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annual report
2 0 0 7 1

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Safe
Drinking
Water H tline
Fiscal Year 2007
Annual Report
October 2006 - September 2007

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Table of Contents
Introduction	 1
Hotline Annual Statistics Summary	 3
Annual Trends	 6
Questions and Answers	 8
Federal Register Summaries	12
Hotline Annual Statistics	19
Addendum: Fiscal Year 2007 Fourth Quarter Statistics	21
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
National Toll-free No.: (800) 426-4791
See past monthly reports at
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/hotline
For More Information Contact:
Harriet Hubbard, EPA Project Officer (202) 564-4621
Operated by The Track Group / Booz Allen Hamilton
Under Contract #GS-23F-0135N/1140
EPA DISCLAIMER
Answers to questions in all Safe Drinking Water Hotline quarterly and annual reports 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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Annual Report
Introduction
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the national law that ensures the quality of America's drinking
water and furthers EPA's mission to protect human health and safeguard the environment. The Act, as
amended in 1996, requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide atoll-free hotline
that consumers can call to obtain accurate and real-time information about annual water quality reports
and drinking water contaminants (42 U.S.C. 300g-3, Section (4)(A) and (4)(B)). The Safe Drinking
Water (SDW) Hotline, operated by Booz Allen Hamilton, provides this essential public outreach service
for EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW), the office that is responsible for
implementing the SDWA. The Hotline also answers questions about federal drinking water regulations
and standards, source water protection, and the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. In fiscal
year 2007 (FY 2007), the Hotline responded to 10,016 phone calls and 851 e-mails generated
through the Enterprise Customer Service Solution (ECSS), which resulted in more than 13,600
questions. The questions came from a diverse audience including public water systems (PWSs), federal,
state and local governments, businesses, and citizens. The questions reflected several "hot topics" and
initiatives, including the following:
•	Consumer Confidence Reports - The Hotline experienced the usual increased volume of calls and
electronic correspondence related to the annual distribution of the consumer confidence reports
(CCRs). The typical June and July surge of calls was somewhat less than in FY06, and callers
were expressing an increased familiarity with the CCR process. The most prevalent theme
derived from callers' questions was an increased awareness and concern for local drinking water
quality. This awareness was reflected in the number of questions regarding home tap water
testing and referrals to state laboratory certification offices, the Hotline's FY07 top referral.
•	Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule / Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection
Byproducts Rule - The Hotline fielded numerous calls regarding implementation of the LT2
source water monitoring and the Stage 2 Initial Distribution System Evaluation (IDSE) plan.
Questions from the regulated community were most often about the CDX registration for the
electronic DCTS submission process, which EPA has established as a central point for gathering
data produced during the simultaneous compliance with these rules.
•	Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 2 (UCRM2) - The Hotline fielded numerous calls
concerning the UCMR2 Rule published on January 4, 2007. Many systems had concerns about
the electronic data entry and registration. The most frequent UCMR2 question the Hotline
received in FY07 was regarding applicability of the rule.
The SDW Hotline's staff of drinking water regulatory experts responded to an average of 54 questions
from callers each operating day of FY 2007, providing real-time assistance to Hotline users' questions
regarding regulatory and policy clarifications, document requests, and referrals for additional sources of
information. Questions were received from federal and state officials, non-governmental organizations,
local public water system operators, and consumers, among others. Additionally, Spanish-speaking staff
responded to over 200 requests for drinking water information from Spanish-speaking individuals.
Information Specialists recommended thousands of documents and processed requests for hard copies,
provided over 5,400 referrals to relevant agencies and organizations (when inquirers required information
beyond the purview of the Hotline), and drafted 22 formal Questions and Answers and 38 Federal
Register summaries.
The Hotline's mission of providing quality technical assistance continues to be enhanced through
technological advances and operational improvements. The SDW Hotline phone system offers callers
several self-serve options intended to provide useful information and reduce the hold time required to
reach an Information Specialist. During this fiscal year, over 10,900 callers opted to hear recorded
messages about consumer confidence reports, local drinking water quality and tap water testing for public
Safe Drinking Water Hotline

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Annual Report
water system (PWS) customers, and drinking water quality and tap water testing for household well
owners. The phone system also provides an option for direct transfers to the Water System's Council
Wellcare Hotline for callers seeking information on private household wells. Over 2,500 callers utilized
this option.
In addition, The SDW Hotline offers a choice for callers to select a citizen's line for general inquiries and
a technical line for more in-depth questions regarding SDWA regulations and programs. Over 8,600
callers selected the citizen's line and about 1,400 callers selected the technical line.
In order to provide real-time outreach service to water professionals, regulators, and the general public the
Hotline must maintain the most current information and consistently strive to understand each caller's
needs and interests. The SDW Hotline report, Water Lines, is published in response to those needs.
Water Lines contains typical questions answered by Hotline staff, abstracts of pertinent Federal Register
entries, call and ECSS question and comment statistics, caller profiles, and water facts. The FY 2007
Safe Drinking Water Hotline Annual Report is a review of the cumulative statistics, trend analyses,
questions and answers, and Federal Register summaries gathered from the Water Lines reports.
Note: Booz Allen Hamilton produces three quarterly issues of Water Lines. Information from the fourth
quarter of each fiscal year is incorporated into an annual report, which is a cumulative review of the fiscal
year. This annual report includes an addendum of statistics for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year.
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
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Annual Report
Hotline Annual Statistics Summary
The Safe Drinking Water Hotline answers questions, via telephone and through the ECSS application, related to
the Safe Drinking Water Act and the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. The Hotline previously
responded to questions through e-mail but discontinued the practice in favor of ECSS. ECSS is an interactive
knowledge base, accessible through the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water's Web site, that allows Web
users the opportunity to search for answers to common questions or to submit a question to the Hotline. Hotline
Information Specialists also assist customers in accessing relevant regulations, Federal Register notices, and EPA
guidance documents, via Internet and in hard copy, and by providing helpful referrals for questions beyond the
Hotline's purview. The Hotline offers its services in both English and Spanish. During FY 2007, there were
more than 199,000 hits on the Safe Drinking Water ECSS Interface. In addition, the Hotline responded to
10,016 telephone calls, and 851 questions and comments (i.e., ECSS questions and comments). A single call
often generates multiple questions, and a total of 13,661 questions from callers were answered by the Hotline
in FY 2007. Detailed statistics of the breakdown in type of callers and the topics of questions asked are included
in the Hotline Annual Statistics section of this report on page 19.
Telephone Calls and Electronic Correspondence Comparison: The telephone call and electronic
correspondence volumes for FY 2007 are slightly lower than the total volumes received during FY 2006. This is
possibly attributed to an increase in the use of the Internet to obtain documents and general information as well as
increased familiarity with consumer confidence reporting and a decrease in significant regulatory development
over the past year.
Contact Mode
FY 2007
FY 2006
Calls
10,016
11,492
ECSS Generated E-mails
851
924
Total
10,867
12,416
The following chart illustrates the distribution of calls and electronic correspondence in FY 2007, compared to FY
2006. The total number of calls peaked in June and July due to the annual distribution of consumer confidence
reports.
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Annual Report
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
Distribution of Calls and Electronic Correspondence



















1







1













1


1


1








~	ECSSFY06
~	ECSS FY07
¦ Calls FY06

1


1

~ Calls FY07
	1	1	1	






0	200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000
Caller Profiles: As illustrated by the chart below, the Hotline serves a diverse group of customers. Of the more
than 10,000 calls received during the FY 2007, the largest category of Hotline customers, by far, are citizens
who obtain their drinking water from public water systems. Citizens are followed by PWS operators,
consultants, citizens who obtain their water from a private household well, others, government officials, and
academic institutions. The "other" category in the chart below includes analytical laboratories, people who
accessed the Hotline from other countries, environmental groups, individuals who communicated with Hotline
staff in Spanish, medical professionals, and news media representatives. PWS operators were the second most
frequent caller category, most likely because of the promulgation of the UCMR2 Rule and the Ground Water
Rule, as well as compliance issues for the Stage 2/LT2 rules.
Caller Profiles

