and enforcement of the Sole Source
Aquifer program be delegated to states like the PWSS and
UIC programs?
A: No. The Sole Source Aquifer program is not a
regulatory program and is not available for delegation.
Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts
Q: In the economic analysis background document for
the Stage 2 Disinfection and Disinfectant Byproducts
Rule, why is there a 0 (zero) delta for the Ozone Predicted
Installations CWS Surface Water Plants between post-
Stage 1 and post-Stage 2?
A: EPA predicted that no systems would change only to
ozone to comply with the Stage 2 rule, as there were less
costly alternatives available and EPA makes its
predictions based on least cost. However, EPA predicts
that 1.7% of surface water systems serving at least 10,000
people and 1.3% of surface water systems serving less
than 10,000 would switch to alternative disinfectants and
GAC (either 10 or 20). Alternative disinfectants include
both ozone and UV, among others.
Q: Is there a requirement to include Initial Distribution
System Evaluation (IDSE) monitoring results for TTHMs
and HAA5s in the CCR?
A: Yes. The system is required to include individual
sample results for the IDSE when determining the range
of TTHM and HAAS results to be reported in the annual
consumer confidence report for the calendar year that the
IDSE samples were taken (40 CFR 141.153(d)(4)(iv)(C)).
However, the IDSE standard monitoring results are not to
be used to determine compliance with the MCLs (71 FR
388, 420; January 4, 2006).
Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment
Q: The Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment
Rule (LT2ESWTR) requires all public waters systems
that use surface water or ground water under the direct
influence of surface water to monitor their source water
for Cryptosporidium (40 CFR 141.701). Are community
water systems that are monitoring Crypto sporidium as
part of the LT2ESWTR required to include the results in
the consumer confidence report?
A: Yes. Community Water Systems are required to
include the results of source water monitoring for
Cryptosporidium in their consumer confidence report
(Complying with the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface
Water Treatment Rule: Small Entity Compliance Guide,
EPA815-R-07-015; February 2007).
*Q: Public water systems that filter their water and serve
fewer than 10,000 people must sample their source water
for E. coli (or state-approved alternate indicator, see 40
CFR 141.701(a)(5)) or notify the State that it will monitor
for Cryptosporidium rather than E. coli (40 CFR
141.701(a)(3)). Systems sampling for E. coli will be
required to conduct source water Cryptosporidium
sampling if the annual mean concentration of their E. coli
sampling is greater than 10 E. coli/lQQ mL, for systems
using lake/reservoir sources, or greater than 50 E. coli/100
mL, for systems using flowing stream sources (40 CFR
141.701(a)(4). How is the annual mean calculated to
determine if a water system, conducting E. Coli sampling,
is required to conduct Cryptosporidium sampling?
A: To determine the annual mean, the results of all the
samples for 12 months (one sample at least every two
weeks) are added together. The sum is then divided by
the total number of samples (Complying with the Long
Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule: Small
Entity Compliance Guide, EPA815-R-07-015, May 2008).
Arsenic
Q: Did the Arsenic and Clarifications to Compliance and
New Source Contaminants Monitoring Final Rule (66 FR
6976; January 22,2001) modify compliance determination
protocol for lOCs, SOCs, and VOCs?
A: Yes. The compliance determination protocol was
modified in this rulemaking to provide consistency for all
lOCs, SOCs and VOCs. However, an editorial oversight
in the publication of this rule resulted in the retention of
language for IOC compliance determination in the Code
of Federal Regulations at 40 CFR 141.23(i)(2) that does
not reflect the intentions of the agency. EPA intends to
consistently implement compliance determinations for
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lOCs, SOCs, and VOCs, as described in the preamble of
the final rule (66 FR 6976, 6990) (Implementation
Guidance for the Arsenic Rule Drinking Water
Regulations for Arsenic and Clarifications to Compliance
and New Source Contaminants Monitoring, EPA816-K-
02-018; August 2002).
Lead
Q: What are the basic requirements of the final National
Primary Drinking Water Regulations for Lead and
Copper: Short-Term Regulatory Revisions and
Clarifications (72 FR 57782; October 10, 2007)?
A: The 2007 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions have four
basic requirements: 1) require water suppliers to optimize
their treatment system to control corrosion in customer's
plumbing; 2) determine tap water levels of lead and
copper for customers who have lead service lines or lead-
based solder in their plumbing system; 3) rule out the
source water as a source of significant lead levels; and 4)
if lead action levels are exceeded, require the suppliers to
educate their customers about lead and also to suggest
actions they can take to reduce their exposure to lead
through public notices and public education programs.
Q: Is my water system required to provide me with the
results when they test my tap water for lead?
A: While many water utilities indicate that they provide
the results of monitoring to customers, there was
previously no requirement in the regulations for them to
do so. As a result of the 2007 Lead and Copper Rule
Revisions, all utilities must now provide a notification of
tap water monitoring results for lead to owners and/or
occupants of homes and buildings who consume water
from the taps that are part of the utility's sampling
program. Within 30 days of learning the results, all
systems must provide individual lead tap results to people
who receive water from sites that were sampled,
regardless of whether the results exceed the lead action
level, as required by 40 CFR 141.85(d).
Q: A water system is on reduced monitoring for lead and
copper. If this system adds new or revised treatment,
must the system resume lead and copper sampling as a
new system?
A: The State may require a system to resume sampling
and collect the number of samples specified for standard
monitoring or take other appropriate steps such as
increased water quality parameter monitoring or re-
evaluation of its corrosion control treatment (40 CFR
Q: Does the Lead and Copper: Short-Term Regulatory
Revisions and Clarifications, Final Rule (72 FR 57782;
October 10, 2007) require community water systems
(CWSs) to include an informational statement about lead
in their consumer confidence report (CCR)?
A: Yes. EPA is now requiring that all CWSs include an
informational statement about lead in their CCR (40 CFR
141.154(d)). Previously, only CWSs that detected lead
above the action level in more than five percent of the
homes sampled and up to and including 10 percent of
homes, had to include an informational statement in their
CCRs (72 FR 57782, 57794; October 10, 2007).
Q: What issues did EPA consider before deciding to
require that all water systems include educational lead
information in their CCRs?
