&EPA
       United States
       Environmental Protection
       Agency
Total  Coliform  Rule  Monitoring  Requirements
Noncommunity Water Systems Serving 25 -1,000 People
               ROUTINE
             MONITORING
                    REPEAT MONITORING
     POSITIVE  REPEAT SAMPLES AND
                MCL VIOLATIONS
   • You must sample at the sites in your distribution system
    identified in your primacy agency reviewed sampling
    plan.
   • Ground water systems serving 1,000 persons or less must
    take 1 sample every quarter, unless your primacy agency
    instructs otherwise. Surface water systems must take 1
    sample every month.
   You must take 5 routine samples in the month following
   a total coliform (TC) positive result. For example, if your
   routine sample in June was TC- positive, you must take 5
   routine samples in July.
                •You must collect repeat samples whenever you are
                 notified of a TC -positive sample. The TC-positive routine
                 sample must also be analyzed for either fecal coliform or
                 £ Coli.
                •Ata minimum, you must take 4 repeat samples.
                • If you have more than 1 service connection, you must
                 collect repeat samples within 24 hours of learning about
                 the positive results (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.
• 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. If a repeat sample is TC -positive, it must also be ana-
 lyzed for either fecal coliform or £ Coli.
• If you have 2 or more TC -positive samples in 1 month (including both repeat
 and routine samples), your system has a monthly MCL violation.
• If you have any fecal coliform or £ Co//-positive repeat samples or have a
 fecal coliform or £ Co//-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 whatyou report to the primacy agency every
month, and requirements on how and when to notify your customers if you
have a violation. Contact your 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
                                                                                                        Coliform 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)
                                     Off ice of Water (4606M)
EPA816-F-08-007
www.epa.gov/safewater
January, 2008

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