¦ Citizen - PWS
¦ PWS Operators

I Consultants

1 Citizens - Private Wells

Other

Government

| Schools

0	1,000	2,000	3,000	4,000	5,000	6,000	7,000
Number of Callers
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Annual Report
Top Ten Referrals: Referrals are often provided when questions require input from state regulators, local water
systems, not-for-profit organizations, or other federal agencies. In FY 2007, the Hotline provided 5,487 referrals,
to local water systems for water system specific information about water quality, to state laboratory certification
offices for questions about labs that can test drinking water, and to state drinking water programs for answers to
compliance questions or response to citizen complaints about PWS service. The top ten referrals are displayed
below.
Referrals Frequently Provided by the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
I State Lab Certification Officer
]] Local Water System
I State Drinking Water Program
I NSF/WQA/UL
| EPA Internet
] AGWT/WSC
Combined Regions
FDA/IBWA
Other Hotlines
EPA HQ OGWDW
200	400	600	800	1,000
Number of Referrals
1,200
1,400
1,600
Top Ten Caller Topics: Year after year, certain issues, such as local drinking water quality and tap water testing,
consistently top the list of the most frequently discussed topics at the Safe Drinking Water Hotline. The most
prevalent theme of questions to the Hotline was citizens" concern for their home drinking water. This concern
was reflected in nine of the ten top caller topics for FY 2007. The one exception was the questions generated
from the regulated community in response to the implementation of the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection
Byproducts Rule. The table below lists the ten topics that were most frequently discussed with Hotline callers
during FY 2007.
Topic
Questions
Percent of Total
Caller Questions*
Tap Water Testing
1,641
12
Local Drinking Water Quality
1,411
10
Consumer Confidence Reports
1,341
10
Lead
766
6
Home Water Treatment Units
639
5
Coliforms
568
4
Complaints About PWSs
543
4
Household Wells
459
3
Public Notification
424
3
Stage 2 D/DBP Rule
473
3
*Callers asked a total of 13,661 questions.
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Annual Report
Annual Trends
The Hotline staff gathers general statistical data on the calls to which it responds. These data, combined with the
staff members" insight and observations, provide a unique opportunity to identify and analyze trends in the
number and types of Hotline inquiries. Some examples of these trends are illustrated below.
Lead Questions: Questions about lead in drinking water are consistently among the most frequently asked
questions of the Safe Drinking Water Hotline. During FY07, callers continued to show concern for lead in
drinking water, with particular focuses on tap water testing and home water treatment options. Monthly totals for
lead questions are reflected in the chart below.
Monthly Lead Questions
100 1	
i—i
o 80	i—i
° 40	_
¦ ¦ —
| 20
Z
0 H	i	i	i	i	i	i	i	i	i	i	i
Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun- Jul- Aug- Sep-
06 06 06 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07
Months During FY 2007
Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule Questions: The Safe Drinking Water Hotline received
numerous questions about the Stage 2 and LT2 Rules and the issues relevant to compliance with these rules. A
surge in Stage 2 calls during December 2006 is likely due to the receipt of EPA flyers notifying smaller public
water systems of upcoming compliance dates as well as information concerning the registration process for the
Data Collection and Tracking System (DCTS).
Monthly Stage 2 D/DBP Rule Questions
200
(0
o 160
U-i
(/>
S 120
o
o 80
o
A
E 40
D
z
0
Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun- Jul-07 Aug- Sep-
06 06 06 07 07 07 07 07 07	07 07
Months During FY 2007
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Annual Report
General Trends: The top five commonly asked questions concern tap water testing, local drinking water quality,
consumer confidence reports (CCRs), home water treatment units, and lead in drinking water. The following
chart illustrates the distribution of those questions throughout FY 2007.
General Trends
1800
1600
w 1400
~ 1200

