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Water: Arsenic

Compliance Help

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Quick Information

Complying With the Revised Drinking Water Standard for Arsenic: Small Entity Compliance Guide
One of the Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) Guide Series
EPA 816-R-02-008A
This guide is designed to help systems understand and achieve compliance with the Arsenic rule. The guide provides sample worksheets to help systems organize data, and provides guidance for small systems on their selection of appropriate compliance options.

Quick Reference Guide to Arsenic and Clarifications to Compliance and New Source Monitoring Rule
EPA 816-F-01-004
This document provides a simple and straightforward description of the rule, critical deadlines and requirements for drinking water systems and states, and information on monitoring requirements.

12 Steps to Arsenic Compliance and Helpful Resources for Public Water Systems
EPA 816-F-06-016
This factsheet provides a checklist of basic steps to help a water system move towards compliance with the Arsenic Rule. With each step, a list of EPA's most helpful references is included.

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Tools

Removing Multiple Contaminants from Drinking Water: Issues to Consider (PDF) (1 pp, 366K)
EPA 816-H-07-004, December 2007

Talking to your Customers about Chronic Contaminants in Drinking Water (PDF) (2 pp, 381K)
EPA 814-F-07-022, October 2007

Virtual Trade Show
EPA has developed a site to help water systems come into compliance with the Arsenic Rule. The Web site contains brief treatment technology descriptions, the interactive decision trees, questions to ask engineers and vendors when choosing a treatment technology, and a searchable vendor database.

Interactive Training CDs
EPA 625-C-05-004
The Interactive Workshop on the Removal of Arsenic from Drinking Water (CD-ROM) is a companion to the eleven successful arsenic training events held in 2005. It features user-friendly navigation through the world of arsenic treatment, including audio commentary from the nation's top experts. To order a copy of this CD, please call 1-800-490-9198 and refer to EPA 625-C-05-004.

Treatment DVDs
EPA 816-C-05-005
EPA has developed 6 short videos that showcasethe real world application of variousarsenic treatment removal technologies. To order a copy of this DVD, please call 1-800-490-9198 and refer to EPA 816-C-05-005.

Arsenic and your Distribution System
EPA 816-F-07-005
This fact sheet helps water system owners and operators understand and respond to issues that may arise with arsenicin the distribution system, or with distribution system concerns resulting from the installation of arsenic treatment.

A System's Guide to the Identification and Disposal of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Water Treatment Plant Residuals
EPA 816-F-06-011 August 2006

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More Information on Treatment Technologies

EPA's Office of Research and Development is focusing on research and development of more cost effective technologies through their Arsenic Rule Implementation Research Program. The following are treatment technology products of the Office of Ground Water & Drinking Water. They are focused on providing practical information for States and drinking water systems.

Arsenic Treatment Technology Evaluation Handbook for Small Systems
This Handbook includes general arsenic treatment information, cost evaluation tools, and design considerations for specific treatment technologies. The Handbook isorganized to enable the utility to make educated decisions about the most appropriate treatment approach(es) to address arsenic concerns prior to getting involved indetailed design considerations.

The Handbook includes a series of process selection decision trees that were developed to help systems select the most appropriate arsenic mitigation strategy.

  • Download the Arsenic Treatment Technology Evaluation Handbook for Small Systems (PDF) (151 pp, 2MB)
    EPA 816-R-03-014
    The decision trees contained in this document were current when the handbook was published in 2003. They are still relevant and can provide a simple guide for selecting an arsenic treatment. However, EPA has slightly modified the trees since publication to reflect changes in regulation and arsenic treatment technologies. The trees are intended for use as an iterative tool. Users can work their way through the trees a number of times, modifying preferences and system specific circumstances. There may not be a single solution. Further cost evaluation and assessment of other considerations such as labor commitments, residual disposal, and available space, may be necessary.

Point-of-Use/Point-of-Entry Treatment Devices

Test Kits for Non-Compliance Arsenic Monitoring: EPA Verification Reports
Field test kits are a valuable asset to the water system operator. They provide quick results to help determine whether your treatment process is operating properly. However, they are not a substitute for analysis by an EPA certified laboratory.

Arsenic Rule Compliance Success Stories

  1. Coldwater Canyon Water Company, AZ: Testing Emerging Technologies to Reduce Treatment Costs (PDF) (2pp, 117K)
  2. City of Lemoore, CA: Water Quality-Based Well Design (PDF) (2pp, 103K)
  3. McCook, NE: Addressing Multiple Contaminants Through Treatment and Blending (PDF) (2pp, 118K)
  4. Wisconsin: Geologic Solution for Private Wells in Outagamie and Winnebago Counties (PDF) (2pp, 131K)
  5. Dare County, NC: Integration with Existing Reverse Osmosis Treatment (PDF) (2pp, 104K)
  6. Michigan: Arsenic in Schools (PDF) (2pp, 102K)
  7. Ripon, CA: Pilot Studies Useful for Treatment Evaluations (PDF) (2pp, 219K)
  8. Fallon, NV: Pooling Resources to Construct Arsenic Treatment Facility (PDF) (2pp, 151K)
  9. Yukon, OK: Purchasing Water From a Neighboring Public Water System (PDF) (2pp, 219K)
  10. Seattle, WA: Arsenic in Public Schools (PDF) (2pp, 112K)
  11. Cedar Woods, NC: System Purchase by Another Public Water System (PDF) (2pp, 210K)
  12. Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin Sharpe Site, CA: The Value of Researching All Possible Alternatives (PDF) (2pp, 98K)
  13. Nevada: Tribal System Experience With Arsenic Rule Compliance (PDF) (2pp, 185K)
  14. Scottsdale, Arizona (PDF) (3pp, 92K)
  15. Tucson, Arizona (PDF) (3pp, 94K)
  16. Paramount, California (PDF) (3pp, 45K)
  17. Fairbanks, Alaska (PDF) (3pp, 100K)

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