M/DBP Technical
Workgroup
Meeting: Information Collection Rule Data Analysis
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
February 18, 1998
In support of the Information Collection Rule (ICR) (61 FR 24354) EPA
held a technical workgroup meeting on February 18, 1998, in Washington
DC, to develop a strategy for ICR data analysis. The ICR data will be
evaluated in the context of the information needed for evaluating the
potential impacts from the Stage 2 Disinfectants/ Disinfection Byproduct
Rule (D/DBPR) and the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
(LT2ESWTR). The objectives of the meeting were to identify questions pertinent
to ICR data analysis that cover the range of analytical issues anticipated
needing to be addressed and to identify data elements and associated formats
(e.g. spreadsheet configuration needed) to answer these questions.
Background
The ICR was promulgated on May 14, 1996 and was intended to provide EPA
with information on the occurrence in drinking water of disinfection by-products
(DBPs) and pathogens as well as information on current treatment practices.
The primary goal of the ICR is to fill data gaps identified during the
regulatory negotiation process for the Stage 1 D/DBPR and Interim ESWTR.
The ICR data will specifically support the development of the Stage 2
D/DBPR and the LT2ESWTR.
The ICR requires all systems serving at least 100,000 people and ground
water systems serving at least 50,000 people to collect information on
the occurrence of DBPs and microbial pathogens in drinking water and treatment
information depending upon size and type of source water used. Additionally,
depending upon water quality conditions, systems are required to conduct
bench- and pilot-scale treatment studies to determine the effectiveness
of granular activated carbon (GAC) and membranes for reducing DBP precursors
(naturally occurring compounds that react with disinfectants to form DBPs).
Utilities began collecting ICR data in July 1997. The first six months
of QA/QC'ed data will be available in December 1998. The full 18 months
of QA/QC'ed data will be available in December 1999. The ICR treatment
study data will likely be available August 1999. The final Stage 2 D/DBPR
and the LT2ESWTR will be promulgated in May 2002.
Summary
Three technical work groups (TWGs) were created to develop a strategy
for analyzing the ICR data: microbial, DBPs, and modeling, with a steering
committee consisting of a subset of these TWGs. Each group consists of
interested stakeholders, EPA staff, and computer specialists. The microbial
and DBP TWGs worked in parallel with intermittent plenary sessions while
the modeling TWG reported to both groups.
The DBP and microbial TWGs first developed lists of Stage 2 DBP and LT2ESWTR
questions that the ICR data will be used to answer. These included questions
for both vertical (across all plants or a subset of plants) and horizontal
(individual through plant) analyses. Each group then determined which
specific data elements from the ICR database are needed to answer these
questions. The DBP TWG split up into a number of smaller groups to fill
in a matrix assigning sets of related data elements to specific questions.
The DBP group then prioritized data analysis issues. The Microbial TWG
presented a revised Global Water Treatment Plant Identification Layout
as a means of analyzing horizontal information from a variety of plant
configurations. The Microbial TWG also analyzed a number of detailed questions
to ensure that the selected data elements were inclusive.
The goal of the modeling TWG is to have a working version of the revised
Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Simulation program by September 1998. This
WTP model will be used to evaluated simultaneous compliance with Stage
2 DBPR and LT2ESWTR. The current model, which was used during the regulatory
negotiations for the Stage 1 DBPR and the Interim ESWTR, has a number
of limitations which the modeling group will improve. The modeling group
presented a standard form which will be used to propose model updates.
Comments on these proposals will be taken by the TWG.
Next Steps
On February 19, 1998, a stakeholders meeting will be held to present
the progress of the TWGs to interested parties. The objective of this
meeting is to update the stakeholders and receive comment on the direction
the TWG has taken. These meetings are in preparation for the first joint
requirements planning (JRP) meeting on ICR data retrieval and analysis,
February 20, 1998. Another JRP will be held April 14-16, leading to a
JAD meeting in May. Development of the database extraction software will
begin in June. The projected date for a complete extraction program is
in September 1998.
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