1	1000
° 800
0)
E 600
2	400
200
0
Coliform
Lead	CCR
Question Topic
Tap Water
Testing
Local DW
Quality
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Annual Report
Questions and Answers
The following questions and answers, organized by
subject, represent the range of questions addressed by the
Hotline on a variety of topics. These questions were
included in FY 2007 quarterly Hotline reports. Questions
addressed during the fourth quarter of FY 2007 are noted
with an asterisk (*) and were not included in any previous
reports.
General Information
EPA; state and local public health and regulatory
agencies; Native American tribes; large and small
drinking water suppliers; consumer, environmental, and
public health organizations; and local elected officials.
Additional information about revisions to the Total
Coliform Rule is available at
www.epa. gov/safewater/disinfection/tcr/regulation revisi
ons.html.
Q: What is the Water Contaminant Information Tool?
A: The Water Contaminant Information Tool (WCIT) is a
secure, on-line database that provides information on
chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants of
concern for water security. Access to this password-
protected tool will be granted to select personnel from
drinking water and wastewater utilities; state primacy
agencies; federal officials (including government
laboratory personnel); public health agencies; and water
associations.
Additional information on the WCIT is available at
www.epa. gov/wcit/index.html.
Q: Is there a regulation under the Safe Drinking Water
Act that requires drinking water from a PWS to meet a
specified temperature?
A: There is no regulatory standard for the temperature of
drinking water.
Q: What is the Total Coliform Rule Distribution System
Advisory Committee (TCRDSAC)?
A: The Total Coliform Rule Distribution System
Advisory Committee was established to provide advice
and make recommendations to EPA on revisions to the
Total Coliform Rule, and on what information about
distribution systems is needed to better understand the
public health impact from the degradation of drinking
water quality in distribution systems.
For the revision effort, the Advisory Committee will
advise EPA on how the Rule could be revised to improve
implementation and strengthen public health protection.
For distribution system issues, the Committee will help
EPA evaluate available data and research on aspects of
distribution systems that may create risks to public health
and consider how to address the risks.
The TCRDSAC will be composed of approximately 16
members who will serve as representative members and
regular government employees. In selecting nominees for
a balanced committee, EPA will consider candidates from
Q: What are the health effects related to sulfur-reducing
bacteria present in drinking water?
A: EPA does not have guidance or additional information
related to the presence of sulfur-reducing bacteria in
drinking water because sulfate is classified under the
secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL)
standards based on taste, odor, color, corrosivity, foaming
and staining properties of water. The SMCL for sulfate in
drinking water is 250 milligrams per liter (mg/1),
sometimes expressed as 250 parts per million (ppm).
Sulfur-reducing bacteria and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria are
related to water appearance problems and they pose no
known health risks.
Sulfur-reducing bacteria are a group gram negative genera
that are widespread and active in locations rich in sulfide
and elemental sulfur made anaerobic by microbial
digestion of organic materials producing hydrogen
sulfide. Sulfur-reducing bacteria live in oxygen-deficient
environments such as deep wells, plumbing systems,
water softeners, and water heaters. These bacteria usually
flourish on the hot water side of a water distribution
system. Sulfate reduction can occur over a wide range of
pH, pressure, temperature, and salinity conditions. Often
sulfate and sulfur reduction is apparent from the smell of
hydrogen sulfide (similar to rotten eggs) and the
blackening of water and sediment by iron sulfide. Water
with hydrogen sulfide alone (not sewage) does not cause
disease; however, sulfate-reducing bacteria can negatively
impact the water industry because of their primary role in
the anaerobic corrosion of iron in pipelines, heating
systems, and other structures.
Q: What are the requirements for becoming certified as
an operator of a public water system (PWS)? Does EPA
have some sort of test procedure?
A: EPA does not provide PWS operator certification.
Pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of
1996, EPA developed and issued guidelines specifying
minimum standards for certification and recertification of
the operators of community and non-transient, non-
community PWSs. States are required to implement these
guidelines or an equivalent state program. In addition,
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EPA will reimburse the training and certification costs for
operators of smaller systems (those serving less than
3,300 persons) by providing grants to states.
Information about the operator certification program is
available at www.epa.gov/safewater/opcert/opcert.htm.
*Q: Does EPA regulate drinking water aboard a cruise
ship?
A. Cruise ships operating under the American flag using
domestic waters must comply with federal drinking water
regulations and, if pertinent, state drinking water
regulations. These vessels are considered interstate
conveyors comparable to airlines or railroads.
Cruise ships that sail in international waters are under the
purview of the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program. See:
www. cdc. go v/nceh/vsp/default. htm.
*Q: When setting Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs)
and Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) does
EPA assume a specific amount of water consumption?
A. Yes, for each contaminant, when EPA sets the MCLG,
it is based on the assumption that a person could consume
two liters of drinking water containing the maximum level
of the contaminant daily for 70 years without
experiencing any know health effects. The MCLG is a
non-enforceable health-based goal. For known
carcinogens, or cancer-causing agents, the goal is set at
zero, assuming that any level of consumption could
present a cancer risk.
MCLs, which are the legal limit, are set as close to the
goal as possible, while taking into account technical and
financial barriers that may exist. Additional information
can be found at
www.epa.gov/safewater/therule.html#PhaseI.
Q: 40 CFR 141.153(d) specifies the information on
detected regulated contaminants that community water
systems must include in consumer confidence reports
(CCRs). Do community water systems need to report
information on detected contaminants that have a
secondary standard?
A: Community water systems are not federally required to
include information in CCRs about detected contaminants
that only have a secondary standard. However, if a
community water system chooses to report on secondary
contaminants, or if the state requires this reporting, it
should be done in a separate table from the table
displaying results for contaminants with national primary
drinking water standards (Preparing Your Drinking Water
Consumer Confidence Report Revised Guidance for
Water Suppliers, EPA816-R-05-002, April 2005).
Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
Q: What is the definition of "finished water" as it pertains
to the Stage 2 DBP Rule?
A: Finished water is water that has been introduced into
the distribution system of a public water system and is
intended for distribution and consumption without further
treatment, except as necessary to maintain water quality
in the distribution system (e.g., booster disinfection,
addition of corrosion control chemicals) (71 FR 388, 409;
January 4, 2006).
Q: A consecutive ground water system serving fewer than
3,300 persons chooses the standard monitoring option for
compliance with the Initial Distribution System
Evaluation (IDSE) requirement of the Stage 2
Disinfectant and Disinfection Byproducts (DBP) Rule. A
consecutive ground water system serving fewer than
3,300 persons is required to have two standard monitoring
locations for compliance with the IDSE standard
monitoring option. One location should be a high TTHM
location and the other should be a high HAA5 location
(40 CFR 141.601(b)). However, the Initial Distribution
System Evaluation Guide for Systems Serving Fewer Than
10,000 People For the Final Stage 2 Disinfectants and
Disinfection Byproducts Rule (EPA815-B-06-001,
January 2006) contains a statement on page 5-6 that
consecutive groundwater systems serving fewer than
3,300 persons must monitor at or near the connection to
the wholesale system indicating a third monitoring
location is required. Is this system required to have two
or three standard monitoring locations.
A: Consecutive ground water systems serving fewer than
3,300 persons are required to have two standard
monitoring locations as indicated in 40 CFR
141.601(b)(1). This system does not have to include a
sampling location at or near the connection to the
wholesale system.
Stage 2/LT2 Training and Tools
Q: When a required LT2 parameter for a specific
sampling date (Cryptosporidium, E. coli, or turbidity) is
missing, must a public water system (PWS) resample for
all three parameters or only the missing parameter?
A: If a system is unable to report a valid analytical result
for a scheduled sampling date due to equipment failure,
loss of or damage to the sample, failure to comply with
the analytical method requirements, or the failure of an
approved laboratory to analyze the sample, then the
system must collect a replacement sample. PWSs must
resample when a required parameter is missing (40 CFR
141,702(b)(2)(i)). However, if a system must resample
for Cryptosporidium, EPA recommends that you also
resample for E. Coli and turbidity. Monitoring results
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with sample collection dates that do not comply with the
schedule entered into the Data Collection and Tracking
System (DCTS) by the PWS before monitoring began will
be flagged. The PWS must enter an explanation in the
comments field on the DCTS to inform the reviewer of
the reason for the resample (Source Water Monitoring
Guidance Manual For Public Water Systems For The
Final Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment
Rule, EPA815-R-06-005, February 2006).
*Q: How should the Initial Distribution System
Evaluation (IDSE) Plans be submitted?
A. IDSE plans can be submitted electronically by using
the IDSE Tool available at
www.epa.gov/safewater/disinfection/tools/tools-idse.html.
The IDSE plan may also be submitted by E-mail to
Stage2mdbp@.epa. gov, by regular mail addressed to
USEPA - IPMC, P O Box 98, Dayton, OH 45401 or
submissions may be faxed to: 513-552-1935 or 937-586-
6557.
There is no provision for courier delivery.
Arsenic
Q: Why is my water supplier in violation of the arsenic
standard? This is the first time this information has been
included on the consumer confidence report (CCR).
Didn't they test for arsenic in all of the other years?
A: The new arsenic maximum contaminant level (MCL)
of 10 ug/L (10 ppb) was finalized January 22, 2001. The
effective date for this new MCL was January 23, 2006.
The CCR that was required to be completed by July 1,
2007, contains information on water monitoring during
2006. Since 2006 was the first year that water systems
had to comply with the stricter standard, this was the first
year that compliance information for the revised arsenic
standard might be included in the CCR.
Systems that detected arsenic between 25 (ig/L and 50
Ug/L during 2000 included an educational statement in
their CCRs. For reports covering calendar years 2001 and
beyond, systems that detected arsenic between 5 ^g/L and
10 ^g/L included an educational statement in their CCRs.
For reports covering 2001 to 2005, systems that detected
arsenic between 10 (ig/L and 50 (ig/L were required to
include a health effects statement in the annual report.
Systems that are in violation of the arsenic MCL (10
(ig/L) during calendar year 2006 and beyond must include
a health effects statement in their CCRs.
Q: How does arsenic get into drinking water?
A: Arsenic occurs naturally in rocks and soil, water, air,
and plants and animals. Approximately 90 percent of
industrial arsenic in the United States is currently used as
a wood preservative, but arsenic is also used in paints,
dyes, metals, drugs, soaps, and semi-conductors.
Agricultural applications, mining, and smelting also
contribute to arsenic releases in the environment.
Ground water sources of drinking water tend to have
higher levels of arsenic than surface water sources.
Western states have more systems with arsenic levels
greater than 10 ppb. Parts of the Midwest and New
England have some systems whose current arsenic levels