A: Because exposure to lead can be a localized
phenomenon the rule was revised based on concerns that
exposure to lead may be taking place, even though the
action level is not exceeded. Consumers may not have
been receiving sufficient information on how to reduce
their exposure to lead. Furthermore, in the situation
where there has been a lead action level exceedance,
public education materials may not be delivered
immediately. Vulnerable populations could potentially
drink water with high levels of lead for months before
knowing of the risk. Previous versions of the LCMR
mandated that all water systems which detected lead
above the action level in more than 5 percent of the
homes sampled had to include a short informational
notice about lead in their CCR. The 2007 revisions
require all CWSs provide information in their CCRs on
lead in drinking water. This short statement will be
educational in nature and help to ensure that all
vulnerable populations or their caregivers receive
information concerning how to reduce their risk to lead in
drinking water. The new language is intended to help
consumers understand the health effects associated with
lead, that lead levels can vary from home to home, that
they can take steps to reduce their exposure, and provide
them with a source for further information (72 FR 57782,
57794; October 10, 2007).
Q: The 2007 Lead and Copper revisions require all
community water systems to include lead information in
their consumer confidence reports (CCRs) (72 FR 57782;
October 10, 2007). Must a water system use the lead
statement in 40 CFR 141.154(d)(l) in their CCR or can
they incorporate their own language?
A: Systems may write their own educational statements,
but only after consulting with the State (40 CFR
141.154(d)(2).
*Q: The prohibition on use of lead pipes, solder, and
flux, most commonly called the lead-ban, requires that no
person may use any pipe, any pipe or plumbing fitting or
fixture, any solder, or any flux after June 19, 1986 in the
installation or repair of any public water system or any
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
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plumbing in a residential or nonresidential facility
providing water for human consumption that is not lead
free (SDWA §1417(a)(l)(A)). How is the lead-ban
enforced?
A: The lead-ban is enforced by the states through state or
local plumbing codes, or such other means of
enforcement as the State may determine appropriate
(SDWA §1417(b)(l)). States not enforcing these
requirement are subject to EPA withholding up to 5
percent of federal funds available to the state for state
program grants (SDWA §1417(c)).
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Federal Register Summaries
FINAL RULES
"National Primary Drinking Water Regulations:
Ground Water Rule; Final Rule"
November 8,2007 (71 FR 65574)
EPA promulgated a National Primary Drinking Water
Regulation, the Ground Water Rule, to provide for
increased protection against microbial pathogens in public
water systems that use ground water sources. The Ground
Water Rule establishes a risk-targeted approach to target
ground water systems that are susceptible to fecal
contamination, instead of requiring disinfection for all
ground water systems. The occurrence of fecal indicators
in a drinking water supply is an indication of the potential
presence of microbial pathogens that may pose a threat to
public health. This rule requires ground water systems
that are at risk of fecal contamination to take corrective
action to reduce cases of illnesses and deaths due to
exposure to microbial pathogens. A key objective of the
rule is to protect public health by requiring these higher
risk ground water sources to monitor and, when
necessary, take corrective action. Corrective action can
include correcting all significant deficiencies; providing
an alternate source of water; eliminating the source of
contamination; or providing treatment that reliably
achieves at least 99.99 percent (4-log) treatment of
viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a state-approved
combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) for
each contaminated ground water source.
This final rule was effective on January 8, 2008.
"Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
(UCMR) for Public Water Systems Revisions; Final
Rule"
January 4,2008 (72 FR 367)
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in
1996, requires EPA to establish criteria for a program to
monitor unregulated contaminants and to publish a list of
contaminants to be monitored every five years. EPA
published the first set of contaminants in 1999. This final
regulation meets the SDWA requirement by publishing
the next set of unregulated contaminants to be monitored
and the requirements for such monitoring.
This final rule describes the design for the second
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
(UCMR) cycle (i.e., UCMR 2) of 2008-2011. EPA is
requiring monitoring of 25 chemicals using 5 different
analytical methods. UCMR 2 monitoring will occur
during 2008-2010. Implementation of this final rule will
benefit the environment by providing EPA and other
interested parties with scientifically valid data on the
occurrence of these contaminants in drinking water,
thereby permitting the assessment of the population
potentially being exposed and the levels of that exposure.
These data are the primary source of occurrence and
exposure data for EPA to determine whether to regulate
these contaminants.
The effective date for this action is February 5, 2008.
"Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the
Analysis of Pollutants Under the Clean Water Act;
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations; and
National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations;
Analysis and Sampling Procedures; Final Rule"
March 12,2008 (72 FR 11199)
This rule modifies the testing procedures approved for
analysis and sampling under the Clean Water Act and
Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA proposed these changes
for public comment on August 18, 2003, and April 6,
2004. This rule also changes regulations under the Safe
Drinking Water Act that establish drinking water
sampling and analysis procedures. The changes include
approval of vendor-developed methods, new EPA and
Voluntary Consensus Standard Body (VCSB) methods,
updated VCSB methods, and approval of a modification
to the test kit used with Syngenta Method AG-625 that
restricts its use in certain circumstances.
CORRECTIONS
"National Primary Drinking Water Regulations:
Ground Water Rule; Correction"
November 21,2007 (71 FR 67427)
This rule made corrections to the table of analytical
methods for source water monitoring in the Ground Water
Rule.
"Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
(UCMR) for Public Water Systems Revisions;
Correction"
January 26,2008 (72 FR 3916)
EPA published this correction to the UCMR 2 for Table 1
in40CFR141.40(a)(3).
"Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
(UCMR) for Public Water Systems Revisions"
January 30,2008 (72 FR 4328)
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EPA published a correction to the billing code that
appeared in the Friday, January 26, 2008 correction
notice.
PROPOSED RULES
"Drinking Water: Regulatory Determinations
Regarding Contaminants on the Second Drinking
Water Contaminant Candidate List—Preliminary
Determinations; Proposed Rule"
May 1,2008 (72 FR 24015)
This action presents the preliminary regulatory
determinations for 11 of the 51 contaminants listed on the
Contaminant Candidate List 2 and describes the
supporting rationale for each. The preliminary
determination is that a national primary drinking water
regulation is not appropriate for any of the 11
contaminants considered for regulatory determinations.
