Water Lines
Safe
Dun king L
Water H4tlii\e
January 2004
Monthly Report
SDW Hotline Report
In This Issue
What's New	
	1
Did You Know	
	1
Monthly Trends	
	2
Freauentlv Asked Qs & As	
	2
Hotline Stats	
	4
Appendix A	
	6
Top Ten Topics
Questions Percent of
Topic (phone &e- Total*
	 mail)	Questions^
Tap Water Testing
155**
11
Local Drinking Water
Quality
145
10
Household Wells
88
6
MCL List
80
6
Home Water
Treatment Units
68
5
Lead
64
4
Other EPA
59
4
Non-EPA
Environmental
48
3
Other Background
48
3
Safe Drinking Water
Act
44
3
*A total of 1,428 questions were answered by
the Hotline (via telephone and e-mail) in
January 2004.
**Citizens who obtain their drinking water from
private household wells asked 15 percent of the
tap water testing questions.
Calls
E-mails
Total***
873
253
1,126
***A single call or e-mail may generate multiple
questions.
Published Monthly
See past reports at
http://intranet.epa.gov/ow/hotline
Safe Drinking Water Hotline: National
Toll-free No.: (800) 426-4791
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 Publications:
Water on Tap: What You Need To Know (EPA816-K-03-007, October 2003)
is now available at www.epa.qov/safewater/wot/index.html or by contacting
the National Service Center for Environmental Publications at 1-800-490-
9198.
Calendar:
Who?
What?
Where?
When?
More
Information
GWPC
UIC
Conference
Houston, TX
1/20/2004 -
1/22/2004

NDWAC
CCL Work
Washington,
1/22/2004 -


Group
DC
1/23/2004

NDWAC
Water
Security
Working
Group
Washington,
DC
2/10/2004

NDWA
CCL Work
Washington,
3/4/2004 -


Group
DC
3/5/2004

ASDWA
Member
Alexandria,
3/17/2004 -


Meeting
VA
3/19/2004

GWPC
Annual Policy
Conference
Washington,
DC
3/21/2004 -
3/23/2004

Did You Know?
Although some MTBE water contamination comes from car exhaust,
leaking storage tanks are the leading source of MTBE contamination of
water.
(American Water Works Association)

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January 2004
Monthly Trends
The Safe Drinking Water Hotline examined how various types of Hotline customers contacted the Hotline between
February 2003 and January 2004. The chart below lists six of the most common customer profiles and provides the
percentage of those customers who contacted the Hotline via e-mail and telephone. Telephone use was the predominant
form of contact mode for most of the profiles; however, e-mail correspondence represented nearly half of the
correspondence for customers associated with schools or universities. The international community predominantly used e-
mail when contacting the Hotline.
Breakdown of Customer Profile by Contact Mode
(February 2003 - January 2004)
120%
100%