are greater than 10 ppb, but more systems with arsenic
levels that range from 2-10 ppb.
Radionuclides
Q: Public water systems (PWSs) in Kentucky received a
letter from EPA concerning compliance with the
Radionuclides Rule. Should radionuclide monitoring data
be submitted to the state or EPA?
A: PWSs located in Kentucky should submit radionuclide
data to EPA. The Commonwealth of Kentucky is
currently developing regulations and undertaking actions
required by EPA in order to receive legal authority to
administer and enforce requirements of the Radionuclides
Rule in Kentucky. Upon completion of this process and
following the opportunity for public comment, EPA will
make a determination of whether Kentucky meets federal
requirements to have primary enforcement responsibility
(primacy agency) for the requirements of the
Radionuclides Rule. Until such time, EPA retains
authority for regulating public water systems with respect
to these requirements and taking enforcement actions as
required by the Radionuclides Rule.
Q: Are non-transient, non-community water systems
(NTNCWSs) or transient, non-community water systems
(TNCWSs) subject to the requirements of the
Radionuclides Rule?
A: Neither NTNCWSs nor TNCWSs are subject to the
requirements of the Radionuclides Rule. The Rule is only
applicable to community water systems. Additional
information about radionuclides in drinking water,
including basic information and compliance help for the
Rule, is available at
www.epa.gov/safewater/radionuclides.
Q: When is a public water system (PWS) required to
monitor for beta particles and photon emitters?
A: Beta particle and photon radioactivity monitoring will
be performed only by community water systems (CWSs)
designated by the state as "vulnerable" or "contaminated."
CWSs (both surface and ground water) designated by the
state as vulnerable must collect quarterly samples for beta
emitters and annual samples for tritium and strontium-90
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Annual Report
at each entry point to the distribution system, beginning
within one quarter after being notified by the state.
Systems already designated by the state must continue to
sample until the state reviews and either reaffirms or
removes the designation.
CWSs (both surface and ground water) designated by the
state as utilizing waters contaminated by effluents from
nuclear facilities must collect quarterly samples for beta
emitters and iodine-131 and annual samples for tritium
and strontium-90 at each entry point to the distribution
system, beginning within one quarter after being notified
by the state until the state reviews and either reaffirms or
removes the designation (40 CFR 141.26(b)).
Contaminant Candidate List
Q: Has EPA made a decision regarding regulation of
perchlorate in drinking water?
A: EPA has not made a preliminary determination
regarding regulation of perchlorate in drinking water. On
May 1, 2007, EPA published preliminary regulatory
determinations for eleven contaminants on the second
drinking water Contaminant Candidate List (72 FR
24015). Although EPA has not made a preliminary
determination for perchlorate, the proposed rule provides
an update on EPA's evaluation of perchlorate. EPA also
requested public comment on the information and the
options for evaluating perchlorate, and solicited the
submission of relevant, new information or data that may
assist EPA in its regulatory determination.
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
Q: EPA has developed an electronic data reporting
system for public water systems (PWSs) subject to the
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation 2
(UCMR 2). This reporting system, the Safe Drinking
Water Accession and Review System (SDWARS), has
been pre-populated with large system sample location
inventory, such as PWS identification number, name,
facility identification, source water type, and sample point
identification, name, and type. Where did this inventory
information come from?
A: EPA pre-populated the large system sample location
inventory for UCMR 2 using recent large system
information provided by some states. In addition,
inventory information from the SDWARS, version 1.0
used during UCMR 1 and some information from the Safe
Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) was used.
PWSs are responsible for verifying and correcting this
inventory information as well as adding any new facility
information or sampling points. Systems have 210 days
from the publication of the January 4, 2007, final UCMR
2 Rule (i.e., until August 2, 2007) to complete this
process. This information and other essential elements of
UCMR 2 can be found in the Reference Guide for the
Second Cycle of the Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Regulation (EPA815-R-06-016, December
2006), available at
www.epa.gov/safewater/ucmr/ucmr2/pdfs/guide ucmr2 r
eferrence guide, pdf.
Q: Is it possible to edit the Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Regulation 2 (UCMR 2) public water system
(PWS) inventory data that is pre-populated in the Safe
Drinking Water Accession and Review System
(SDWARS)?
A: Systems have until August 2, 2007 to revise sampling
location and monitoring schedules in SDWARS. After
August 2, 2007, a system must notify EPA directly if
there are sampling location or inventory changes, or if the
system cannot sample according to the established
schedule.
Q: The Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
(UCMR) 1 Monitoring Program was comprised of three
separate lists of contaminants. Is there a Pre-Screen
Testing List (List 3) of contaminants under UCMR 2?
A: Pre-Screen Testing, the third tier of UCMR monitoring
that is designed for priority "List 3" contaminants, is not
required under UCMR 2. EPA retained the regulatory
language that supports Pre-Screen Testing authority as
part of the three-tiered UCMR framework. If EPA
decides to include Pre-Screen Testing, EPA will initiate a
rulemaking action to propose List 3 contaminants and
their associated analytical methods (72 FR 368, 371;
January 4, 2007).
Q: A consecutive system is a public water system (PWS)
that receives some or all of its finished water from one or
more wholesale systems (40 CFR 141.2). Are
consecutive systems subject to the Unregulated
Contaminant Monitoring Rule 2 (UCMR 2)?
A: Consecutive community water systems (CWSs) and
consecutive non-transient non-community water systems
(NTNCWSs) that purchase all of their finished water from
another system are not subject to UCMR 2. CWSs and
NTNCWSs that do not purchase their entire water supply
as finished water from another PWS must monitor
according to the applicable requirements (40 CFR
141.40(a)(2)).
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Federal Register Summaries
FINAL RULES
"National Primary Drinking Water Regulations:
Ground Water Rule; Final Rule"
November 8, 2006 (71 FR 65574)
EPA promulgated a National Primary Drinking Water
Regulation, the Ground Water Rule, to provide for
increased protection against microbial pathogens in public
water systems that use ground water sources. The Ground
Water Rule establishes a risk-targeted approach to target
ground water systems that are susceptible to fecal
contamination, instead of requiring disinfection for all
ground water systems. The occurrence of fecal indicators
in a drinking water supply is an indication of the potential
presence of microbial pathogens that may pose a threat to
public health. This rule requires ground water systems
that are at risk of fecal contamination to take corrective
action to reduce cases of illnesses and deaths due to
exposure to microbial pathogens. A key objective of the
rule is to protect public health by requiring these higher
risk ground water sources to monitor and, when
necessary, take corrective action. Corrective action can
include correcting all significant deficiencies; providing
an alternate source of water; eliminating the source of
contamination; or providing treatment that reliably
achieves at least 99.99 percent (4-log) treatment of
viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a state-approved
combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) for
each contaminated ground water source.
This final rule was effective on January 8, 2007.
"Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
(UCMR) for Public Water Systems Revisions; Final
Rule"
January 4, 2007 (72 FR 367)
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in
1996, requires EPA to establish criteria for a program to
monitor unregulated contaminants and to publish a list of
contaminants to be monitored every five years. EPA
published the first set of contaminants in 1999. This final
regulation meets the SDWA requirement by publishing
the next set of unregulated contaminants to be monitored
and the requirements for such monitoring.
This final rule describes the design for the second
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
(UCMR) cycle (i.e., UCMR 2) of 2007-2011. EPA is
requiring monitoring of 25 chemicals using 5 different
analytical methods. UCMR 2 monitoring will occur
during 2008-2010. Implementation of this final rule will
benefit the environment by providing EPA and other
interested parties with scientifically valid data on the
occurrence of these contaminants in drinking water,
thereby permitting the assessment of the population
potentially being exposed and the levels of that exposure.
These data are the primary source of occurrence and
exposure data for EPA to determine whether to regulate
these contaminants.
The effective date for this action is February 5, 2007.
"Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the
Analysis of Pollutants Under the Clean Water Act;
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations; and
National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations;
Analysis and Sampling Procedures; Final Rule"
March 12, 2007 (72 FR 11199)
This rule modifies the testing procedures approved for
analysis and sampling under the Clean Water Act and
Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA proposed these changes
for public comment on August 18, 2003, and April 6,
2004. This rule also changes regulations under the Safe
Drinking Water Act that establish drinking water
sampling and analysis procedures. The changes include
approval of vendor-developed methods, new EPA and
Voluntary Consensus Standard Body (VCSB) methods,
updated VCSB methods, and approval of a modification
to the test kit used with Syngenta Method AG-625 that
restricts its use in certain circumstances.
CORRECTIONS
"National Primary Drinking Water Regulations:
Ground Water Rule; Correction"
November 21, 2006 (71 FR 67427)
This rule made corrections to the table of analytical
methods for source water monitoring in the Ground Water
Rule.
"Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
(UCMR) for Public Water Systems Revisions;
Correction"
January 26, 2007 (72 FR 3916)
EPA published this correction to the UCMR 2 for Table 1
in 40 CFR 141.40(a)(3).
"Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
(UCMR) for Public Water Systems Revisions"
January 30, 2007 (72 FR 4328)
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EPA published a correction to the billing code that
appeared in the Friday, January 26, 2007 correction
notice.
PROPOSED RULES
"Drinking Water: Regulatory Determinations
Regarding Contaminants on the Second Drinking
Water Contaminant Candidate List—Preliminary
Determinations; Proposed Rule"
May 1, 2007 (72 FR 24015)
This action presents the preliminary regulatory
determinations for 11 of the 51 contaminants listed on the
Contaminant Candidate List 2 and describes the
supporting rationale for each. The preliminary
determination is that a national primary drinking water
regulation is not appropriate for any of the 11
contaminants considered for regulatory determinations.
EPA seeks comment on these 11 preliminary
determinations. Although EPA has not made a
preliminary determination for perchlorate, this action
provides an update on EPA's evaluation of perchlorate.
EPA also requests public comment on the information and
the options that EPA is considering in evaluating
perchlorate, and welcomes the submission of relevant,
new information or data that may assist EPA in its
regulatory determination.
Comments were to be received by July 2, 2007.
NOTICES
"National Drinking Water Advisory Council: Request
for Nominations"
October 4,2006 (71 FR 58600)
EPA invited all interested persons to nominate qualified
individuals to serve a three-year term as members of the
National Drinking Water Advisory Council (Council).
This 15-member Council was established by the Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to provide practical and
independent advice, consultation, and recommendations
to the Agency on the activities, functions, policies, and
regulations required by the SDWA. The terms of four
members expire in December 2006. To maintain the