EPA seeks comment on these 11 preliminary
determinations. Although EPA has not made a
preliminary determination for perchlorate, this action
provides an update on EPA's evaluation of perchlorate.
EPA also requests public comment on the information and
the options that EPA is considering in evaluating
perchlorate, and welcomes the submission of relevant,
new information or data that may assist EPA in its
regulatory determination.
Comments were to be received by July 2, 2008.
NOTICES
"National Drinking Water Advisory Council: Request
for Nominations"
October 4,2007 (71 FR 58600)
EPA invited all interested persons to nominate qualified
individuals to serve a three-year term as members of the
National Drinking Water Advisory Council (Council).
This 15-member Council was established by the Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to provide practical and
independent advice, consultation, and recommendations
to the Agency on the activities, functions, policies, and
regulations required by the SDWA. The terms of four
members expire in December 2007. To maintain the
representation required in the statute, nominees for the
2008 Council should represent State and local officials
concerned with public water supply and public health
protection (two vacancies) or represent the general public
(two vacancies). All nominations will be fully considered,
but applicants need to be aware of the specific
representation needed as well as geographical balance so
that all major areas of the U.S. (East, Mid-West, South,
Mountain, South-West, and West) will be represented.
Nominations were to be submitted on or before November
15, 2007.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revision
for the State of Utah"
October 12,2007 (71 FR 60145)
The State of Utah has revised its Public Water System
Supervision (PWSS) Primacy Program by adopting
federal regulations for the Arsenic Rule and Filter
Backwash Recycling Rule, which correspond to 40 CFR
Parts 141 and 142. EPA has completed its review of these
revisions in accordance with SDWA, and proposes to
approve Utah's primacy revisions for the above stated
Rules. This approval action does not extend to public
water systems in Indian country, as defined in 18 U.S.C.
1151.
The comment period for this proposal was extended until
November 13, 2007.
"Request for Nominations of Drinking Water
Contaminants for the Contaminant Candidate List"
October 16,2007 (71 FR 6074)
EPA requested nominations of chemical and microbial
contaminants for possible inclusion in the third drinking
water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 3). EPA is also
requested information that shows the nominated
contaminant may have an adverse health effect on people
and the contaminant occurs or is likely to occur in public
water systems.
Nominations must have been received on or before
December 15, 2007.
"Agency Information Collection Activities;
Submission to OMB for Review and Approval;
Comment Request; Community Water System Survey
2007"
October 19,2007 (71 FR 61766)
EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB for review
and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5
CFR 1320.12. On June 1,2007, (71 FR 31176-31177),
EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR
1320.8(d). EPA received two comments during the
comment period, which are addressed in the ICR. Any
additional comments on this ICR should be submitted to
EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice. Comments
must be submitted by November 20, 2007.
"Agency Information Collection Activities:
Submission to OMB for Review and Approval;
Comment Request; 2008 Drinking Water
Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment; Agency
Information Collection"
October 25,2007 (71 FR 64239)
The purpose of this information collection is to identify
the infrastructure needs of community public water
systems for the 20-year period from January 2008 through
December 2027. EPA will use a questionnaire to collect
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capital investment need information from large (serving
more than 100,000 people) and medium (serving more
than 3,300 people but less than 100,000) community
water systems. The questionnaire will also be used by
EPA survey teams in visits to 400 to 600 statistically-
selected small (serving less than 3,300 people)
community water systems to ascertain their infrastructure
needs. Participation in the survey is voluntary. The data
from the questionnaires will provide EPA with a basis for
estimating the nationwide infrastructure needs of
community water systems. Also, as mandated by Section
1452(a)(l)(D)(ii) of the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA
uses the results of the latest survey to allocate Drinking
Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) monies to the
states. Under the allotment formula, each State receives a
grant of the annual DWSPJ7 appropriation in proportion to
its share of the total national need-with the proviso that
each state receives at least 1 percent of the total funds
available.
"Notice of Tentative Approval and Solicitation of
Request for a Public Hearing for Public Water System
Supervision Program Revision for the Commonwealth
of Virginia"
October 30,2007 (71 FR 63321)
The Commonwealth of Virginia is revising its approved
Public Water System Supervision Program. Virginia has
adopted the Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water
Treatment Rule to improve control of microbial
pathogens in drinking water, including specifically the
protozoan Cryptosporidium. EPA has determined that
these revisions are no less stringent than the
corresponding federal regulations. Therefore, EPA has
decided to tentatively approve these program revisions.
All interested parties are invited to submit written
comments on this determination and may request a public
hearing.
Effective date for this approval is November 29, 2007.
"Listening Session on Exploring Bottled Water as an
Alternative Compliance Option in Limited Situations
for Non-Transient, Non-Community Water Systems"
November 15,2007 (71 FR 6651)
EPA announced a listening session on the viability of
bottled water as an alternative compliance option for
chronic contaminants regulated under the SDWA. The
purpose of this meeting is to identify information and data
needed for EPA to evaluate the efficacy of bottled water
as an alternative compliance option for non-transient,
non-community water systems.
The listening session was to be held in Washington, DC,
on Tuesday, December 12, 2007, at RESOLVE.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revisions
for the State of Minnesota; Notice of Approval"
November 17,2007 (71 FR 66946)
Minnesota has revised the following rules: Consumer
Confidence Reports; Lead and Copper Technical
Corrections; Synthetic Organic Chemicals/Inorganic
Chemicals (SOC/IOC) Technical Amendments;
Analytical Methods Technical Corrections; Analytical
Methods for Radionuclides; Point of Use Devices; Public
Water Supply (PWS) Definition; Administrative Penalty
Order (APO) Authority; and Variances and Exemptions
for compliance with National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations Rule. EPA has determined that these
revisions by the State are no less stringent than the
corresponding Federal regulations. Therefore, EPA
intends to approve these revisions to the State of
Minnesota's Public Water System Supervision Program.
The effective date for this action is December 18, 2007.
"Meeting of the National Drinking Water Advisory
Council—Notice of Public Meeting"
November 21,2007 (71 FR 67349)
EPA gave notice of a public meeting of the NDWAC.
