Water Lines
Safe
Dun king L
Water H4tlii\e
May 2002
Monthly Report
SDW Hotline Report
In This Issue
What's New?	

	1
Did You Know?

	1
Frequently Asked Qs & As	
	2
Monthly Trends	

	3
Hotline Stats	

	4
Appendix A	

6
Top Ten Topics

Questions
Percent of
Topic
(phone &
Total*

email)
Questions
Tap Water Testing
322**
10
Consumer
265
9
Confidence Report


Local Drinking Water
237
8
Quality


Household Wells
199
6
Lead
176
6
Home Water
163
5
Treatment Units


Other EPA
132
4
Other Drinking Water
111
4
Background


Coliforms
98
3
Non-EPA
98
3
Environmental


*A total of 3,047 questions were answered by
the Hotline (via telephone and email) in
May2002.


**Citizens who obtain their drinking water from
private household wells asked 33% of the tap
water testing questions.

Published Monthly


See past reports at


http://intranet.epa.gov/ow/hotline
Safe Drinking Water Hotline: National
Toll-free No.: (800) 426-4791 or

(877) EPAWATER


For More Information Contact:

Harriet Hubbard, EPA Project Officer
(202) 564-4621


Operated by Booz Allen Hamilton

Under Contract #GS-10F-0090J

What's New
New Documents:
¦	FACTOIDS: Drinking Water and
Ground Water Statistics for 2001,
May 2002, EPA815-D-02-004, is
now available at www.epa.gov/
safewater/data/01 factoids.pdf
¦	Draft Implementation Guidance
for the Long Term 1 Enhanced
Surface Water Treatment Rule,
May 2002, EPA816-D-02-008, is
now available for review at
www.epa.gov/safewater/mdbp/lt1
eswtr.html
¦	CCRWriter - Version 2.0 is now
available for download at
www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr/ccrw
riter.html
¦	Support documents for the Six-
Year Review of Drinking Water
Standards are now available at
www.epa.gov/safewater/review. h
tml
Add This to Your Calendar:
¦ The Safe Drinking Water Hotline
continues to take registrations for
the regional Surface Water
Treatment Rules workshops.
Remaining workshops include
Omaha, Nebraska (August 13-
14) and Seattle, Washington
(October 8-9). The Hotline also
continues to accept registrations
for regional Arsenic Rule
workshops. Remaining
workshops include Dallas, Texas
(July 30-31) and Omaha,
Nebraska (August 15-16).
Did You Know?
In the United States, water utilities treat nearly 34 billion
gallons of water every day.
(Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water Web Site
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/publicoutreach/index.html1

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May 2002
Frequently Asked Qs & As
Q: The operator of a Public Water System (PWS) is
completing his Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) that
is due by July 1, 2002. The system detected 0.008 mg/L
of arsenic in the distribution system water during the
previous year. Is the system required to use the
specified arsenic informational statement in 40 CFR
141.154(b)(1)?
A: Beginning in the CCR due by July 1, 2002, a system
that detects arsenic above 0.005 mg/L and up to and
including 0.01 mg/L must include a short informational
statement about arsenic in its report. The system may
use the suggested language listed in 40 CFR
141.154(b)(1), or it may write its own educational
statement, but only in consultation with its primacy
agency (40 CFR 141.154(b)).
Q: Did the 2000 Radionuclides Rule include any new
methods for analysis of uranium?
A: No. EPA is currently reviewing the Inductively
Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) method
(EPA method 200.8 or SM 3125) for uranium analysis
(65 FR 76708, 76724).
Q: What is the detection limit for uranium radioanalysis?
A: A detection limit for uranium is not listed in 40 CFR
141.25 and none was proposed in the Radionuclides
Proposed Rule (56 FR 33050, July 8, 1991). EPA did
propose a practical quantitation limit (PQL) and an
acceptance limit but in order to be consistent with other
regulated radionuclides, EPA did not adopt the PQL.
The Agency will propose a detection limit for uranium in
a future rulemaking and will set the limit before
December 8, 2003 (the compliance date for the Rule)
(65 FR 76708, 76724).
Q: If a facility is installing a Class I injection well, the well
must inject beneath the lowermost underground source
of drinking water (USDW). How does EPA define a
USDW?
A: A USDW is defined in 40 CFR 144.3 as any aquifer
that: (1) supplies a public water system; or (2) contains a
sufficient quantity of water to supply a public water
system and currently supplies drinking water for human
consumption or contains fewer than 10,000 mg/L of total
dissolved solids.
Q: A state park utilizes a dry well to receive wastewater
from shower facilities used by 8-10 crewmen working on
a project. Do the underground injection control (UIC)
requirements for Class V wells apply to this well?
A: The UIC requirements do not apply to dry wells that
receive solely sanitary waste and have the capacity to
serve fewer than 20 persons a day (i.e., non-residential
cesspools) (40 CFR 144.81(2)).
Q: Are septic systems regulated as Class V wells under
the underground injection control (UIC) program?
A: The UIC requirements for owners and operators of
Class V injection wells are found in 40 CFR Part 144,
Subpart G. This subpart applies to owners or operators
of septic system wells used to inject solely sanitary
waste from a multiple dwelling, business establishment,
community or regional business establishment septic
tank. The UIC requirements for Class V injection wells
do not apply to single family residential septic system
wells and to non-residential septic system wells that are
used solely for the disposal of sanitary waste and have
the capacity to serve fewer than 20 persons a day (40
CFR 144.81(9)).
Q: Under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
Regulation (UCMR) requirements, must the UCMR
sampling data collected in accordance with 40 CFR
141.40 be submitted to EPA by the PWS, or by the
laboratory that analyzes the samples?
A: According to the regulatory language in 40 CFR
141.35(e), public water systems must instruct the
organization(s) responsible for the analysis of
unregulated contaminant samples taken under 40 CFR
141.40 to enter the results into EPA's electronic
reporting system. The PWS is responsible for reviewing
those results and approving their submission to EPA. If
the analytical organization or laboratory cannot enter
these data electronically for the PWS, the PWS must
obtain EPA's approval to use an alternate reporting
procedure.
Q: How can a citizen determine whether or not the
service line that connects her home to the water main is
made of lead?
A: According to 40 CFR 141,85(a)(1)(iv)(B)(5), the best
way to determine if a service line is made of lead is by
either hiring a licensed plumber to inspect the line or by
contacting the plumbing contractor who installed the line.
To identify the plumbing contractor a person can check
the city's record of building permits. A licensed plumber
can at the same time check to see if a home's plumbing