representation required in the statute, nominees for the
2007 Council should represent State and local officials
concerned with public water supply and public health
protection (two vacancies) or represent the general public
(two vacancies). All nominations will be fully considered,
but applicants need to be aware of the specific
representation needed as well as geographical balance so
that all major areas of the U.S. (East, Mid-West, South,
Mountain, South-West, and West) will be represented.
Nominations were to be submitted on or before November
15,2006.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revision
for the State of Utah"
October 12,2006 (71 FR 60145)
The State of Utah has revised its Public Water System
Supervision (PWSS) Primacy Program by adopting
federal regulations for the Arsenic Rule and Filter
Backwash Recycling Rule, which correspond to 40 CFR
Parts 141 and 142. EPA has completed its review of these
revisions in accordance with SDWA, and proposes to
approve Utah's primacy revisions for the above stated
Rules. This approval action does not extend to public
water systems in Indian country, as defined in 18 U.S.C.
1151.
The comment period for this proposal was extended until
November 13, 2006.
"Request for Nominations of Drinking Water
Contaminants for the Contaminant Candidate List"
October 16,2006 (71 FR 6074)
EPA requested nominations of chemical and microbial
contaminants for possible inclusion in the third drinking
water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 3). EPA is also
requested information that shows the nominated
contaminant may have an adverse health effect on people
and the contaminant occurs or is likely to occur in public
water systems.
Nominations must have been received on or before
December 15, 2006.
"Agency Information Collection Activities;
Submission to OMB for Review and Approval;
Comment Request; Community Water System Survey
2006"
October 19,2006 (71 FR 61766)
EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB for review
and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5
CFR 1320.12. On June 1,2006,(71 FR 31176-31177),
EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR
1320.8(d). EPA received two comments during the
comment period, which are addressed in the ICR. Any
additional comments on this ICR should be submitted to
EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice. Comments
must be submitted by November 20, 2006.
"Agency Information Collection Activities:
Submission to OMB for Review and Approval;
Comment Request; 2007 Drinking Water
Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment; Agency
Information Collection"
October 25,2006 (71 FR 64239)
The purpose of this information collection is to identify
the infrastructure needs of community public water
systems for the 20-year period from January 2007 through
December 2027. EPA will use a questionnaire to collect
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capital investment need information from large (serving
more than 100,000 people) and medium (serving more
than 3,300 people but less than 100,000) community
water systems. The questionnaire will also be used by
EPA survey teams in visits to 400 to 600 statistically-
selected small (serving less than 3,300 people)
community water systems to ascertain their infrastructure
needs. Participation in the survey is voluntary. The data
from the questionnaires will provide EPA with a basis for
estimating the nationwide infrastructure needs of
community water systems. Also, as mandated by Section
1452(a)(l)(D)(ii) of the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA
uses the results of the latest survey to allocate Drinking
Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) monies to the
states. Under the allotment formula, each State receives a
grant of the annual DWSRF appropriation in proportion to
its share of the total national need—with the proviso that
each state receives at least 1 percent of the total funds
available.
"Notice of Tentative Approval and Solicitation of
Request for a Public Hearing for Public Water System
Supervision Program Revision for the Commonwealth
of Virginia"
October 30,2006 (71 FR 63321)
The Commonwealth of Virginia is revising its approved
Public Water System Supervision Program. Virginia has
adopted the Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water
Treatment Rule to improve control of microbial
pathogens in drinking water, including specifically the
protozoan Cryptosporidium. EPA has determined that
these revisions are no less stringent than the
corresponding federal regulations. Therefore, EPA has
decided to tentatively approve these program revisions.
All interested parties are invited to submit written
comments on this determination and may request a public
hearing.
Effective date for this approval is November 29, 2006.
"Listening Session on Exploring Bottled Water as an
Alternative Compliance Option in Limited Situations
for Non-Transient, Non-Community Water Systems"
November 15, 2006 (71 FR 6651)
EPA announced a listening session on the viability of
bottled water as an alternative compliance option for
chronic contaminants regulated under the SDWA. The
purpose of this meeting is to identify information and data
needed for EPA to evaluate the efficacy of bottled water
as an alternative compliance option for non-transient,
non-community water systems.
The listening session was to be held in Washington, DC,
on Tuesday, December 12, 2006, at RESOLVE.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revisions
for the State of Minnesota; Notice of Approval"
November 17, 2006 (71 FR 66946)
Minnesota has revised the following rules: Consumer
Confidence Reports; Lead and Copper Technical
Corrections; Synthetic Organic Chemicals/Inorganic
Chemicals (SOC/IOC) Technical Amendments;
Analytical Methods Technical Corrections; Analytical
Methods for Radionuclides; Point of Use Devices; Public
Water Supply (PWS) Definition; Administrative Penalty
Order (APO) Authority; and Variances and Exemptions
for compliance with National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations Rule. EPA has determined that these
revisions by the State are no less stringent than the
corresponding Federal regulations. Therefore, EPA
intends to approve these revisions to the State of
Minnesota's Public Water System Supervision Program.
The effective date for this action is December 18, 2006.
"Meeting of the National Drinking Water Advisory
Council—Notice of Public Meeting"
November 21, 2006 (71 FR 67349)
EPA gave notice of a public meeting of the NDWAC.
The primary topics to be discussed and considered by the
Council are the issues and challenges facing the thousands
of small drinking water systems nationwide. Status
reports on other national drinking water program issues,
such as the approach to a draft rule for drinking water
supplies on airlines; the early implementation of the rules
protecting drinking water supplies from microbial
contaminants; the recently-promulgated Ground Water
Rule; revisions to the existing Total Coliform Rule; and
implementation recommendations for the Contaminant
Candidate List 3.
The meeting was to be held December 14, 2006, in Fort
Worth, TX.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revisions
for the State of Texas"
November 22, 2006 (71 FR 67579)
Texas is revising its approved Public Water System
Supervision Program. Texas has adopted the Lead and
Copper Rule Minor Revisions (LCRMR), the Filter
Backwash Recycling Rule (FBRR), and the Long Term 1
Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT1ESWTR).
EPA has determined that the proposed LCRMR, FBRR
and LT1ESWTR revisions submitted by Texas are no less
stringent than the corresponding federal regulation.
Therefore, EPA intends to approve the program revisions.
The effective date for this action was December 22, 2006.
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"Notice of Tentative Approval and Solicitation of
Request for a Public Hearing for Public Water System
Supervision Program Revision for the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania"
November 24, 2006 (71 FR 67865)
Pennsylvania has revised its approved Public Water
System Supervision Program. Pennsylvania has adopted
a Radionuclides Rule to establish a new maximum
contaminant level (MCL) for uranium and revise
monitoring requirements. EPA has determined that these
revisions are no less stringent than the corresponding
federal regulations. Therefore, EPA has decided to
tentatively approve these program revisions. It is noted
that Pennsylvania's regulations in 25 Pa. Code 109 do not
specifically provide for the use of bottled water as a
means for a water system to qualify for a variance or
exemption for radionuclides; thus, the Commonwealth
interprets this to mean that the practice is disallowed.
The effective date for this action was December 26, 2006.
"Formal Reopening of the EPA Docket Center Public
Reading Room"
November 24, 2006 (71 FR 67864)
The EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) houses eight
consolidated paper docket facilities and includes a Public
Reading Room, offering a variety of tools for members of
the public seeking access to hardcopy or electronic public
dockets. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room, which was
temporarily closed due to flooding, formally reopened on
November 6, 2006. Current information on docket
operations, locations, and telephone numbers is available
on the EPA Docket Center Web site at
www. ep a. go v/ep ahome/dockets. htm.
The Water Docket, including all docket information
pertaining to SDWA regulations, is one of the affected
dockets. The URL is www.epa. gov/ow/docket.html.
"Notice of Approval of the Primacy Application for
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for the
State of Kansas"
December 11, 2006 (71 FR 71542)
EPA has determined to approve an application by the
Kansas Department of Health and Environment to
incorporate the following EPA National Primary Drinking
Water Regulations: Arsenic and Clarifications to
Compliance and New Source Contaminants Monitoring;
Consumer Confidence Reports Rule; Filter Backwash
Recycling Rule; Interim Enhanced Surface Water
Treatment Rule; Lead and Copper Rule Minor Revisions;
Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule;
Public Notification Rule; Radionuclides Rule; and Stage 1
Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule. EPA has
determined that Kansas's regulations are no less stringent
than the corresponding Federal regulations and that
Kansas continues to meet all requirements for primary
enforcement responsibility.
The effective date for this action was January 10, 2007
"Notice of Approval of the Primacy Application for
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for the
State of Nebraska"
December 11, 2006 (71 FR 71541)
EPA has determined to approve an application by the
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to
incorporate the following EPA National Primary Drinking
Water Regulations: Arsenic and Clarifications to
Compliance and New Source Monitoring Rule; Filter
Backwash Recycling Rule; Lead and Copper Rule Minor
Revisions; Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water
Treatment Rule; Public Notification Rule; Radionuclides
Rule; and Variance and Exemption Rule.
The effective date for this action was January 10, 2007.
"Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, Fall 2006"
December 11, 2006 (71 FR 73848)
EPA publishes the semiannual regulatory agenda to
update the public about regulations and major policies
currently under development, reviews of existing
regulations and major policies, and rules and major
policymakings completed or canceled since the last
agenda.
"Total Coliform Rule / Distribution System
Stakeholder Technical Workshop and Request for
Nominations"
December 28, 2006 (71 FR 78203)
EPA held a technical workshop in Washington, DC, to
discuss available information on the Total Coliform Rule
(TCR) and available information regarding risks in
distribution systems in support of revisions to the TCR. If
results from the workshop indicate that a formal
consensus building process is appropriate for the revision
effort, the Agency will consider establishing a Committee
under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to provide
advice and recommendations on how best to utilize
available information for potential revisions to the TCR
and to address public health risks from contamination of
distribution systems. In addition, such a Committee could
provide recommendations to determine if further
information is needed to be collected to address health
risks associated with distribution systems.
To prepare in advance for the potential establishment of a
Federal Advisory Committee, EPA is soliciting
nominations for membership on the Committee in this
notice.
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The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 30,