The primary topics to be discussed and considered by the
Council are the issues and challenges facing the thousands
of small drinking water systems nationwide. Status
reports on other national drinking water program issues,
such as the approach to a draft rule for drinking water
supplies on airlines; the early implementation of the rules
protecting drinking water supplies from microbial
contaminants; the recently -promulgated Ground Water
Rule; revisions to the existing Total Conform Rule; and
implementation recommendations for the Contaminant
Candidate List 3.
The meeting was to be held December 14, 2007, in Fort
Worth, TX.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revisions
for the State of Texas"
November 22,2007 (71 FR 67579)
Texas is revising its approved Public Water System
Supervision Program. Texas has adopted the Lead and
Copper Rule Minor Revisions (LCRMR), the Filter
Backwash Recycling Rule (FBRR), and the Long Term 1
Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT1ESWTR).
EPA has determined that the proposed LCRMR, FBRR
and LT1ESWTR revisions submitted by Texas are no less
stringent than the corresponding federal regulation.
Therefore, EPA intends to approve the program revisions.
The effective date for this action was December 22, 2007.
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"Notice of Tentative Approval and Solicitation of
Request for a Public Hearing for Public Water System
Supervision Program Revision for the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania"
November 24,2007 (71 FR 67865)
Pennsylvania has revised its approved Public Water
System Supervision Program. Pennsylvania has adopted
a Radionuclides Rule to establish a new maximum
contaminant level (MCL) for uranium and revise
monitoring requirements. EPA has determined that these
revisions are no less stringent than the corresponding
federal regulations. Therefore, EPA has decided to
tentatively approve these program revisions. It is noted
that Pennsylvania's regulations in 25 Pa. Code 109 do not
specifically provide for the use of bottled water as a
means for a water system to qualify for a variance or
exemption for radionuclides; thus, the Commonwealth
interprets this to mean that the practice is disallowed.
The effective date for this action was December 26, 2007.
"Formal Reopening of the EPA Docket Center Public
Reading Room"
November 24,2007 (71 FR 67864)
The EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) houses eight
consolidated paper docket facilities and includes a Public
Reading Room, offering a variety of tools for members of
the public seeking access to hardcopy or electronic public
dockets. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room, which was
temporarily closed due to flooding, formally reopened on
November 6, 2007. Current information on docket
operations, locations, and telephone numbers is available
on the EPA Docket Center Web site at
www. epa. gov/epahome/dockets. htm.
The Water Docket, including all docket information
pertaining to SDWA regulations, is one of the affected
dockets. The URL is www.epa.gov/ow/docket.html.
"Notice of Approval of the Primacy Application for
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for the
State of Kansas"
December 11,2007 (71 FR 71542)
EPA has determined to approve an application by the
Kansas Department of Health and Environment to
incorporate the following EPA National Primary Drinking
Water Regulations: Arsenic and Clarifications to
Compliance and New Source Contaminants Monitoring;
Consumer Confidence Reports Rule; Filter Backwash
Recycling Rule; Interim Enhanced Surface Water
Treatment Rule; Lead and Copper Rule Minor Revisions;
Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule;
Public Notification Rule; Radionuclides Rule; and Stage 1
Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule. EPA has
determined that Kansas's regulations are no less stringent
than the corresponding Federal regulations and that
Kansas continues to meet all requirements for primary
enforcement responsibility.
The effective date for this action was January 10, 2008
"Notice of Approval of the Primacy Application for
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for the
State of Nebraska"
December 11,2007 (71 FR 71541)
EPA has determined to approve an application by the
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to
incorporate the following EPA National Primary Drinking
Water Regulations: Arsenic and Clarifications to
Compliance and New Source Monitoring Rule; Filter
Backwash Recycling Rule; Lead and Copper Rule Minor
Revisions; Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water
Treatment Rule; Public Notification Rule; Radionuclides
Rule; and Variance and Exemption Rule.
The effective date for this action was January 10, 2008.
"Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, Fall 2007"
December 11,2007 (71 FR 73848)
EPA publishes the semiannual regulatory agenda to
update the public about regulations and major policies
currently under development, reviews of existing
regulations and major policies, and rules and major
policymakings completed or canceled since the last
agenda.
"Total Coliform Rule / Distribution System
Stakeholder Technical Workshop and Request for
Nominations"
December 28,2007 (71 FR 78203)
EPA held a technical workshop in Washington, DC, to
discuss available information on the Total Coliform Rule
(TCR) and available information regarding risks in
distribution systems in support of revisions to the TCR. If
results from the workshop indicate that a formal
consensus building process is appropriate for the revision
effort, the Agency will consider establishing a Committee
under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to provide
advice and recommendations on how best to utilize
available information for potential revisions to the TCR
and to address public health risks from contamination of
distribution systems. In addition, such a Committee could
provide recommendations to determine if further
information is needed to be collected to address health
risks associated with distribution systems.
To prepare in advance for the potential establishment of a
Federal Advisory Committee, EPA is soliciting
nominations for membership on the Committee in this
notice.
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The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 30,
2008, through Thursday, February 1, 2008. Submit
nominations for a potential Federal Advisory Committee
on or before January 29, 2008.
"Safe Drinking Water Act Determination;
Underground Injection Control Program,
Determination of Indian Country Status for Purposes
of Underground Injection Control Program
Permitting"
February 26,2008 (72 FR 8380)
This notice announces the availability of EPA's Land
Status Determination, which concludes that the
approximately 160 acres of land located in the southeast
portion of Section 8, Township 16N, Range 16W, in the
State of New Mexico (the Section 8 land), is part of a
dependent Indian community under 18 U.S.C. 1151(b)
and, thus, considered to be "Indian country." EPA is
therefore the appropriate agency to consider underground
injection control permit applications under the Safe
Drinking Water Act for that land.
"Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed
Collection; Comment Request; Underground Injection
Control (UIC) Program; EPA ICR No. 0370.19; OMB
Control No. 2040-0042"
February 28,2008 (72 FR 8983)
The Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program under
the Safe Drinking Water Act established a federal and
state regulatory system to protect underground sources of
drinking water from contamination by injected fluids.
