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) ------- 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). -2- ------- 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. -3- ------- 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 -4- ------- 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. -5- ------- 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. -6- ------- |