2007, through Thursday, February 1, 2007. Submit
nominations for a potential Federal Advisory Committee
on or before January 29, 2007.
"Safe Drinking Water Act Determination;
Underground Injection Control Program,
Determination of Indian Country Status for Purposes
of Underground Injection Control Program
Permitting"
February 26,2007 (72 FR 8380)
This notice announces the availability of EPA's Land
Status Determination, which concludes that the
approximately 160 acres of land located in the southeast
portion of Section 8, Township 16N, Range 16W, in the
State of New Mexico (the Section 8 land), is part of a
dependent Indian community under 18 U.S.C. 1151(b)
and, thus, considered to be "Indian country." EPA is
therefore the appropriate agency to consider underground
injection control permit applications under the Safe
Drinking Water Act for that land.
"Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed
Collection; Comment Request; Underground Injection
Control (UIC) Program; EPA ICR No. 0370.19; OMB
Control No. 2040-0042"
February 28,2007 (72 FR 8983)
The Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program under
the Safe Drinking Water Act established a federal and
state regulatory system to protect underground sources of
drinking water from contamination by injected fluids.
Owners or operators of underground injection wells must
obtain permits, conduct environmental monitoring,
maintain records, and report results to EPA or the state
UIC primacy agency. States must report to EPA on
permittee compliance and related information. The
mandatory information is reported using standardized
forms and annual reports, and the regulations are codified
at 40 CFR Parts 144 through 148. The data are used by
UIC authorities to ensure the protection of underground
sources of drinking water.
"Notice of a Second Workshop on the Development of
Regulations for Aircraft Public Water Systems"
March 8, 2007 (72 FR 10528)
EPA held a second workshop on the development of
regulations for aircraft public water systems. This
workshop will provide information about recent activities
and an overview of approaches for the proposed Aircraft
Drinking Water Rule. This is the second workshop in a
series designed to gain perspectives from representatives
from industry, government, public interest groups, and the
general public.
The workshop was held in Washington, D.C. on March
28-29, 2007.
"Board of Scientific Counselors, Drinking Water Mid-
Cycle Subcommittee Meetings, Spring 2007"
April 4, 2007 (72 FR 16350)
EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) gave
notice of two meetings of the Board of Scientific
Counselors (BOSC) Drinking Water Mid-Cycle
Subcommittee. The meetings were to take place on
Thursday, April 26, 2007, and Wednesday, May 23, 2007.
"Expedited Approval of Test Procedures for the
Analysis of Contaminants Under the Safe Drinking
Water Act; Analysis and Sampling Procedures"
April 10, 2007 (72 FR 17902)
EPA announced its intent to implement an expedited
process for approving alternative testing methods for
existing regulations for drinking water contaminants. The
Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes EPA to approve the
use of alternative testing methods through publication of a
notice in the Federal Register instead of through
rulemaking procedures. EPA plans to use this
streamlined authority to make additional methods
available for analyzing drinking water compliance and
unregulated contaminant monitoring samples. This
expedited approach will provide public water systems,
laboratories, and primacy agencies with more timely
access to new measurement techniques and greater
flexibility in the selection of analytical methods, thereby
reducing monitoring costs while maintaining public health
protection. This notice requests comments on
implementation aspects of the expedited method approval
process.
"Spring 2007 Regulatory Agenda"
April 30, 2007 (72 FR 23156)
EPA publishes the semiannual regulatory agenda to
update the public about regulations and major policies
currently under development, reviews of existing
regulations and major policies, and rules and major
policymakings completed or canceled since the last
agenda.
"Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed
Collection; Comment Request; Proficiency Testing
Studies for Drinking Water Laboratories"
May 3, 2007 (72 FR 24582)
The enforcement of drinking water regulations is
conducted by primacy agencies. These primacy agencies
are generally the states, but in the cases where the
drinking water utilities are located either in a state that has
not accepted primacy or in a territory of the United States,
the EPA Regional office for the area serves as the
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primacy agency. Entities potentially affected by this
action are laboratories seeking drinking water primacy
agency (usually state) certification or accreditation for the
analysis of drinking water samples. Proficiency testing
(PT) studies provide an objective demonstration that
participating laboratories are capable of producing valid
data for monitored pollutants.
Comments were to be received by July 2, 2007.
"Meeting of the National Drinking Water Advisory
Council—Notice of Public Meeting"
May 4, 2007 (72 FR 25302)
EPA gave notice of a meeting on May 23 and 24, 2007, of
the National Drinking Water Advisory Council
(NDWAC), established under the Safe Drinking Water
Act. The topics to be discussed and considered by the
Council include EPA and utility activities to address
emerging contaminants and climate change. EPA will
consult with the Council on the Aircraft Drinking Water
Rule and Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. The Council
will also be briefed on activities to improve waterborne
disease outbreak surveillance; investigation and reporting;
activities to advance sustainable infrastructure and water
security; and activities related to developing a
management framework for geosequestration of carbon
dioxide. If time permits, the Council will also be updated
on the status of other regulatory and implementation
activities underway in the national drinking water
protection program.
"Water Security Initiative: Preliminary Notice of a
Request for Applications for Contamination Warning
System Pilots"
May 29, 2007 (72 FR 29498)
EPA provided preliminary notice of its intention to solicit
competitive applications for cooperative agreements to
support contamination warning system demonstration
pilots. These pilots will be part of EPA's Water Security
(WS) initiative (formerly Water Sentinel), which
addresses the risk of contamination of drinking water
distribution systems. Local governments or institutions
(either public or private nonprofit organizations) that
operate community water systems serving at least 750,000
people will be eligible to compete for these cooperative
agreements. The purpose of this notice is to alert
potential applicants to this future opportunity.
EPA anticipates awarding four cooperative agreements
for contamination warning system demonstration pilots,
with individual award amounts between $3 and $12
million. A minimum 20 percent cost-share, which may
include in-kind services, would be required.
Contamination warning systems must address five
monitoring and surveillance components: online water
quality monitoring, contaminant sampling and analysis,
enhanced security monitoring, consumer complaint
surveillance, and public health surveillance, along with a
consequence management plan.
The request for applications was expected in June 2007.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revisions
for the State of Indiana"
May 30, 2007 (72 FR 30000)
Indiana is revising its approved Public Water System
Supervision Program. Indiana has revised the following
rules: Arsenic, Radionuclides, and Long Term 1
Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule. EPA has
determined that these revisions by the state are no less
stringent than the corresponding federal regulations.
Therefore, EPA intends to approve these revisions to the
State of Indiana's Public Water System Supervision
Program.
The effective date for this action was June 29, 2007.
"Board of Scientific Counselors, Drinking Water Mid-
Cycle Subcommittee Meeting—July 2007"
June 19, 2007 (72 FR 33755)
EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD), gives
notice of a meeting of the Board of Scientific Counselors
(BOSC) Drinking Water Mid-Cycle Subcommittee. The
proposed agenda item for the meeting (teleconference) is
discussion of the draft report concerning the ORD
drinking water research program's progress in response to
recommendations from its 2005 BOSC review and other
activities. The meeting is open to the public.
The meeting (a teleconference call) was to be held on
Friday, July 13, 2007.
"Public Water System Supervision Program Revisions
for the State of Michigan"
June 20, 2007 (72 FR 34249)
The State of Michigan has formally requested primary
enforcement authority for the Radionuclides Rule, which
will reduce exposure to radionuclides in drinking water
and reduce the risk of cancer; the Arsenic and
Clarifications to Compliance and New Source Monitoring
(Arsenic) Rule, which requires community and non-
transient non-community water systems to comply with
the revised arsenic maximum contaminant level of 0.010
mg/L; the Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water
Treatment Rule (LT1ESWTR), which improves public
health protection through the control of microbial
pathogens, specifically Cryptosporidium, in drinking
water; and the Filter Backwash Recycling Rule (FBRR),
which requires changes to the return of recycle flows to a
water treatment plant's process that may otherwise
compromise microbial control.
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EPA has determined that these revisions are no less
stringent than the corresponding federal regulations.
Therefore, EPA intends to approve these program rules.
The effective date for this action was July 23, 2007.
"Establishment of the Total Coliform Rule
Distribution System Advisory Committee; Notice"
June 29, 2007 (72 FR 35870)
EPA gave notice that it is establishing the Total Coliform
Rule Distribution System Advisory Committee
(TCRDSAC). The purpose of the TCRDSAC is to
provide advice and make recommendations to the Agency
on revisions to the Total Coliform Rule (TCR), and on
what information about distribution systems is needed to
better understand the public health impact from the
degradation of drinking water quality in distribution
systems. EPA has determined that this Advisory
Committee is in the public interest and will assist the
Agency in performing its duties as directed in the 2006
EPA Appropriations Act.
For the revision effort, EPA would like the Advisory
Committee to advise the Agency on how the rule could be
revised to improve implementation and strengthen public
health protection. For distribution system issues, EPA
would like the Committee to evaluate available data and
research on aspects of distribution systems that may
create risks to public health and consider how to address
the risks.
"Meeting of the Total Coliform Rule Distribution
System Advisory Committee—Notice of Public
Meeting"
June 29, 2007 (72 FR 35870)
EPA gave notice of a meeting of the Total Coliform Rule
Distribution System Advisory Committee (TCRDSAC).
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the charge for
the Advisory Committee; discuss the purpose, efficacy,
and applicability of the Total Coliform Rule (TCR);
determine the availability of data and research to better
understand the potential public health impact of the
degradation of water quality in distribution systems; and
discuss existing data sources and potential analyses to
support the advisory committee.
The meeting was to be held July 17 and 18, 2007, in
Washington, DC.
"Meeting of the Total Coliform Rule Distribution
System Advisory Committee—Notice of Public
Meeting"
August 21, 2007 (72 FR 46631)
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the purpose,
efficacy, applicability, and implementation of the Total
Coliform Rule (TCR), a range of information that can be
used to characterize and potentially revise the Rule, what
distribution system issues affect water quality, and criteria
for prioritizing distribution system issues.
The meeting was held September 18 and 19, 2007 in
Washington, DC.
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
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Annual Report Statistics
Hotline Annual Statistics
Annual Summary of Hotline Service
ECSS Activities
Total number of ECSS generated emails
851
Total number of ECSS hitsJ
199,175
Total number of calls answered
10,016
Average wait time (in seconds)
51
Percent of calls satisfied immediately
99.9%
Percent of all calls answered in < 5 min
94.9%
Percent of callbacks answered in 5 days
100.0%
Number of times callers were