Owners or operators of underground injection wells must
obtain permits, conduct environmental monitoring,
maintain records, and report results to EPA or the state
UIC primacy agency. States must report to EPA on
permittee compliance and related information. The
mandatory information is reported using standardized
forms and annual reports, and the regulations are codified
at 40 CFR Parts 144 through 148. The data are used by
UIC authorities to ensure the protection of underground
sources of drinking water.
"Notice of a Second Workshop on the Development of
Regulations for Aircraft Public Water Systems"
March 8,2008 (72 FR 10528)
EPA held a second workshop on the development of
regulations for aircraft public water systems. This
workshop will provide information about recent activities
and an overview of approaches for the proposed Aircraft
Drinking Water Rule. This is the second workshop in a
series designed to gain perspectives from representatives
from industry, government, public interest groups, and the
general public.
The workshop was held in Washington, D.C. on March
28-29, 2008.
"Board of Scientific Counselors, Drinking Water Mid-
Cycle Subcommittee Meetings, Spring 2008"
April 4, 2008 (72 FR 16350)
EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) gave
notice of two meetings of the Board of Scientific
Counselors (BOSC) Drinking Water Mid-Cycle
Subcommittee. The meetings were to take place on
Thursday, April 26, 2008, and Wednesday, May 23, 2008.
"Expedited Approval of Test Procedures for the
Analysis of Contaminants Under the Safe Drinking
Water Act; Analysis and Sampling Procedures"
April 10, 2008 (72 FR 17902)
EPA announced its intent to implement an expedited
process for approving alternative testing methods for
existing regulations for drinking water contaminants. The
Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes EPA to approve the
use of alternative testing methods through publication of a
notice in the Federal Register instead of through
rulemaking procedures. EPA plans to use this
streamlined authority to make additional methods
available for analyzing drinking water compliance and
unregulated contaminant monitoring samples. This
expedited approach will provide public water systems,
laboratories, and primacy agencies with more timely
access to new measurement techniques and greater
flexibility in the selection of analytical methods, thereby
reducing monitoring costs while maintaining public health
protection. This notice requests comments on
implementation aspects of the expedited method approval
process.
"Spring 2008 Regulatory Agenda"
April 30, 2008 (72 FR 23156)
EPA publishes the semiannual regulatory agenda to
update the public about regulations and major policies
currently under development, reviews of existing
regulations and major policies, and rules and major
policymakings completed or canceled since the last
agenda.
"Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed
Collection; Comment Request; Proficiency Testing
Studies for Drinking Water Laboratories"
May 3,2008 (72 FR 24582)
The enforcement of drinking water regulations is
conducted by primacy agencies. These primacy agencies
are generally the states, but in the cases where the
drinking water utilities are located either in a state that has
not accepted primacy or in a territory of the United States,
the EPA Regional office for the area serves as the
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
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primacy agency. Entities potentially affected by this
action are laboratories seeking drinking water primacy
agency (usually state) certification or accreditation for the
analysis of drinking water samples. Proficiency testing
(PT) studies provide an objective demonstration that
participating laboratories are capable of producing valid
data for monitored pollutants.
Comments were to be received by July 2, 2008.
"Meeting of the National Drinking Water Advisory
Council—Notice of Public Meeting"
May 4,2008 (72 FR 25302)
EPA gave notice of a meeting on May 23 and 24, 2008, of
the National Drinking Water Advisory Council
(NDWAC), established under the Safe Drinking Water
Act. The topics to be discussed and considered by the
Council include EPA and utility activities to address
emerging contaminants and climate change. EPA will
consult with the Council on the Aircraft Drinking Water
Rule and Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. The Council
will also be briefed on activities to improve waterborne
disease outbreak surveillance; investigation and reporting;
activities to advance sustainable infrastructure and water
security; and activities related to developing a
management framework for geosequestration of carbon
dioxide. If time permits, the Council will also be updated
on the status of other regulatory and implementation
activities underway in the national drinking water
protection program.
"Water Security Initiative: Preliminary Notice of a
Request for Applications for Contamination Warning
System Pilots"
May 29, 2008 (72 FR 29498)
EPA provided preliminary notice of its intention to solicit
competitive applications for cooperative agreements to
support contamination warning system demonstration
pilots. These pilots will be part of EPA's Water Security
(WS) initiative (formerly Water Sentinel), which
addresses the risk of contamination of drinking water
distribution systems. Local governments or institutions
(either public or private nonprofit organizations) that
operate community water systems serving at least 750,000
people will be eligible to compete for these cooperative
agreements. The purpose of this notice is to alert
potential applicants to this future opportunity.
EPA anticipates awarding four cooperative agreements
for contamination warning system demonstration pilots,
with individual award amounts between $3 and $12
million. A minimum 20 percent cost-share, which may
include in-kind services, would be required.
Contamination warning systems must address five
monitoring and surveillance components: online water
quality monitoring, contaminant sampling and analysis,
enhanced security monitoring, consumer complaint
surveillance, and public health surveillance, along with a
consequence management plan.
The request for applications was expected in June 2008.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revisions
for the State of Indiana"
May 30, 2008 (72 FR 30000)
Indiana is revising its approved Public Water System
Supervision Program. Indiana has revised the following
rules: Arsenic, Radionuclides, and Long Term 1
Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule. EPA has
determined that these revisions by the state are no less
stringent than the corresponding federal regulations.
Therefore, EPA intends to approve these revisions to the
State of Indiana's Public Water System Supervision
Program.
The effective date for this action was June 29, 2008.
"Board of Scientific Counselors, Drinking Water Mid-
Cycle Subcommittee Meeting-July 2008"
June 19, 2008 (72 FR 33755)
EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD), gives
notice of a meeting of the Board of Scientific Counselors
(BOSC) Drinking Water Mid-Cycle Subcommittee. The
proposed agenda item for the meeting (teleconference) is
discussion of the draft report concerning the ORD
drinking water research program's progress in response to
recommendations from its 2005 BOSC review and other
activities. The meeting is open to the public.
