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

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