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May 2002
contains lead solder, lead pipes, or pipe fittings that
contain lead. The public water system that delivers
water to your home should also maintain records of the
materials located in the distribution system.
Q: Must public water systems include Information
Collection Rule (ICR) data in the Consumer Confidence
Report?
A: ICR monitoring data collected pursuant to 40 CFR
141.142 and 141.143 must only be included in the
Consumer Confidence Report for five years from the
date of the last sample or until any of the detected
contaminants becomes regulated (40 CFR
141.153(d)(3)(H)).
Q: Can states use Drinking Water State Revolving
Funds (DWSRF) to implement their Source Water
Protection (SWP) program?
A: The Safe Drinking Water Act as amended in 1996
allows up to 10 percent of a state's allotment for the
DWSRF to be used to administer or provide technical
assistance for SWP programs within the state (SDWA
1452(g)(2)(B)). Additional information on the DWSRF
can be found at www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf.html.
Monthly Trends
Public Notification Questions







— -
fl fl ii n n n
-O
# ^ # o5- ^
¦0s & ¦S' jS'
<,& ^ ^
Questions regarding public notification
have increased over recent months. May
had the second highest total of public
notification questions since July 2001. The
increase may be attributed to Public Water
Systems (PWS) in the State of Washington
requesting a hard copy of the Public
Notification Handbook. The State of
Washington notified PWSs that the Public
Notification Handbook is available by
contacting the Safe Drinking Water Hotline.
-3-

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May 2002
Monthly Summary of
Hotline Service
Total number of calls answered
2,293
Total number of emails received
298
Average wait time (in seconds)
0:20
Percent of calls satisfied immediately
98%
Percent of all calls answered in < 1 min
89.3%
Percent of callbacks answered in 5 days
100%
Percent of emails answered in 5 days
100%
Number of times callers listened to recorded

message about local DW quality
1,700
Number of times callers listened to recorded

message about arsenic rule
79
Comparison to Previous Years
Calls
Emails
May 2002
2,293
298
May 2001
3,382
511
Top Ten Referrals
Customer Profiles
Customer
Calls
Emails
Analytical Laboratories
25
5
Citizen - Private Well
384
41
Citizen - PWS
1,233
87
Consultants/lndustry/Trade (DW)
121
14
Consultants/lndustry/Trade (Other)
104
45
Environmental Groups
16
0
EPA
42
1
Other Federal Agency
15
6
Government, Local
30
2
Government, State
43
13
Government, Tribal
5
1
Spanish Speaking
1
1
International
6
31
Media
9
1
Medical Professional
9
2
Public Water System
189
16
Schools/University
32
30
Other
29
2
TOTALS
2,293
298
Daily Call Data


