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March 2007
UCMR Updates are information sheets issued by the Technical Support Center of OGWDW. They are issued as needed to disseminate information to utilities and laboratories participating in the Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule monitoring and data reporting.
- Index of each issue and the topic headings
Issue 10
In PDF Format (6 pp, 3 M)
EPA 815-N-07-002a March 2007-03-07
Brenda Parris, Editor
O.R.I.S.E. Fellow
Technical Support Center
UCMR Update Issue Number 10-Issued by the Technical Support Center (TSC) of the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW). Future Updates will be distributed as needed to maintain the flow of Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR) information.
Rolling Out the Red Carpet
Movie Gallery
Editor’s Notes
The sequel to the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation outshines the previous release. This action packed thriller is full of adventures and drama beyond your wildest imagination. The casting in UCMR 2 is magnificent. The States do a sensational job assisting with implementation. Water systems show their diverse talents playing many daredevilish roles. Not only do they sample, but they also tackle the Safe Drinking Water Accession and Review System (SDWARS) head on. Laboratories demonstrate their extraordinary abilities meeting the application and proficiency testing (PT) criteria of the Laboratory Approval Program. The suspense of monitoring is mind-boggling! Will the water samples be below the minimum reporting limit (MRL)? Can you handle the thrill?
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Paparazzi Crowd for Signing of UCMR 2
EPA’s Administrator, Stephen L. Johnson signed the second cycle of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR 2) on December 20, 2006 and the rule was published on January 4, 2007. The UCMR 2 requires:
- All public water systems (PWSs) serving more than 10,000 people, and a representative sample of 800 PWSs serving 10,000 or fewer people, to conduct Assessment Monitoring (List 1) for 10 contaminants during a 12-month period between January 2008 and December 2010.
- All PWSs serving more than 100,000 people, 320 selected PWSs serving 10,001 to 100,000 people, and 480 selected PWSs serving 10,000 or fewer people to conduct the Screening Survey (List 2) for 15 contaminants during a 12-month period between January 2008 and December 2010.
- All laboratories gain EPA approval to analyze samples for UCMR 2 through the Laboratory Approval Program.
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Box Office Blockbuster
The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) amendments required EPA to establish monitoring criteria for unregulated contaminants, and to identify a maximum of 30 contaminants to monitor every five years. As a result, the UCMR program was developed. The data collected through the program is stored in the National Drinking Water Contaminant Occurrence Database (NCOD) to facilitate EPA’s review of contaminant occurrence, and to guide the development of subsequent Candidate Contaminant Lists (CCLs).
The UCMR program benefits the environment and public health by providing EPA and other interested parties with scientific data on the occurrence of these contaminants in drinking water, permitting assessment of the population potentially being exposed and the levels of that exposure. This is the primary source of exposure data the Agency uses to determine whether to regulate these contaminants.
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Laboratory Sneak Reviews
LABORATORIES: It is not too late to register for the Laboratory Approval Program. Please return the REGISTRATION FORM to EPA by April 4, 2007.
EPA congratulates all laboratories that passed either the first or second proficiency test (PT)! Please contact EPA if you did not receive your results letter by the end of January 2007. Thank you for participating in the Laboratory Approval Program and preparing for UCMR 2’s success.
Laboratories needing approval should anticipate PT #3 in March, PT #4 in June, and PT #5 in September. For additional information regarding the steps of the Laboratory Approval Program for UCMR 2
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PWSs Signing Laboratories
EPA posted the list of laboratories approved to analyze samples for UCMR 2 and will update this list after PT #3, PT #4 and PT #5. PWSs should refer to this list when searching for a laboratory to analyze UCMR 2 samples. If you have any questions about establishing a contract with the laboratories, please refer to Chapter 5 in the UCMR 2 Reference Guide.
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PWSs on the Walk of Fame
Want to know what it takes to be on the Walk of Fame? PWSs listen closely….
- June 30, 2005 is the date EPA used when determining your total population served, for purposes of rule applicability.
- Your total population served is the sum of the direct retail population served plus the population served, if any, by any consecutive system(s) receiving finished water from the wholesaler PWS. (Total Population Served = Direct Retail Population + Consecutive System(s) Population)
- Finished water is water introduced into a distribution system and intended for distribution and consumption without further treatment (except necessary treatment to maintain water quality in the distribution system, such as booster disinfection, or addition of corrosion control chemicals).
- Monitoring must be completed within a 12-month period between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2010.
- PWSs are grouped into three population categories:
- More than 100,000. All PWSs serving more than 100,000 people must participate in Assessment Monitoring (AM) and the Screening Survey (SS).
- Must arrange and coordinate sampling, arrange for sample analysis, and review/approve data in SDWARS.
