&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Ground Water Rule (GWR) Monitoring Requirements Water Systems With Their Own Source that Do Not Purchase Water or Sell Water to Another Water System See additional placards for requirements for wholesale and consecutive systems and those providing 4-log treatment of viruses and conducting compliance monitoring TOTAL COLIFORM-POSITIVE You must conduct triggered sour ground water well in response to a total coliform-positive routine sample collected under the Total Coliform Rule (TCR) unless you are conducting compliance monitoring for 4-log treatment of viruses. • Conduct triggered source water monitoring at each ground water well WITHIN 24 HOURS1 of being notified of a total coliform-positive routine sample. • If you suspect the total coliform-positive routine sample was caused by a distribution system problem, contact your state to discuss options. • Sample from each source in use at the time the total coliform-positive routine sample was taken for every total coliform-positive routine sample, unless the state has approved representative monitoring. - Your state may allow you to use representative source water monitoring to reduce the number of samples collected. Contact your state for approval. • Sample for the state-approved fecal indicator. Contact your state to determine which one(s) is approved and list here: • Contact your state to ensure you are following the correct sampling procedures and contact your lab to ensure you are using the appropriate materials for monitoring. If your system serves <1,000 people, you may be able to use TCR repeat monitoring collected from a ground water source to meet GWR requirements. Contact your state for more information. Laboratory Contact Information: FECAL INDICATOR-POSITIVE If your triggered source water monitoring results are fecal indicator-positive, you must: • Notify your state and if your state does not require corrective action, collect 5 additional source water samples WITHIN 24 HOURS.1 • The state may invalidate a fecal indicator-positive sample on a case-by-case basis. Contact your state. If your sample is invalidated, you must resample for the same indicator WITHIN 24 HOURS.1 • Notify the public with a Tier 1 Public Notice (PN) WITHIN 24 HOURS. • Community water systems must notify the public with a Special Notice in your next CCR. ADDITIONAL MONITORING If your fecal indicator source water sample is positive then the state may require additional monitoring: Take 5 samples from each source that was fecal indicator-positive WITHIN 24 HOURS.1 • If an additional sample is fecal indicator-positive, you must: - Notify the public with a Tier 1PN WITHIN 24 HOURS. - Community water systems must notify the public with a Special Notice in your next CCR. - Consult with your state and take approved Corrective Action. CORRECTIVE ACTION You have to take correctiv notified of a fecal indicator-positive additional sample, a significant deficiency or if the state requires it in response to a fecal indicator- positive triggered or assessment sample. 1 A significant deficiency may be identified during a sanitary survey or at any other time. 1 You are required to provide the state with information requested to complete a sanitary survey. 1 Within 30 days of notification you must consult with your state to determine a corrective action unless the state specifies a corrective action. 1 Corrective Action options are: - Correct all significant deficiencies - Provide an alternate source of water - Eliminate the source of contamination - Provide 4-log treatment of viruses. 1 Within 120 days of notification you must complete corrective action, or be in compliance with a state-approved corrective action plan and schedule. 1 If you fail to take corrective action, you will incur a treatment technique violation and must notify the public with a Tier 2 PN.2 1 Community water systems: If you have not corrected the significant deficiency before the end of the calendar year, you must notify the public with a Special Notice in your next CCR and repeat annually until the significant deficiency has been addressed. 1 Noncommunity water systems: If you have not corrected the significant deficiency within 12 months, you must notify the public with a Special Notice and repeat annually until the significant deficiency has been addressed. Footnote 2: For this violation you must notify the state within 48 hours of the violation and provide a Tier 2 PN to the public within 30 days. If you fail to conduct required monitoring within 24 hours of notification of a total coliform- or fecal indicator-positive sample, you must notify the public with Tier 3 PN (possibly in your next CCR). The term "state" is used to refer to all types of primacy agencies including states, U.S. territories, Indian tribes, and EPA. State/Primacy Agency Contact (name and phone number): Office of Water (4606M) EPA 816-F-10-058 www.epa.gov/safewater April 2010 ------- |