Total Calls
Average Wait Time

Number of
Percent of

Answered
mm:sec
Inquiry Referred to:
Total*
1-May
92
00:24
Referrals
Referrals
2-May
99
00:14
1. State Lab Certification
338
15
3-May
89
00:24
2. EPA Internet
298
13
6-May
91
00:10
3. NSF/WQA/UL
212
9
7-May
120
00:21
4. State PWSS
195
9
8-May
84
00:11
5. Local Water System
194
9
9-May
97
00:17
6. AGWT/WSC
144
6
10-May
82
00:19
7. Local Public Health
144
6
13-May
105
00:33
8. Non-EPA Internet
95
4
14-May
105
00:21
9. Other Hotlines
90
4
15-May
89
00:26
10. FDA/IBWA
60
3
16-May
91
00:14
*2,272 total referrals to other
resources, agencies, and
17-May
76
00:19
organizations were provided by the Hotline in
May 2002.
20-May
120
00:14



21-May
114
00:17



22-May
109
00:13



23-May
94
00:16



24-May
115
00:26



28-May
128
00:16



29-May
135
00:39



30-May
142
00:20



31-May
116
00:23



TOTALS
2,293
00:20

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May 2002
Topic Categories
Category
Calls
Emails
Microbials/Disinfection Byproducts
Chlorine
27
4
Coliforms
94
4
Cryptosporidium
80
2
Disinfection/Disinfection


Byproducts (Other)
27
6
Disinfection - Home Water
19
1
Other Microbials
26
1
Surface Water Treatment (SWTR,


ESWTR, LT1FBR)
46
7
Trihalomethane (THM)
18
1
Inorganic Chemicals (IOC)/Synthetic
Organic Chemicals (SOC)
Arsenic
68
9
Fluoride
31
5
Methyl-ferf/ary-butyl-ether (MTBE)
15
2
Perchlorate
5
1
Phase I, II & V
33
13
Sodium Monitoring
10
0
Sulfate
6
0
Lead and Copper
Copper
13
2
Lead
168
8
Lead Contamination Control Act


(LCCA)/Lead Ban
8
0
Radionuclides
Radionuclides (Other)
22
2
Radionuclides (Radon)
74
7
Secondary DW Regulations
Secondary DW Regulations
56
10
SDWA Background/Overview
Definitions & Applicability
19
2
MCL List
43
12
Other Background
100
11
SDWA
25
1
Hotline Statistics
Category
Calls
Emails
Water on Tap
46
3
Other DW Regulations
Analytical Methods (DW)
22
13
Contaminant Candidate List/


Drinking Water Priority List
7
0
Consumer Confidence Report (DW)
256
9
DW Primacy (PWS)
1
3
Operator (PWS) Certification
3
2
Other Drinking Water Security
9
2
Public Notification (PWS)
33
0
Security Planning Grants
23
1
State Revolving Fund (DW)
1
2
Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Rule (UCMR)
28
1
Other Drinking Water
Additives Program
6
5
Bottled Water
64
10
Complaints about PWS
33
4
Compliance & Enforcement
(PWS)
11
2
Home Water Treatment Units
143
20
Infrastructure/Cap. Development
4
0
Local DW Quality
218
19
Tap Water Testing
307
15
Treatment/BATs (DW)
27
5
Drinking Water Source Protection
Ground Water Rule
6
3
Sole Source Aquifer
2
0
Source Water/Wellhead Protect.
0
7
UIC Program
10
1
Out of Purview
Household Wells
180
19
Non-Environmental
57
30
Non-EPA Environmental
64
34
Other EPA (Programs)
111
21
TOTALS
2,705
342
-5-

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SAFE DRINKING WATER HOTLINE MONTHLY REPORT
May 2002
Appendix A: Federal Register Summaries
PROPOSED RULES
"Spring 2002 Regulatory Agenda"
May 13, 2002 (67 FR 33724)
EPA published the "Semiannual Regulatory Agenda" to update the public about: (1) regulations
and major policies currently under development; (2) reviews of existing regulations and major
policies; and (3) regulations and major policies completed or canceled since the last Agenda.
NOTICES
"OMB Approvals Under the Paperwork Reduction Act; Technical Amendment"
May 3, 2002 (67 FR 22353)
This technical amendment amends the table that lists the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) control numbers issued under the Paperwork Reduction Act for the Public Water System
Supervision Program (PWSS) Information Collection Request (ICR), Microbial Rules ICR and
Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts, Chemical, and Radionuclides (DBP/Chem/Rads) Rules
ICR.
"EPA Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee Meetings:
Affordability Criterion for Drinking Water Treatment Technologies for Small Systems"
May 7, 2002 (67 FR 30681)
EPA announced a meeting of the Environmental Economics Advisory Committee (EEAC) of the
EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) to review the Agency's affordability criterion for small
systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996. The SAB was established to
provide independent scientific and technical advice to the EPA Administrator on Agency
positions; in this case the methodology for developing and applying the affordability criterion.
"Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment
Request; Public Water Systems Supervision Program: Public Notification Amendment"
May 9, 2002 (67 FR 31301)
EPA announced that it has forwarded the ICR entitled, "Public Water Systems Supervision
(PWSS) Program: Public Notification Amendment," OMB Control No. 2040-0090, to OMB for
review and approval.
"Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment
Request; Drinking Water Customer Satisfaction Survey"
May 9, 2002 (67 FR 31302)
EPA announced that it has forwarded the ICR entitled, "Drinking Water Customer Satisfaction
Survey," ICR number 2016.01, to OMB for review and approval.