- 10,001-100,000. All PWSs serving more than 10,000 people must participate in AM. Plus, 320 selected PWSs serving 10,001-100,000 people must participate in the SS.
- Must arrange and coordinate sampling, arrange for sample analysis, and review/approve data in SDWARS.
- 10,000 or fewer. 800 selected PWSs must participate in AM, and 480 selected PWSs must participate in the SS.
- Must sample using kits provided by EPA, and send samples to the assigned EPA contract lab.
- All PWSs have an assigned monitoring schedule, though it can be modified.
- Assessment Monitoring is required at each entry point to the distribution system (EPTDS). The Screening Survey is required at each EPTDS and, for method 521, at the distribution system maximum residence time (DSMRT) associated with that EPTDS.
- Surface water systems must sample quarterly, 3 months apart, within a 12-month period, and ground water systems must sample twice, 5-7 months apart, within a 12-month period.
- All PWSs must use laboratories that are EPA approved to analyze samples for UCMR 2.
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The Award Goes to: States & Regions
EPA wants to thank all Regions and partnering States for their assistance in implementing UCMR 2. Thus far, this includes signing Partnership Agreements (PAs), reviewing the State Monitoring Plans (SMPs), gathering large system inventory (LSI), and notifying PWSs. We look forward to working with you throughout the UCMR 2 cycle. (Now, please stand up and take a bow.)
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Large PWSs Buzzing About SDWARS2
PWSs serving more than 10,000 people, laboratories, States, Regions and EPA Headquarters use SDWARS2.
I know that the anticipated release of the second version of the Safe Drinking Water Accession and Review System (SDWARS2) has kept many of you up at night. This state of the art, glamorous, much improved database outshines SDWARS1 beyond your wildest imagination. SDWARS2 is your lifeline for the majority of your UCMR 2.
All PWSs serving more than 10,000 people should follow these red carpet steps:
- Register. All PWS users that did not pre-register in the spring of 2006, should have received a Customer Retrieval Key (CRK) letter in August 2006. Many of you have already registered for SDWARS2 through the Central Data Exchange (CDX) during pre-registration or using your CRK letter. The remaining PWSs should register now using your assigned CRK letter! If you do not have your CRK letter, please call the UCMR Message Center at 1-800-949-1581.
- Contacts. Once you have registered, you must establish at least two contacts within SDWARS2 before you can proceed. All PWSs must enter an official and technical contact within SDWARS before April 4, 2007. Additional contacts are labeled as “Other.” One of the best new functions of the database allows you the choice of receiving automatic e-mails when your lab posts data. Thus, you always know when to check back to SDWARS2.
- Nominate. If you have a CDX account for SDWARS, and want others at your PWS to have access, please “nominate” them. You can nominate new contacts using the Nominate User function within SDWARS2.
- Inventory. Please verify that your inventory of sample locations listed in SDWARS2 is correct. If you have any changes, please make them within SDWARS before August 2, 2007. After August 2, 2007 you must write EPA using either the mailing address, e-mail or fax listed in the Fan Forum Section on page 9 of this Update, provide reasons for the change, and wait for a response before you can change your inventory.
- Schedule. EPA established sampling schedules for every PWS, and posted them in SDWARS2. If you must change your schedule, you can make changes within SDWARS2 before August 2, 2007. After August 2, 2007 you must write EPA using either the mailing address, e-mail or fax listed in the Fan Forum Section on page 9 of this Update, provide reasons for the change, and wait for a response before you can change your schedule.
- Laboratory. Laboratories approved to analyze samples for UCMR 2 are posted on the Web site. Please refer to this list when researching for a laboratory to analyze your UCMR 2 samples. If you have any questions about establishing a contract with the laboratories, please refer to Chapter 5 in the UCMR 2 Reference Guide. After you have established a contract with your laboratory, please instruct your lab to add your PWS to their client list within SDWARS2. EPA plans to give laboratories access to SDWARS in late summer or early fall of 2007.
- Data. Your contracted laboratory must post your UCMR 2 data to SDWARS2 within 120 days from the sample collection date. Unless you un-check the “receive e-mail notification checkbox” during registration, you will receive e-mails notifying you when your laboratory has posted data to SDWARS2. Your PWS only has 60 days to review and act upon the data in SDWARS2.
Important. The functions available in SDWARS change over time. Before 2008, you will not see the functions to review and approve data in SDWARS2. However, after monitoring begins EPA will activate those functions for you.