The meeting (a teleconference call) was to be held on
Friday, July 13, 2008.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revisions
for the State of Michigan"
June 20, 2008 (72 FR 34249)
The State of Michigan has formally requested primary
enforcement authority for the Radionuclides Rule, which
will reduce exposure to radionuclides in drinking water
and reduce the risk of cancer; the Arsenic and
Clarifications to Compliance and New Source Monitoring
(Arsenic) Rule, which requires community and non-
transient non-community water systems to comply with
the revised arsenic maximum contaminant level of 0.010
mg/L; the Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water
Treatment Rule (LT1ESWTR), which improves public
health protection through the control of microbial
pathogens, specifically Cryptosporidium, in drinking
water; and the Filter Backwash Recycling Rule (FBRR),
which requires changes to the return of recycle flows to a
water treatment plant's process that may otherwise
compromise microbial control.
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EPA has determined that these revisions are no less
stringent than the corresponding federal regulations.
Therefore, EPA intends to approve these program rules.
The effective date for this action was July 23, 2008.
"Establishment of the Total Coliform Rule
Distribution System Advisory Committee; Notice"
June 29, 2008 (72 FR 35870)
EPA gave notice that it is establishing the Total Coliform
Rule Distribution System Advisory Committee
(TCRDSAC). The purpose of the TCRDSAC is to
provide advice and make recommendations to the Agency
on revisions to the Total Coliform Rule (TCR), and on
what information about distribution systems is needed to
better understand the public health impact from the
degradation of drinking water quality in distribution
systems. EPA has determined that this Advisory
Committee is in the public interest and will assist the
Agency in performing its duties as directed in the 2007
EPA Appropriations Act.
For the revision effort, EPA would like the Advisory
Committee to advise the Agency on how the rule could be
revised to improve implementation and strengthen public
health protection. For distribution system issues, EPA
would like the Committee to evaluate available data and
research on aspects of distribution systems that may
create risks to public health and consider how to address
the risks.
"Meeting of the Total Coliform Rule Distribution
System Advisory Committee—Notice of Public
Meeting"
June 29, 2008 (72 FR 35870)
EPA gave notice of a meeting of the Total Coliform Rule
Distribution System Advisory Committee (TCRDSAC).
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the charge for
the Advisory Committee; discuss the purpose, efficacy,
and applicability of the Total Coliform Rule (TCR);
determine the availability of data and research to better
understand the potential public health impact of the
degradation of water quality in distribution systems; and
discuss existing data sources and potential analyses to
support the advisory committee.
The meeting was to be held July 17 and 18, 2008, in
Washington, DC.
"Meeting of the Total Coliform Rule Distribution
System Advisory Committee—Notice of Public
Meeting"
August 21,2008 (72 FR 46631)
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the purpose,
efficacy, applicability, and implementation of the Total
Coliform Rule (TCR), a range of information that can be
used to characterize and potentially revise the Rule, what
distribution system issues affect water quality, and criteria
for prioritizing distribution system issues.
The meeting was held September 18 and 19, 2008 in
Washington, DC.
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
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Hotline Annual
Statistics
Annual Summary of Hotline Service
ECSS questions / comments requiring a 751
response
Total number of ECSS hits; 190,797
Total number of calls received 37,55 1
Total number of calls answered 9, 141
Average wait time (in seconds) 74
Percent of calls satisfied immediately 99.9%
Percent of all calls answered in < 5 min 96.4%
Percent of callbacks answered in 5 days 100%
Number of times callers were
transferred to the WSC Wellcare
Hotline 2,467
Number of times callers listened to
recorded message about CCRs 1,943
Number of times callers listened to
recorded message about local drinking
water quality for PWS customers 2,055
Number of times callers listened to
recorded message about tap water
testing and quality for household well
owners 1,216
Number of times callers listened to
recorded message about tap water
testing for PWS customers 2,873
Contact with Hotline: Comparison to Previous Year
Calls Messages Generated . i
Answered Heard E-mails ECSS Hits
FY08 9,141 9,338 751 190,797
FY07 10,016 10,950 851 199,175
Top Ten Referrals
.T , „ Percent of
„ , ,, „ , , Number of _, , , ,
Customer Referred to: _ „ , Total
Referrals ,, „ ,
Referrals
1. Local Water System 1,644 24
2. State Lab Certification 1,316 19
3. NSF/WQA/UL 936 14
4. State PWSS 840 12
5. EPA Internet 552 8
6. FDA/IBWA 329 5
7. AGWT/WSC 214 3
8. Other 191 3
9. Local Public Health 135 2
10. Other Hotlines 132 2
* 6,9 21 total referrals to other resources, agencies, and
organizations -were provided by the Hotline in FY 2008.
1 Page turns on the Safe Drinking Water ECSS Interface
ECSS Activities
Topic
Analytical Methods
Arsenic
Bottled Water
Compliance/Issues (PWS)
Consumer Concerns
Contaminants and Standards
Definitions
Facts, Figures, and Databases
Household Wells
Local Drinking Water Quality
Long Term 2 Rule
Other*
Source Water Protection
Stage 2 Rule
Security
Underground Injection
Tap Water Testing
TOTAL
Number of
generated e-mails
5
21
24
60
94
88
6
23
82
76
12
196
14
32
1
6
11
751
*Topics other than those listed in the table
Caller Profiles
Customer
Analytical Laboratories
Citizen - Private Well
Citizen - PWS
Consultants/Industry /Trade (DW)
Consultants/Industry /Trade (Other)
Environmental Groups
EPA
Other Federal Agency
Government, Local
Government, State
Government, Tribal
Spanish Speaking
International
Media
Medical Professional
Public Water System
Schools/University
Other
TOTAL
Calls
43
597
6,614
345
127
18
49
28
32
71
4
164
9
28
35
593
54
330
9,141
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Caller Question Topics
Topic
Number of
Questions
Microbials/Disinfection Byproducts
Chlorine
Coliforms
Cryptosporidium
Disinfection/Disinfection Byproducts
(Other)
Disinfection - Home Water
Long Term 2 Rule
Other Microbials
Stage 2 DBF Rule
Storage - Home Water
Surface Water Treatment (SWTR,
ESWTR, LT1FBR)
Trihalomethane (THM)
244
746
457
131
325
158
360
177
24
18
150
Inorganic Chemicals (IOC)/Synthetic
Organic Chemicals (SOC)
Arsenic
Fluoride
Methyl-terrtary-butyl-ether(MTBE)
Perchlorate
Phase I, II & V
Sodium Monitoring
Sulfate
211
171
36
16
45
45
24
Lead and Copper
Copper
Lead
Lead Contamination Control Act
(LCCA)TLead Ban
General 3Ts*
168
790
39
2
Radionuclides
Radionuclides (Other)
Radionuclides (Radon)
Polonium-210
119
271
0
Secondary DW Regulations
Secondary DW Regulations
475
SDWA Background/Overview
Definitions & Applicability
MCL List
Other Background
SDWA
67
758
704
514
Topic
Water on Tap
Number of
Questions
7
Other DW Regulations
Analytical Methods (DW)
Contaminant Candidate List/
Drinking Water Priority List
Consumer Confidence Report
(DW)
DW Primacy (PWS)
Operator (PWS) Certification
Other Drinking Water Security
Public Notification (PWS)
Security Planning Grants
State Revolving Fund (DW)
Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Rule (UCMR)
88
48
1,864
43
19
22
630
0
12
96
Other Drinking Water
Additives Program
Bottled Water
Complaints about PWS
Compliance & Enforcement
(PWS)
Home Water Treatment Units
Infrastructure/Cap. Development
Local DW Quality
Tap Water Testing
Treatment/BATs (DW)
Pharmaceuticals*
43
559
583
385
994
29
1,804
1,501
25
19
Drinking Water Source Protection
Ground Water Rule
Sole Source Aquifer
Source Water/Wellhead Protect.