transferred to the WSC Wellcare

Hotline
2,516
Number of times callers listened to

recorded message about CCRs
2,010
Number of times callers listened to

recorded message about local drinking

water quality for PWS customers
2,142
Number of times callers listened to

recorded message about tap water

testing and quality for household well

owners
1,349
Number of times callers listened to

recorded message about tap water

testing for PW S customers
2,933
Contact with Hotline: Comparison to Previous Year
Calls
Answered
Messages
Heard
Generated ,,( ss ,,^1
I mails
FY07
10,016
10,950
851
199,175
FY06
11,492
11,975
920
93,489
Top Ten Referrals
Customer Referred to:
Number of
Referrals
Percent of
Total*
Referrals
1.
State Lab Certification
1,252
22
2.
Local Water System
1,196
21
3.
State PWSS
751
14
4.
NSF/WQA/UL
602
11
5.
EPA Internet
541
10
6.
AGWT/WSC
220
4
7.
Combined Regions
141
3
8.
FDA/IBWA
129
2
9.
Other Hotlines
128
2
10.
EPA HQ OGWDW
62
1
*5,485 total referrals to other resources, agencies, and
organizations were provided by the Hotline in FY 2007.

Number of
Topic
generated e-mails
Arsenic
24
Bottled Water
21
Compliance/Issues (PWS)
56
Consumer Concerns
116
Contaminants and Standards
131
Definitions
33
Facts, Figures, and Databases
29
Household Wells
87
Local Drinking Water Quality
72
Long Term 2 Rule
14
Other*
205
Source Water Protection
16
Stage 2 Rule
29
Tap Water Testing
18
TOTAL
851
*Topics other than those listed in the table
Caller Profiles
Customer
Calls
Analytical Laboratories
90
Citizen - Private Well
601
Citizen - PWS
6,601
Consultants/Industry/Trade (DW)
488
Consultants/Industry/Trade (Other)
160
Environmental Groups
14
EPA
68
Other Federal Agency
48
Government, Local
36
Government, State
129
Government, Tribal
9
Spanish Speaking
228
International
16
Media
13
Medical Professional
42
Public Water System
1,054
Schools/University
135
Other
384
TOTAL
10,016
1 Page turns on the Safe Drinking Water ECSS Interface
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Safe Drinking Water Hotline

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Annual Report Statistics
Caller Question Topics
Topic
Number of
Questions
Microbials/Disinfection Byproducts
Chlorine
165
Coliforms
569
Cryptosporidium
342
Disinfection/Disinfection Byproducts

(Other)
110
Disinfection - Home Water
125
Long Term 2 Rule
240
Other Microbials
146
Stage 2 DBP Rule
473
Storage - Home Water
34
Surface Water Treatment (SWTR,

ESWTR, LT1FBR)
37
Trihalomethane (THM)
86
Inorganic Chemicals (IOC)/Synthetic

Organic Chemicals (SOC)

Arsenic
216
Fluoride
145
Methyl-tert/'a^y-butyl-ether (MTBE)
20
Perchlorate
16
Phase I, II & V
112
Sodium Monitoring
29
Sulfate
7
Lead and Copper
Copper
117
Lead
767
Lead Contamination Control Act

(LCCA)/Lead Ban
46
Radionuclides
Radionuclides (Other)
174
Radionuclides (Radon)
271
Secondary DW Regulations
Secondary DW Regulations
303
SDWA Background/Overview
Definitions & Applicability
123
MCL List
375
Other Background
157
SDWA
293
Topic
Number of
Questions
W ater on T ap
6
Other DW Regulations
Analytical Methods (DW)
81
Contaminant Candidate List/

Drinking Water Priority List
31
Consumer Confidence Report

(DW)
1,344
DW Primacy (PWS)
36
Operator (PWS) Certification
31
Other Drinking Water Security
18
Public Notification (PWS)
426
Security Planning Grants
1
State Revolving Fund (DW)
9
Unregulated Contaminant

Monitoring Rule (UCMR)
190
Other Drinking Water
Additives Program
44
Bottled Water
335
Complaints about PWS
543
Compliance & Enforcement

(PWS)
191
Home Water Treatment Units
644
Infrastructure/Cap. Development
41
Local DW Quality
1,414
Tap Water Testing
1,644
Treatment/BATs (DW)
32
Drinking Water Source Protection
Ground Water Rule
47
Sole Source Aquifer
12
Source Water/Wellhead Protect.
60
UIC Program
62
Out of Purview
Household Wells
463
Non-Environmental
155
Non-EPA Environmental
110
Other EPA (Programs)
193
TOTALS
13,661
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
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Annua! Report
Addendum:
Fiscal Year 2007
Fourth Quarter Statistics
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Safe Drinking Water Hotline

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Annual Report Statistics
Hotline Fourth Quarter FY 2007 Statistics
Top Ten Caller Topics
Topic
Questions
Percent of Total* Questions
Local Drinking Water Quality
628

Tap Water Testing
555
12%
Consumer Confidence Report


Lead
228
5%
Home Water Treatment Units
r>

Coliforms
190
5%
Complaints About PWS
188
4%
Public Notification
152
3%
Cryptosporidium
145

Household Wells
143
3%
*A total of4,594 questions from callers were answered by the Hotline in the 4' Quarter of FY 2007.
Culls and ECSS Generate E-mails
Calls** i	ECSS E-mails***
2,903
Total
228
3,131
** A single call may generate multiple questions.
*** E-mails registered through EPA's Enterprise Customer Service Solution knowledge base at the OGWDW Web site.
Quarterly Summary of Hotline Service
Comparison to Previous Year
Total number of calls answered
2,903

Calls
ECSS E-mails
Total number of ECSS E-mails
228
4'
111 Quarter FY07 2,903

228
Average wait time (in seconds)
0:45
4'
111 Quarter FY06 3,417

219
Percent of calls satisfied immediately
99.90%




Percent of all calls answered in < 5 min
90.53%

Top Ten Referrals

Percent of callbacks answered in 5 days
100.0%


Number
Percent
Number of times callers were

Customer Referred to:
of
of Total*
transferred to the WSC Wellcare



Referrals
Referrals
Hotline
724
1.
Local Water System
558
27
Number of times callers listened to

2.
State Lab Certification
494
24
recorded message about CCRs
629
3.
State PWSS
275
13
Number of times callers listened to