c
o
2
at
a.
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
¦ E-mail
~ Telephone
Citizens	PWS Consultants Government Schools International
Operators
Customer Profile
Frequently Asked Qs & As
This section provides answers to frequently asked
questions not necessarily represented in one of the
Top Ten Topic categories.
Q: After we completed the vulnerability assessment
for our water system, we decided to upgrade our
facility. Where can I find information regarding
products designed to increase security?
A: EPA has developed a series of security product
guides to assist water treatment plant operators and
utility managers in reducing risks from, and providing
protection against, possible natural disasters and
intentional terrorist attacks. The guides provide
information on a variety of products available to
enhance physical and electronic security, such as
gates, manhole locks, computer firewalls, and
remote monitoring systems. The product guides are
available at www.epa.gov/safewater/securitv/
guide/index, html.
Q: My water tested positive for hardness. What are
the health effects associated with hard water?
A: Hard water is not known to cause any adverse
health effects. However, relatively softer water
enhances consumer acceptability. Hardness is
primarily caused by the presence of calcium and
magnesium in the water. There is no well-defined
distinction between hard water and soft water. In
general, hardness values of less than 75 mg/L as
calcium carbonate (CaC03) represent soft water,
and values above 150 mg/L CaC03 represent hard
water (Enhanced Coagulation and Enhanced
Precipitative Softening Guidance Manual, EPA815-
R-99-012, May 1999).
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January 2004
Q: Perchlorate is both a naturally occurring and
man-made chemical, used as the primary ingredient
of solid rocket propellant. Does perchlorate pose a
threat to drinking water sources?
A: The full extent of perchlorate contamination is
not known at this time, and a national primary
drinking water standard has not been established for
perchlorate. However, EPA, other federal agencies,
states, water suppliers and industry are actively
addressing perchlorate contamination through
monitoring for perchlorate in drinking water and
surface water. Additional information about
perchlorate is available at www.epa.gov/safewater/
ccl/perchlorate/perchlorate.html.
Q: How much water does a person ingest daily?
A: The estimated average per capita ingestion of
water from a public water system in the United
States is 927 milliliters per person per day.
Ingestion estimates are important because EPA
develops risk assessments based on the ingestion
of contaminated drinking water. Currently, EPA
uses the standard water ingestion quantity of two
liters per day for a 70-kilogram adult when
developing risk assessments (Estimated Per Capita
Water Ingestion in the United States, EPA822-R-00-
008, April 2000). The report on per capita water
ingestion, based on data from the United States
Department of Agriculture, and more information are
available at www.epa.gov/waterscience/
drinking/percapita.
Q: Is exposure to lead contaminated drinking water
from absorption through skin a health threat?
A: EPA does not consider exposure to lead
contaminated drinking water from absorption
through the skin to be a health threat. Water
contains inorganic forms of lead, which are not
capable of being absorbed through the skin (Water
Supply Guidance Memo; Adverse Health Effects of
Lead and Copper from Avenues Other Than
Ingestion, July 1992).
Q: Is a public water system (PWS) required to notify
customers when a boil water notice has been lifted?
A: EPA recommends that when microbiological
contamination is resolved, a PWS should issue a
follow-up notice stating that it is no longer necessary
to continue boiling the water (Final State
Implementation Guidance for the Public Notification
(PN) Rule, EPA816-R-01-010, October 2001).
Q: What is the difference between pH and
alkalinity?
A: Alkalinity is the capacity of water to neutralize
acids. This capacity is caused by the water's
content of carbonate, bicarbonate, hydroxide and
occasionally borate, silicate and phosphate.
Conversely, pH is an expression of the intensity of
the basic or acid condition of a liquid. EPA has a
suggested range of 6.5 to 8.5 for pH (called a
secondary maximum contaminant level orSMCL).
Furthermore, alkalinity and pH are different because
water does not have to be strongly basic (high pH)
to have a high alkalinity (EPA's Drinking Water
Glossary: A Dictionary of Technical and Legal Terms
Related to Drinking Water, EPA810-B-94-006, June
1994)).
Q: I understand EPA is revising the Manual for the
Certification of Laboratories Analyzing Drinking
Water (EPA815-B-97-001, March 1997). Is it
possible to get a copy of the draft version? When
will the final version of the manual be available?
A: According to Carol Madding of EPA, the revised
Manual for the Certification of Laboratories
Analyzing Drinking Water is currently undergoing
Office of General Council (OGC) review and is not
being distributed at this time. EPA is anticipating
publication of a final version within the first six
months of 2004.
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January 2004
Hotline Statistics
Monthly Summary of
Hotline Service
Total number of calls answered
873
Total number of e-mails received
253
Average wait time (in seconds)
0:36
Percent of calls satisfied immediately
99.9%
Percent of all calls answered in < 1 min
85%
Percent of callbacks answered in 5 days
100%
Percent of e-mails answered in 5 days
100%
Number of times callers were transferred to

the WSC Wellcare Hotline
227
Number of times callers listened to recorded

message about CCRs
166
Number of times callers listened to recorded

message about local drinking water quality

for PWS customers
178
Number of times callers listened to recorded

message about tap water testing and quality

for household well owners
164
Number of times callers listened to recorded

message about tap water testing for PWS

customers
265
Comparison to Previous Year

Calls
E-mails
January 2004
873
253
January 2003
1,531
289
Top Ten Referrals
Inquiry Referred to:
Number of
Referrals
Percent of
Total*
Referrals
1. EPA Internet
197
20
2. State PWSS
133
13
3. Local Water System
131
13
4. State Lab Certification
126
13
5. AGWT/WSC
73
7
6. NSF/WQA/UL
68
7
7. EPA Regions
37
4
8. Other Hotlines
33
3
9. Local Public Health
28
3
10. Other
26
3
*A total of997 referrals to other resources, agencies, and
organizations were provided by the Hotline in January 2004.
Customer Profiles
Customer
Calls
E-mails
Analytical Laboratories
18
3
Citizen - Private Well
81
41
Citizen - PWS
436
74
Consultants/lndustry/Trade (DW)
62
7
Consultants/lndustry/Trade (Other)
69
38
Environmental Groups
4
2
EPA
11
1
Other Federal Agency
6
5
Government, Local
5
6
Government, State
15
6
Government, Tribal
2
0
Spanish Speaking
6
0
International
6
11
Media
1
1
Medical Professional
3
1
Public Water System
73
28
Schools/University
27
29
Other
48
0
TOTALS
873
253
Daily Call Data

Total Calls
Average Wait Time

Answered
mm:sec
2-January
27
00:11
5-January
51
00:54
6-January
37
00:31
7-January
40
00:27
8-January
42
00:26
9-January
45
00:36
12-January
52
00:19
13-January
45
00:29
14-January
31
00:22
15-January
53
00:45
16-January
31
00:47
20-January
61
00:53
21-January
31
00:52
22-January
47
00:35
23-January
45
01:20
26-January
53
00:36
27-January
52
00:22
28-January
51
00:23
29-January
45
00:32
30-January
34
00:24
TOTALS
873
00:36
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January 2004
Hotline Statistics
Topic Categories
Category
Calls
E-mails
Microbials/Disinfection Byproducts
Chlorine
9
5
Coliforms
32
5
Cryptosporidium
3
1
Disinfection/Disinfection