UIC Program
Carbon Sequestration*
13
11
63
53
0
Out of Purview
Household Wells
Non-Environmental
Non-EPA Environmental
Other EPA (Programs)
TOTALS
438
171
181
160
17,106
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
-20-
-------
Addendum:
Fiscal Year 2008
Fourth Quarter Statistics
- 2 7 - Safe Drinking Water Hotline
-------
Hotline Fourth Quarter FY 2008 Statistics
Topic
Consumer Confidence Report
Local Drinking Water Quality
Tap Water Testing
Home Water Treatment Units
Conforms
Other/Background
Compliance / Enforcement
Lead
MCL List
Public Notification
Top Ten Caller Topics
Questions
658
494
435
424
294
290
244
236
233
207
Percent of Total* Questions
11%
9%
8%
7%
5%
5%
4%
4%
4%
4%
*A total of 5,763 questions from callers were answered by the Hotline in the 4th Quarter ofFY 2008.
Calls and ECSS Generate E-mails
Calls** ECSS E-mails*** Total
2,537 189 2,726
** A single call may generate multiple questions.
*** E-mails registered through EPA's Enterprise Customer Service Solution knowledge base at the OGWDW Web site.
Quarterly Summary of Hotline Service
Total number of calls answered
Total number of calls received
Total number of ECSS Questions /
Comments requiring a response
Average wait time (in seconds)
Percent of calls satisfied immediately
Percent of all calls answered in < 5 min
Percent of callbacks answered in 5 days
Number of times callers were
transferred to the WSC Wellcare
Hotline
Number of times callers listened to
recorded message about CCRs
Number of times callers listened to
recorded message about local drinking
water quality for PWS customers
Number of times callers listened to
recorded message about tap water
testing and quality for household well
owners
Number of times callers listened to
recorded message about tap water
testing for PWS customers
2,537
10,312
189
65
99.9%
98.69%
100%
673
600
621
333
798
Comparison to Quarter
Calls
4th Quarter FY08 2,537
3rd Quarter FY08 2,850
ECSS
E-mails
189
204
Top Ten Referrals
Customer Referred to:
1. Local Water System
2. State Lab Certification
3. NSF/WQA/UL
4. State PWSS
5. EPA Internet
6. FDA/IBWA
7. AGWT/WSC
8. Other
9. EPA Regional Offices
10. Other Hotlines
Number
of
Referrals
476
363
306
302
151
70
59
59
43
35
Percent
of Total*
Referrals
23%
18%
15%
15%
7%
3%
3%
3%
2%
2%
*A total of 2,032 referrals to other resources, agencies, and
organizations were provided by the Hotline in the 4' Quarter
ofFY 2008.
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
-22-
-------
Caller Profiles
Customer
Analytical Laboratories
Citizen - Private Well
Citizen - PWS
Consultants/Industry /Trade (DW)
Consultants/Industry /Trade (Other)
Environmental Groups
EPA
Other Federal Agency
Government, Local
Government, State
Government, Tribal
Spanish Speaking
International
Media
Medical Professional
Public Water System
Schools/University
Other
TOTALS
Caller Question Topics
Topic
Microbials/Disinfection Byproducts
Chlorine
Conforms
Cryptosporidium
Disinfection/Disinfection Byproducts
(Other)
T^i™*-l{a/^+i^i*l U>i*-na \^7n+c,r
Long Term 2 Rule
Other Microbials
Stage 2 D/DBP Rule
C1J- TT TT7 J-
storage — Home Water
Surface Water Treatment (SWTR,
ESWTR, LT1FBR)
Trihalomethane (THM)
Inorganic Chemicals (IOC)/Synthetic
Organic Chemicals (SOC)
Arsenic
Fluoride
Methyl-fer/wry-butyl-ether (MTBE)
Perchlorate
Phase I, II & V
Sodium Monitoring
Sulfate
Lead and Copper
Copper
Lead
Lead Contamination Control Act
(LCCA)/Lead Ban
General 3Ts
Radionuclides
Radionuclides (Other)
Radionuclides (Radon)
Polonium- 210
Secondary DW Regulations
Secondary DW Regulations
Calls
4
157
1904
92
33
4
13
12
6
19
0
24
4
7
4
114
14
125
2537
Number of
Questions
91
294
200
57
118
20
140
29
6
6
77
82
62
20
10
14
14
9
59
236
12
2
31
90
0
169
SDWA Background/Overview
Definitions & Applicability
MCL List
Other Background
SDWA
Water on Tap
Other DW Regulations
Analytical Methods (DW)
Contaminant Candidate List/ Drinking
Water Priority List
Consumer Confidence Report (DW)
DW Primacy (PWS)
Operator (PWS) Certification
Other Drinking Water Security
Public Notification (PWS)
Security Planning Grants
State Revolving Fund (DW)
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
Rule (UCMR)
Other Drinking Water
Additives Program
Bottled Water
Complaints about PWS
Compliance & Enforcement
(PWS)
Home Water Treatment Units
Infrastructure/Cap. Development
Local DW Quality
Tap Water Testing
Treatment/BATs (DW)
Pharmaceuticals
Drinking Water Source Protection
