United States Environmental Protection Agency Total Coliform Rule Monitoring Requirements Community Water Systems Serving 1,001 - 10,000 People* ROUTINE MONITORING • All public water systems must sample at regular time intervals throughout the month except for ground water systems that serve 4,900 persons or less. Ground water systems serving 4,900 persons or less may collect all required samples on a single day if they are taken from different sites. • You must sample at the sites in your distribution system identified in your primacy agency- reviewed sampling plan. • The number of samples you collect depends on the number of people you serve (see Table A). If you take 4 or fewer routine samples every month, you are required to take at least 5 routine samples in the month following a total coliform (TC) positive result that is not invalidated by your primacy agency. For example, if you took 3 routine samples in June and one sample was TC- positive, you must take at least 5 routine samples in July. Table A: TCR Routine Monitoring* Population 1,001-2,500 2,501-3,300 3,301-4,100 4,101-4,900 4,901 - 5,800 5,801 - 6,700 6,701 - 7,600 7,601 - 8,500 8,501-12,900 # of Routine Samples per Month 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ' Requirements for Systems serving <1000 are summarized on a separate Placard (EPA 816-F-08-005) REPEAT MONITORING •You must collect repeat samples within 24 hours of being notified of a TC- positive sample. Any TC-positive routine or repeat sample must also be analyzed for either fecal coliform or £ Coli. • You must take at least 3 repeat samples for every TC-positive sample; for example, if you had 2 positive samples, you must take at least 6 repeat samples. • If you have more than 1 service connection, you must collect repeat samples within 24 hours of learning about the positive result (unless your primacy agency gives you more time). • If you have only 1 service connection, your primacy agency may give you approval to collect repeat samples within 4 days of learning of the positive result. You must collect at least 1 repeat sample from each of the sites identified below: * The tap where the routine TC-positive was taken. * A tap within 5 service connections upstream of the tap where the routine TC-positive was taken. * A tap within 5 service connections downstream of the tap where the routine TC-positive was taken. POSITIVE REPEAT SAMPLES AND MCL VIOLATIONS • If a repeat sample is positive, you must continue to collect repeat samples, per repeat monitoring instructions, until TC is no longer positive or until there is an MCL violation (as defined below). If a repeatsample isTC-posi- tive, it must also be analyzed for either fecal coliform or £ Co//. • If you have 2 or more TC-positive samples in 1 month (including both re- peat and routine samples), your system has a monthly MCL violation. • If you have any fecal coliform or £ Coli positive repeat samples, or have a fecal coliform or £ Coli positive sample followed by a TC-positive repeat sample, your system has an acute MCL violation. Besides sampling, what else are we required to do? There are also requirements on what you report to the primacy agency every month, and requirements on how and when to notify your customers if you have a violation. Contactyour primacy agency to make sure you are providing them with all the information that is required. Where can I find more information on the Total Coliform Rule? You can find more information on the Total Coli- form Rule by calling EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at: 1.800.426.4791; or you can visit EPA's Total Coliform Rule Web site: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ disinfection/tcr/index.html. Primacy Agency. (contact name and phone number) Office of Water (4606M) EPA816-F-08-004 www.epa.gov/safewater January, 2008 ------- |