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Assessment Monitoring “List 1”
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Contaminant & CAS1 Registry Number
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MRL2
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Method3
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One Insecticide and One Insecticide Degradate
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Dimethoate
60-51-5
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0.7 µg/L
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EPA 527
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Terbufos sulfone
56070-16-7
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0.4 µg/L
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Five Flame Retardants
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2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47)
5436-43-1
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0.3 µg/L
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2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99)
60348-60-9
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0.9 µg/L
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2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl (HBB)
59080-40-9
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0.7 µg/L
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2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-153)
68631-49-2
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0.8 µg/L
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2,2',4,4',6-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-100)
189084-64-8
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0.5 µg/L
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Three Explosives
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1,3-dinitrobenzene
99-65-0
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0.8 µg/L
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EPA 529
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2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT)
118-96-7
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0.8 µg/L
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Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX)
121-82-4
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1 µg/L
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Abbreviations for contaminants tables
- Chemical Abstracts Number
- Minimum Reporting Level
- EPA Analytical Method
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Screening Survey “List 2”
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Contaminant & CAS1 Registry Number
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MRL2
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Method3
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Three Parent Acetanilides
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Acetochlor
34256-82-1
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2 µg/L
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EPA 525.2
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Alachlor
15972-60-8
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2 µg/L
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Metolachlor
51218-45-2
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1 µg/L
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Six Acetanilide Degradates
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Acetochlor ethane sulfonic acid (ESA)
187022-11-3
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1 µg/L
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EPA 535
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Acetochlor oxanilic acid (OA)
184992-44-4
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2 µg/L
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Alachlor ESA
142363-53-9
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1 µg/L
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Alachlor OA
171262-17-2
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2 µg/L
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Metolachlor ESA
171118-09-5
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1 µg/L
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Metolachlor OA
152019-73-3
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2 µg/L
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Six Nitrosamines
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N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)
55-18-5
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0.005 µg/L
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EPA 521
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N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)
62-75-9
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0.002 µg/L
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N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine (NDBA)
924-16-3
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0.004 µg/L
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N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine (NDPA)
621-64-7
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0.007 µg/L
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N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA)
10595-95-6
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0.003 µg/L
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N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR)
930-55-2
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0.002 µg/L
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Abbreviations for contaminants tables
- Chemical Abstracts Number
- Minimum Reporting Level
- EPA Analytical Method
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Coming Soon: Remember These Dates
Important Date
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January 4, 2007
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Final UCMR 2 published in Federal Register
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Reporting Deadlines Identified in Final UCMR 2
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April 4, 2007
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PWSs serving more than 10,000 people establish an account in CDX and report contact information to SDWARS2
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April 4, 2007
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Laboratories submit Laboratory Approval Program registration sheet to EPA
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May 4, 2007
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(Optional) PWSs serving more than 10,000 people may submit a proposed Ground Water Representative Monitoring Plan to EPA, if applicable
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August 2, 2007
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PWSs serving more than 10,000 people
Review and edit, as needed, their sampling location and inventory information in SDWARS2
Review and edit, as needed, their monitoring schedule in SDWARS2
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August 2, 2007
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Laboratories submit applications
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After August 2, 2007
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PWSs serving more than 10,000 people must:
Notify EPA of sampling location and inventory changes
Notify EPA if unable to sample according to their established schedule
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Reporting Monitoring Results
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Within 120 days from sample collection
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EPA approved labs must post monitoring results to SDWARS2
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Within 60 days from lab posting data
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PWSs serving more than 10,000 people can review/approve data using SDWARS2
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Director’s Cut Webcasts
EPA hosted three well attended Webcasts in February. Those who missed the Webcasts may access the materials at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwa/electronic.html. Additional Webcasts may be conducted on an as-needed basis.
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Deleted Scenes: Want to Know More?
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
Fan Forum: Contacting EPA
Laboratories and PWSs: When contacting EPA about UCMR issues, please use your U.S. EPA Lab ID or Federal PWSID, respectively.
Safe Drinking Water Hotline: General UCMR questions: 1-800-426-4791
CDX/SDWARS Help Desk: SDWARS/UCMR registration and reporting system questions: 1-888-890-1995
Message Center: UCMR implementation questions: 1-800-949-1581
TSC Mail Correspondences:
UCMR Sampling Coordinator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Technical Support Center (MS-140)
26. W. Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Fax: 513-569-7191
E-mail: UCMR_Sampling_Coordinator@epa.gov
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Hot Gossip: Contact Information
Please contact EPA if you are not the correct person to receive this newsletter or if your address needs to be corrected. Please include your name, PWSID (or LabID), the name of the PWS or laboratory, and include the way you want to receive the newsletter: e-mail or mail. If you do not want to receive this newsletter, please make your request using the e-mail provided above, and include your name, PWSID (or LabID) and the name of the PWS or laboratory.
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