Byproducts (Other)
28
4
Disinfection - Home Water
3
0
Other Microbials
3
1
Storage - Home Water
4
1
Surface Water Treatment (SWTR,


ESWTR, LT1FBR)
29
3
Trihalomethane (THM)
4
0
Inorganic Chemicals (IOC)/Synthetic
Organic Chemicals (SOC)
Arsenic
15
7
Fluoride
5
3
Methyl-fert/ary-butyl-ether (MTBE)
4
2
Perchlorate
3
2
Phase I, II & V
10
2
Sodium Monitoring
1
0
Sulfate
0
0
Lead and Copper
Copper
9
0
Lead
58
6
Lead Contamination Control Act


(LCCA)/Lead Ban
5
1
Radionuclides
Radionuclides (Other)
4
4
Radionuclides (Radon)
27
7
Secondary DW Regulations
Secondary DW Regulations
17
4
SDWA Background/Overview
Definitions & Applicability
9
2
MCL List
65
15
Other Background
35
13
SDWA
42
2
Category
Calls
E-mails
Water on Tap
7
5
Other DW Regulations
Analytical Methods (DW)
17
6
Contaminant Candidate List/


Drinking Water Priority List
5
0
Consumer Confidence Report (DW)
34
5
DW Primacy (PWS)
0
0
Operator (PWS) Certification
1
3
Other Drinking Water Security
24
12
Public Notification (PWS)
29
2
Security Planning Grants
1
1
State Revolving Fund (DW)
0
3
Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Rule (UCMR)
19
1
Other Drinking Water
Additives Program
3
1
Bottled Water
18
3
Complaints about PWS
26
15
Compliance & Enforcement
(PWS)
22
8
Home Water Treatment Units
54
14
Infrastructure/Cap. Development
13
3
Local DW Quality
126
19
Tap Water Testing
142
13
Treatment/BATs (DW)
5
3
Drinking Water Source Protection
Ground Water Rule
7
4
Sole Source Aquifer
0
0
Source Water/Wellhead Protection
13
7
UIC Program
6
1
Out of Purview
Household Wells
55
33
Non-Environmental
13
4
Non-EPA Environmental
32
17
Other EPA (Programs)
38
21
TOTALS
1,134
294
EPA DISCLAIMER
Answers to questions in the Safe Drinking Water Hotline monthly report are intended to be purely informational and are based on SDWA
provisions, EPA regulations, guidance, and established policy effective at the time of publication. The answers given reflect EPA staffs best
judgment at the time and do not represent a final or official EPA interpretation. This report does not substitute for the applicable provisions of
statutes and regulations, guidance, etc., nor is it a regulation itself. Thus, it does not impose legally-binding requirements on EPA, States, or the
regulated community. An answer to a question in this report may be revised at any time to reflect EPA's revisions to existing regulations,
changes in EPA's approach to interpreting its regulations or statutory authority, or for other reasons. EPA may provide a different answer to a
question in this report in the future.
Also, an answer provided in this report may not apply to a particular situation based upon the circumstances. Any decisions regarding a
particular case will be made based on the applicable statutes and regulations. Therefore, interested parties are free to raise questions and
objections about the appropriateness of the application of an answer in this report to a particular situation, and EPA will consider whether or not
the recommendations or interpretations in the answer are accurate and appropriate in that situation. The information in this report is not intended,
nor can it be relied upon, to create any rights enforceable by any party in litigation with the United States.
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SAFE DRINKING WATER HOTLINE MONTHLY REPORT
January 2004
Appendix A: Federal Register Summaries
NOTICES
"Notice of Availability: The Feasibility of Performing Cumulative Risk Assessments for
Mixtures of Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water"
January 7, 2004 (69 FR 919)
EPA announced the availability of a final report titled, "The Feasibility of Performing
Cumulative Risk Assessments for Mixtures of Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water
(EPA600/R-03-051F)," which was prepared by EPA's National Center for Environmental
Assessment (NCEA) of the Office of Research and Development (ORD).
"Notice of Tentative Approval for the Public Water Supply Supervision Program Revision
for the State of New Jersey"
January 27, 2004 (69 FR 3917)
EPA announced that New Jersey has revised the Public Water Supervision Program to adopt
revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule, the Public Notification Rule, the Radionuclide Rule, the
Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule, the Interim Enhanced Surface Water
Treatment Rule, the Filter Backwash Rule and the Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water
Treatment Rule. If no hearing requests or comments are received by February 26, 2004, the
determination will become effective.
"Notice of a Teleconference Meeting of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council:
Conference Call to Continue Discussion of the Formation of a Water Security Working
Group"
January 30, 2004 (69 FR 4514)
EPA announced a teleconference meeting to continue discussion on formation of a Water
Security Working Group of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council. The conference call
will take place at 11 a.m., Eastern Time on February 10, 2004.
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