Ground Water Rule
Sole Source Aquifer
Source Water/Wellhead Protection
UIC Program
Carbon Sequestration
Out of Purview
Household Wells
Non-Environmental
Non-EPA Environmental
Other EPA (Programs)
TOTALS
ECSS Activities
Topic
Analytical Methods
Arsenic
Bottled Water
Compliance/Issues(PWS)
Consumer Concerns
Contaminants and Standards
Definitions
Facts, Figures, and Databases
Household Wells
Local Drinking Water Quality
Long Term 2 Rule
Other
Source Water Protection
Stage 2 Rule
Tap Water Testing
13
233
290
179
1
44
13
658
6
11
10
207
0
5
19
15
153
244
129
424
5
494
435
11
19
3
4
18
19
0
119
50
36
42
5,763
Number of
generated e-mails
1
11
0
9
29
23
2
7
21
19
4
47
4
4
4
-23-
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
-------
Security
Underground Injection Control
TOTAL 189
Safe Drinking Water Hotline - 24 -
-------
ECSS Service Summary
Date
2008/07/01
2008/07/02
2008/07/03
2008/07/04
2008/07/05
2008/07/06
2008/07/07
2008/07/08
2008/07/09
2008/07/10
2008/07/11
2008/07/12
2008/07/13
2008/07/14
2008/07/15
2008/07/16
2008/07/17
2008/07/18
2008/07/19
2008/07/20
2008/07/21
2008/07/22
2008/07/23
2008/07/24
2008/07/25
2008/07/26
2008/07/27
2008/07/28
2008/07/29
2008/07/30
2008/07/31
2008/08/01
2008/08/02
2008/08/03
2008/08/04
2008/08/05
2008/08/06
2008/08/07
2008/08/08
2008/08/09
2008/08/10
2008/08/11
2008/08/12
2008/08/13
2008/08/14
2008/08/15
2008/08/16
2008/08/17
2008/08/18
2008/08/19
2008/08/20
2008/08/21
2008/08/22
2008/08/23
2008/08/24
2008/08/25
2008/08/26
Searches
100
49
57
11
4
32
45
43
116
56
45
43
83
77
60
24
22
19
11
43
74
51
64
37
31
20
61
45
42
105
16
19
7
11
45
27
15
65
104
25
4
60
144
96
18
37
7
49
157
125
64
96
60
10
12
43
75
Answers Viewed
100
118
90
49
45
49
104
540
129
95
62
31
92
604
86
107
69
56
292
393
139
1590
635
543
105
86
483
842
273
327
72
94
69
75
627
179
274
120
219
66
47
607
158
76
59
54
63
65
166
137
245
264
193
46
46
1061
102
Sessions
486
1083
956
892
890
975
1263
1160
1252
1093
894
770
958
1279
1668
1238
1471
831
1029
1462
1133
2153
1436
1778
1384
1271
1403
1019
943
957
808
683
715
642
864
883
962
826
910
751
707
1096
1281
1227
1135
846
710
1071
1043
1309
1442
1002
1063
806
885
1022
933
Hits
271
277
238
114
88
138
267
718
335
265
182
100
232
803
240
204
151
221
453
698
553
2278
1039
774
769
601
589
1020
484
558
189
270
188
219
838
335
446
331
572
261
160
800
492
314
176
181
179
245
490
454
522
500
355
99
114
1280
380
Generated
E-mails
4
2
1
0
1
1
3
2
1
2
2
0
0
1
3
2
1
2
1
0
1
2
6
1
2
1
0
4
2
1
2
0
1
3
3
2
3
3
6
3
0
3
1
1
3
2
1
2
0
4
3
4
3
0
2
3
3
-25-
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
-------
2008/08/27
2008/08/28
2008/08/29
2008/08/30
2008/08/31
2008/09/01
2008/09/02
2008/09/03
2008/09/04
2008/09/05
2008/09/06
2008/09/07
2008/09/08
2008/09/09
2008/09/10
2008/09/11
2008/09/12
2008/09/13
2008/09/14
2008/09/15
2008/09/16
2008/09/17
2008/09/18
2008/09/19
2008/09/20
2008/09/21
2008/09/22
2008/09/23
2008/09/24
2008/09/25
2008/09/26
2008/09/27
2008/09/28
2008/09/29
2008/09/30
Total
58
69
27
26
12
21
45
62
55
38
10
40
26
25
50
25
60
5
10
70
111
66
21
8
23
14
17
60
68
83
52
9
29
61
34
4.251
184
672
637
136
93
98
108
93
137
562
34
44
81
80
79
83
113
42
57
594
119
118
77
47
54
54
598
118
69
93
99
38
72
69
46
18.916
1168
1288
1272
1105
1122
1205
1020
713
752
794
581
512
590
946
610
627
513
481
531
607
639
793
786
732
674
612
627
652
621
717
588
563
599
1439
874
88.102
344
832
784
207
189
199
253
248
361
732
81
121
200
189
209
207
279
98
119
826
375
304
238
143
143
103
765
279
245
287
263
109
159
188
153
35.282
0
0
1
0
2
1
4
3
4
4
2
1
4
1
2
2
2
2
0
4
5
4
4
2
2
0
1
6
2
3
5
1
2
1
2
189
Searches: The number of searches performed.
Answers Viewed: The total number of times Answers were viewed. This represents the number of Answer pages viewed. That is, if only
one Answer was selected, but it was viewed ten times, the Answers Viewed value would be ten.
Sessions: The number of sessions for the time unit specified. A session is use of the end-user pages. A session ends when the end-user
enters a 100% satisfaction rating for an Answer, submits an Ask a Question request, leaves the end-user pages, or a two-hour period of
time has elapsed, whichever comes first.
Hits: The number of page turns during the time period selected for the report.
Web Questions: The number of questions generated from an Ask a Question request.
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
-26-
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