4.
NSF/WQA/UL
237
12
recorded message about local drinking

5.
EPA Internet
105
5
water quality for PW S customers
681
6.
AGWT/WSC
60
3
Number of times callers listened to

7.
FDA/IBWA
45
2
recorded message about tap water

8.
Other
36
2
testing and quality for household well

9.
Other Hotlines
31
1
owners
362
10.
Local Public Health
30
1
Number of times callers listened to
recorded message about tap water
testing for PWS customers
988
*A total of2,036referrals to other resources, agencies, and
organizations were provided by the Hotline in the 4th Quarter
of FY 2007.
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
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Annual Report Statistics
Caller Profiles

Customer
Calls
Analytical Laboratories
18
Citizen - Private Well
170
Citizen - PWS
2,135
Consultants/Industry/Trade (DW) 88
Consultants/Industry/Trade (Other)
32
Environmental Groups
4
EPA
17
Other Federal Agency
14
Government, Local 8
Government, State
26
Government, Tribal
1
Spanish Speaking
99
International
3
Media
5
Medical Professional
14
Public Water System
143
Schools/University
21
Other
105
TOTALS
2,903
Caller Question Topics

Topic
Number of
Questions
Microbials/Disinfection Byproducts
Chlorine
64
Coliforms
190
Cryptosporidium
145
Disinfection/Disinfection Byproducts

(Other)
29
Disinfection - Home Water
59
Long Term 2 Rule
24
Other Microbials
65
Stage 2 D/DBP Rule
102
Storage - Home Water
14
Surface Water Treatment (SWTR,

ESWTR, LT1FBR)
13
Trihalomethane (THM)
25
Inorganic Chemicals (IOC)/Synthetic

Organic Chemicals (SOC)

Arsenic
80
Fluoride
57
Methyl-;erf/ary-butyl-ether (MTBE)
2
Perchlorate
4
Phase I, II & V
24
Sodium Monitoring
9
Sulfate
6
Lead and Copper
Copper
35
Lead
228
Lead Contamination Control Act

(LCCA)/Lead Ban
6
Radionuclides
Radionuclides (Other)
32
Radionuclides (Radon)
75
Secondary DW Regulations
Secondary DW Regulations
107
SDWA Background/Overview
Definitions & Applicability
35
MCL List
89
Other Background
27
SDWA
69
Water on Tap
2
Other DW Regulations
Analytical Methods (DW)
13
Contaminant Candidate List/ Drinking

Water Priority List
6
Consumer Confidence Report (DW)
535
DW Primacy (PWS)
15
Operator (PWS) Certification
5
Other Drinking Water Security
6
Public Notification (PWS)
152
Security Planning Grants
0
State Revolving Fund (DW)
3
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring

Rule (UCMR)
56
Other Drinking Water
Additives Program
14
Bottled Water
121
Complaints about PWS
188
Compliance & Enforcement

(PWS)
85
Home Water Treatment Units
226
Infrastructure/Cap. Development
11
Local DW Quality
628
Tap Water Testing
555
Treatment/BATs (DW)
12
Drinking Water Source Protection
Ground Water Rule
10
Sole Source Aquifer
3
Source Water/Wellhead Protection
22
UIC Program
16
Out of Purview
Household Wells
143
Non-Environmental
47
Non-EPA Environmental
46
Other EPA (Programs)
59
TOTALS
4,594
ECSS Activities

Topic
Number of
generated e-mails
Arsenic
6
Bottled Water
6
Compliance/Issues(PWS)
13
Consumer Concerns
38
Contaminants and Standards
24
Definitions
3
Facts, Figures, and Databases
4
Household Wells
29
Local Drinking Water Quality
22
Long Term 2 Rule
2
Other
63
Source Water Protection
6
Stage 2 Rule
10
Tap Water Testing
2
Underground Injection Control
1
TOTAL
228
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Safe Drinking Water Hotline

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Annual Report Statistics
ECSS Service Summary
Date
Searches
Answers
Viewed
Sessions
Hits
Generated
E-mails
7/1/2007
17
69
111
184
1
7/2/2007
69
98
306
621
3
7/3/2007
43
157
181
369
8
7/4/2007
5
48
115
149
3
7/5/2007
48
90
159
271
1
7/6/2007
24
62
102
170
0
7/7/2007
10
21
61
86
2
7/8/2007
54
30
79
162
3
7/9/2007
57
129
108
299
5
7/10/2007
56
69
264
555
1
7/11/2007
51
66
126
280
8
7/12/2007
82
83
99
284
2
7/13/2007
62
608
136
806
0
7/14/2007
15
73
63
157
0
7/15/2007
7
39
59
92
0
7/16/2007
123
172
170
443
3
7/17/2007
76
85
190
637
5
7/18/2007
57
92
158
276
0
7/19/2007
26
81
121
209
1
7/20/2007
75
217
121
412
4
7/21/2007
25
51
70
148
3
7/22/2007
58
240
184
536
7
7/23/2007
16
97
142
258
2
7/24/2007
81
132
245
743
5
7/25/2007
40
627
194
832
1
7/26/2007
117
700
189
1,016
7
7/27/2007
108
623
158
906
5
7/28/2007
12
78
128
191
2
7/29/2007
36
70
107
205
2
7/30/2007
55
152
220
683
1
7/31/2007
36
615
127
775
2
8/1/2007
28
73
139
215
0
8/2/2007
66
98
133
299
3
8/3/2007
63
608
156
856
4
8/4/2007
59
82
131
257
3
8/5/2007
22
74
79
175
1
8/6/2007
157
2,220
605
3,091
6
8/7/2007
67
103
134
323
4
8/8/2007
51
90
82
244
3
8/9/2007
31
57
90
188
3
8/10/2007
69
1,104
149
1,348
4
8/11/2007
46
75
52
199
4
8/12/2007
32
36
46
135
1
8/13/2007
30
573
387
1,060
0
8/14/2007
38
66
85
201
2
8/15/2007
87
97
118
320
5
8/16/2007
36
59
73
175
1
8/17/2007
36
594
112
748
2
8/18/2007
15
62
69
129
0
8/19/2007
6
42
391
493
3
8/20/2007
84
124
100
318
3
8/21/2007
46
70
70
186
0
8/22/2007
38
65
78
182
2
8/23/2007
56
85
87
230
2
8/24/2007
33
592
132
759
3
8/25/2007
1
4
33
46
1
8/26/2007
3
38
34
81
0
8/27/2007
42
142
392
703
2
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
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Annual Report Statistics
8/28/2007
73
190
248
479
7
8/29/2007
84
102
182
348
4
8/30/2007
60
108
264
424
3
8/31/2007
41
80
144
272
3
9/1/2007
16
205
148
316
0
9/2/2007
13
38
91
127
2
9/3/2007
48
41
95
182
2
9/4/2007
40
1,147
251
1,421
4
9/5/2007
96
116
128
334
1
9/6/2007
63
684
185
997
3
9/7/2007
35
2,827
278
3,145
2
9/8/2007
55
76
104
213
3
9/9/2007
19
61
113
172
2
9/10/2007
115
2,742
300
3,149
2
9/11/2007
67
610
193
873
2
9/12/2007
42
95
582
692
3
9/13/2007
45
57
118
211
2
9/14/2007
117
134
143
410
5
9/15/2007
37
44
99
160
0
9/16/2007
22
46
75
123
0
9/17/2007
41
77
116
221
1
9/18/2007
79
111
143
340
4
9/19/2007
100
246
509
727
2
9/20/2007
78
225
716
925
3
9/21/2007
34
601
178
830
5
9/22/2007
78
80
139
266
1
9/23/2007
21
570
161
724
0
9/24/2007
105
2,806
398
3,247
2
9/25/2007
118
140
256
492
5
9/26/2007
90
192
218
490
2
9/27/2007
84
109
198
328
0
9/28/2007
54
107
130
255
2
9/29/2007
24
66
153
250
3
9/30/2007
23
101
662
717
1
Total
4,800
27,741
16,168
4,9576
228
Searches: The number of searches performed.
Answers Viewed: The total number of times Answers were viewed. This represents the number of Answer pages viewed. That is, if only
one Answer was selected, but it was viewed ten times, the Answers Viewed value would be ten.
Sessions: The number of sessions for the time unit specified. A session is use of the end-user pages. A session ends when the end-user
enters a 100% satisfaction rating for an Answer, submits an Ask a Question request, leaves the end-user pages, or a two-hour period of
time has elapsed, whichever comes first.
Hits: The number of page turns during the time period selected for the report.
Web Questions: The number of questions generated from an Ask a Question request.
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Safe Drinking Water Hotline

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