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"Public Water Supply Supervision Program; Program Revision for the State of Oregon"
May 9, 2002 (67 FR 31304)
EPA announced that the State of Oregon has revised its approved State PWSS Primacy Program.
Oregon has adopted drinking water regulations for disinfectants and disinfection byproducts and
has adopted revisions to its surface water treatment regulations and lead and copper regulations.
EPA has determined that these revisions are no less stringent than the corresponding federal
regulations. Therefore, EPA intends on approving these State program revisions.
"Announcement of a Stakeholder Meeting on the Six-Year Review of Existing National
Primary Drinking Water Regulations, as Required by the Safe Drinking Water Act"
May 20, 2002 (67 FR 35540)
EPA announced a public meeting to discuss the results of the Agency's preliminary findings in
the review of 69 pre-1997 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs). The
Federal Register notice that announced the preliminary results of the review of NPDWRs (i.e.,
the Six-Year Review) was published by EPA on April 17, 2002. The purpose of this meeting is
to provide information to stakeholders and the public on the Six-Year Review of NPDWRs.
"Agency Information Collection Activities; OMB Responses"
May 23, 2002 (67 FR 36171)
EPA announced the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) responses to Agency clearance
requests, in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et. Seq.). The OMB
control numbers for EPA's regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15. EPA
ICR No. 2067.01, "Laboratory Quality Assurance Evaluation Program for Analysis of
Cryptosporidium Under the Safe Drinking Water Act," was approved April 11, 2002; OMB No.
2040-0246. The current expiration date for this ICR is July 31, 2002.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revision for the State of South Carolina"
May 23, 2002 (67 FR 36184)
EPA announced that the State of South Carolina is revising its approved Public Water System
Supervision Program. South Carolina has adopted drinking water regulations revising the
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule and Disinfection Byproduct Rule. EPA has
determined that these revisions meet all minimum federal requirements, and are no less stringent
than the corresponding federal regulations. Therefore, EPA has tentatively decided to approve
these State program revisions.
"Public Water Supervision Program Revision for the State of Tennessee"
May 23, 2002 (67 FR 36185)
EPA announced that the State of Tennessee is revising its approved Public Water System
Supervision Program. Tennessee has adopted drinking water regulations which incorporate the
requirements of the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule and the Stage 1
Disinfection/Disinfectants Byproducts Rule. EPA has determined that these revisions are no less
stringent than the corresponding federal regulations. Therefore, EPA intends to approve this
State program revision.
-7-

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"Public Water Supervision Program Revision for the State of Tennessee"
May 23, 2002 (67 FR 36185)
EPA announced that the State of Tennessee is revising its approved Public Water System
Supervision Program. Tennessee has adopted drinking water regulations, which provide minor
revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule. EPA has determined that these revisions are no less
stringent than the corresponding federal regulations. Therefore, EPA intends to approve this
State program revision.
"EPA Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee Meetings"
May 24, 2002 (67 FR 36593)
EPA announced that the Drinking Water Committee of the US EPA Science Advisory Board
(SAB), will conduct a public teleconference meeting on June 11, 2002. The primary purpose of
this meeting will be for staff from EPA's Office of Water to provide background briefings
sufficient for the Committee to develop a systematic plan for responding to the agency request
on two topics: (1) Six-Year Review of Existing Regulations Notice of Intent on Review
Decisions (6-YR) and (2) Contaminant Candidate List Notice of Intent on Regulatory
Determinations (CCL1).
"Sole Source Aquifer Petition Denial"
May 31, 2002 (67 FR 38113)
EPA provided notice that it denied a petition to designate the La Cienega Valley Area Aquifer a
Sole Source Aquifer. The aquifer is not eligible for designation because it is not the principal
source of drinking water for the area covered by the petition.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revision for the State of Mississippi"
May 31, 2002 (67 FR 38113)
EPA provided notice that the State of Mississippi is revising its approved Public Water System
Supervision Program. Mississippi has adopted drinking water regulations for Lead and Copper
Minor Revision. EPA has determined that these revisions are no less stringent than the
corresponding Federal regulations. Therefore, EPA intends on approving this State program
revision.

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