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Unregulated
Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
Background
The 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act requires the EPA
to establish criteria for a monitoring program for unregulated contaminants
and to publish a list of contaminants to be monitored. EPA has
revised the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR). The
data generated by the UCMR will be used to evaluate and prioritize contaminants
on the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List, a list of contaminants
EPA is considering for possible new drinking water standards. This data
will help to ensure that future decisions on drinking water standards
are based on sound science.
The rule includes:
- A new list of contaminants for which public water systems must monitor;
- Analytical methods for some of these contaminants;
- Requirements for all large public water systems (PWS), and a representative
sample of small PWS, to monitor for those contaminants on the list
for which methods have been promulgated;
- Requirements to submit the monitoring data to EPA and the States
for inclusion in the National Drinking Water Contaminant Occurrence
Database; and
- Requirements to notify consumers of the results of monitoring.
Rules
- On October 29, 2002, EPA published a Final Rule [read in PDF]
to approve EPA Method 1605 to monitor the
Screening
Survey List 2 microbiological contaminant Aeromonas. The
rule also specifies that laboratories wishing to be approved for this
method must participate in an Aeromonas proficiency testing
(PT)
program conducted by EPA.
- On March 12, 2002, EPA published a Direct
Final Rule and a Proposed Rule to establish the electronic reporting
date for monitoring results.
- On March 7, 2002, EPA published a Proposed
Rule to approve EPA Method 1605 to monitor the Screening
Survey List 2 microbiological contaminant Aeromonas.
- On September 4, 2001, EPA published a Direct
Final Rule to amend the List 2 Rule and delay the requirements
for the electronic reporting of monitoring results.
- On January 11, 2001, EPA published analytical methods for the Screening
Survey List 2 contaminants, and is requiring monitoring for those
contaminants in drinking water. In this notice, EPA has also modified
the UCMR to improve the implementation of monitoring for both List
1 and List 2 contaminants. Read the final rule in HTML
or PDF.
- On March 2, 2000, published a rule (PDF
or HTML
format) specifying the approved analytical methods for perchlorate
and acetochlor and includes a notice about a laboratory approval process
for laboratories interested in participating in perchlorate monitoring
- On September 17, 1999, EPA published final revisions to the Unregulated
Contaminant Monitoring Rule. The rule is available in an HTML
or PDF
format. A Fact Sheet
is also available that describes the major provisions of the rule.
- On January 8, 1999, EPA published a rule suspending the current
round of unregulated contaminant monitoring for small public water
systems. Read the Federal Register
notice for that rule.
Guidance Documents
EPA has prepared several guidance and technical documents that explain
in more detail the various aspects of the rule, including:
- Technical
Background Information for the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
Regulation (EPA 815-R-99-007, March 2000)
- UCMR
Guidance for Operators of Public Water Systems Serving 10,000 or Fewer
People (EPA 815-R-01-002, January 2001)
- Statistical
Design and Sample Selection for the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
Regulation (1999) (EPA 815-R-01-004, August 2001)
- Reference
Guide for the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (EPA
815-R-01-023, October 2001)
- Unregulated
Contaminant Monitoring Regulation Reporting Guidance (EPA 815-R-01-029,
November 2001)
- UCMR
(1999) List 1 and List 2 Chemical Analytical Methods and Quality Control
Manual (EPA 815-R-01-028, December 2001). Replaces UCMR Analytical
Methods and Quality Control, 815-R-99-004 and 815-R-00-006, and Supplement
A, 815-R-00-002.
Fact Sheets
UCMR Update
Additional EPA Supported Meetings and Materials
- List 3 Algal Toxins - Creating a Cyanotoxin Target List for the
UCMR: Meeting
Summary from the May 17-18, 2001 meeting. (PDF format, 110KB)
- Viruses - Workshop to Develop a Protocol for Reliable Genetic Methods
for the Detection of Viruses, for Use in EPA's Water Programs: Meeting
Summary from the January 15-16, 2003 meeting. (PDF format, 47KB)
- Cyanobacteria Harmful Algae Blooms - A compilation of 3063 references
citing 705 journals and written by 4687 authors and editors. The lists
are provided in text format and can be downloaded into a bibliographic
database and searched. The compilation was developed in 2003 by Dr.
Wayne W. Carmichael for EPA through a contract with Wright State University.
UCMR Monitoring List
UCMR Approved Methods
Benefits of Unregulated Monitoring
Unregulated contaminant monitoring of public water systems informs
the public about contaminants not previously observed in their water
systems. This information is used in determining whether a contaminant
occurs at a frequency and in concentrations to warrant further analysis
and research on potential health effects. Such results may cause the
contaminant to be added to the Drinking Water Contaminant
Candidate List (CCL), published in February1998 and every
five years. The CCL is used to set priorities for research, further
monitoring, or regulation. If a decision is made to regulate a contaminant,
the benefit of unregulated contaminant monitoring at public water systems
is early warning of the contaminant's presence before serious health
effects occur.
For more information, contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, 1 (800)
426-4791.
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