Preparing for Your Drinking Water Sanitary Survey U.S. EPA, Region 8 Contact: Barb Burkland • 406-457-5009 burkland.barbara@epa.gov A Sanitary Survey has been scheduled at your public water system this year Please review the following information carefully prior to the survey Who should attend your sanitary survey? • Operator(s) • Owner • Administrative contact Please prepare for ques- tions about general opera- tions, management, secu- rity and specific technical questions. Sanitary Survey Scheduling Typically, if your system is scheduled for a sanitary survey then a surveyor will contact your facility to schedule. How long will the sanitary survey take? The sanitary survey can take from several hours to days depending on the complexity of the water system (e.g., a restaurant versus a large municipal water system). Sanitary Survey Preparation Checklist General Facility Checks — prior to sanitary survey date ~ Are all facilities accessible (e.g., keys to buildings available, gates accessible? Are all facilities safe for inspection attendees (e.g., no exposed wiring, no un-covered pits)? Are all facilities operational (e.g., chemical feed pump working)? ~ Are all facilities clean (e.g., chemicals/spare equipment stored properly)? Are there any obvious problems with each potable water facility (e.g., holes in tanks, sanitary well seals not in place, vents, drains and overflows not screened with 24 gauge non-corrosive screen)? General Paperwork Reviews — prior to sanitary survey date ~ Review previous sanitary survey reports and be prepared to discuss findings and resolution of deficiencies Review any recent correspondence from EPA Region 8 including violation letters and notifications ~ Review operators status to ensure the operators' certifications are current and at the appropriate level Water System Records and Paperwork Available for Review During Sanitary Survey ~ Monitoring Plans, updated with all recent system modifications • Bacteriological Sample Siting Plan with Map, DBP + Lead/Copper Sampling Plans ~ Water quality analyses/laboratory records ~ Monitoring Schedule for current year ~ Correspondence to/from EPA Region 8 ~ Other paperwork depending on System Type (e.g., water hauling records, consecutive system agreement) ~ Consumer Confidence Reports (for Community public water systems) ~ Disinfection Profile and Benchmark for Surface Water and Ground Water under the Direct Influence of Surface Water (SW/GWUDI) Systems ~ Treatment Facility Wastewater Discharge Permit (if applicable) ~ Cross-Connection Records ~ Operation and Maintenance Plan (Recommended for all PWS) ~ Emergency Response Plan / Security Plan (Required for all PWS) Other items to have available: ~ Water testing equipment (e.g., chlorine analyzer, sampling bottles) ~ Safety equipment (e.g., gloves, boots, eye, head, and ear protection) ~ Paper and pencil or pen for notes ~ Camera (optional) Thanks to: Colorado department of Public Health and Environment—Engineering Section ------- What is a Sanitary Survey? A sanitary survey is an onsite review of the eight elements of a sanitary survey (listed below) for the purpose of evaluating the adequacy of the facilities for producing and distributing safe drinking water. EPA Drinking Water Websites Drinking Water Online - General Use http://www2.epa.gov/region8-waterops Drinking Water Watch - Password Needed Sanitary Survey Frequency Routine sanitary surveys are required for all public water systems (PWS) every three to five years. • Community Water Systems (CWS) - Every Three Years (5 years for Outstanding Performers) • Non-Transient, Non-Community Water Systems (NTNC) - Every Five Years • Transient, Non-Community Water Systems (TNC) - Every Five Years The sanitary surveys are conducted by EPA personnel, IHS, grantees and contractors hired by EPA Region 8. Sanitary Survey Goals • Provide assistance to the water system operator • Produce reports which identify compliance and technical issues at a facility • Identify significant deficiencies and minor deficiencies • Facilitate continuous improvement - Accurately capture system inventory - Identify system strengths • Establish working relationships between the systems and EPA Region 8 The Eight Sanitary Survey Elements Element Description 1. Water sou rce(s) Evaluate water supply sources to ensure proper source protection 2. Treatment facilities Evaluate treatment processes (e.g., chemical addition, filtration), facilities, components, and techniques 3. Distribution system Evaluate the adequacy, reliability, and safety of the system for distributing water 4. Finished water storage Evaluate the adequacy, reliability, and safety of finished water storage 5 Pumps and pump ' facilities Identify proper operation and maintenance of water system pumps and pumping facilities 6 Monitoring, reporting, 1 and data verification Review paperwork and plans to demonstrate compliance with National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) 7 System management ' and operation Review paperwork and plans to demonstrate that maintenance and operations can maintain compliance (e.g., cross connection control, emergency plan, operations and maintenance plan 8. Operator compliance Review operator status to ensure the operator's certification is current and at the appropriate level Page 2 ------- |