Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule Update
This Presentation
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General information about UCM and why it’s done
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History of the program
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How the monitoring program is set up
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UCMR3 Contaminants
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Findings through June 2015
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UCMR4 Timeline—possible considerations
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Likely UCMR4 analytes and methodology
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Possible differences in UCMR4
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR)—
amendment in 1996 SDWA
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Monitors no more than 30 contaminants per 5year cycle selected from the Contaminant
Candidate List (CCL)—7500 Chemical and
microbial contaminants—these substances are not
regulated but are known or anticipated to occur
in public water systems
Monitors representative sample of public water
systems (PWSs) serving less than 10,000—EPA
pays for these systems.
Stores all data in National Occurrence Database
(NCOD)
History
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UCMR 3 (2012-2016) – Current regulation monitoring for
30 contaminants (28 chemicals and 2 viruses) from 20122015.
UCMR 2 (2007-2011) - UCMR 2 monitoring was managed
by EPA and established a new set of 25 chemical
contaminants sampled during 2008-2010.
UCMR 1 (2001-2005) – The SDWA Amendments of 1996
redesigned the UCM program to incorporate a tiered
monitoring approach and required monitoring for 25
contaminants (24 chemicals and one bacterial genus)
during 2001-2003.
UCM-State Rounds 1 & 2 (1988-1997) – State drinking
water programs managed the original program and
required public water systems (PWSs) serving more than
500 people to monitor contaminants.
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/ucmr/
UCMR Program Basics
Tiered Monitoring

3 Tiers of Potential Monitoring
 Assessment Monitoring (AM) – List 1—commonly used
analytical techniques
 Screening Survey (SS) – List 2—more recently
developed techniques
 Pre-screen Testing (PST) – List 3—new or specialized
techniques
(no List 3 monitoring—Pre-screen
Testing for UCMR 3 in Alabama)
In Alabama UCMR 3
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Assessment monitoring (list 1)—all systems serving more than
10,000 and selected systems serving 10,000 or fewer (19 in
Alabama)
There are 21 list 1 contaminants
Screening Survey (list 2)—systems greater than 100,000 plus 6
selected systems in the state
There are 7 list 2 contaminants
These contaminants will be monitored from January 2013
through December 2015
Samples collected at EP=entry point to the distribution system
and MR=distribution system sample at maximum residence
time for Chlorate and metals
UCMR 3: Nationwide Monitoring Timeline
2013
2014
2015
Monitoring Activities
Assessment Monitoring nationwide
List 1 Contaminants
All systems serving more than 10,000; 800 systems serving 10,000 or fewer
~1/3 systems
(~1,400)
~1/3 systems
(~1,400)
~1/3 systems
(~1,400)
*For UCMR3 most samples were collected during the middle year
Timing of Monitoring
Source Type
Groundwater
 Monitor twice
 Sample 5 to 7 months apart
Surface water or GUDI
 Monitor quarterly
 Sample 3 months apart
Hormones by EPA method 539 (List 2)
17‐B‐estradiol
17‐a‐ethynylestradiol (ethinyl estradiol)
16‐a‐hydroxyestradiol (estriol)
equilin
estrone
testosterone
4‐androstene‐3,17‐dione
VOC’s by method 524.3
Volatile Organic
Compounds by EPA
method 524.3
1,2,3-trichloropropane
1,3-butadiene
chloromethane (methyl chloride)
1,1-dichloroethane
n-propylbenzene
bromomethane (methyl bromide)
sec-butylbenzene
chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22)
bromochloromethane (halon 1011)
Synthetic Organic
Compounds by EPA
method 522
1,4-dioxane by
method 522
Metals by EPA method 200.8
vanadium
molybdenum
cobalt
strontium
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
On December 20, 2010, the Environmental Working Group released this 24 page document.
http://static.ewg.org/reports/2010/chro
me6/chrome6_report_2.pdf
Environmental Working Group Document (cont.)
EWG selected 35 cities from 23 states to analyze drinking water for hexavalent chromium.
Large cities were selected as well as cities whose water utilities reported frequent detections of total chromium.
Finished water samples were collected according to the same protocol from these 35 locations and analyzed by a California laboratory using EPA method 218.6. This method had a detection limit of 0.02 ppb.
The table of results (right) was taken from EWG’s website.
http://static.ewg.org/reports/2010/chrome6/chrome6_report_2.pdf
Oxyhalide Anion by method 300.1
http://www.purate.com/common/PurateBrochure.pdf
chlorate
Method 522
Perfluorinated
Compounds by EPA
method 537
Perfluorooctane sulfonate
(PFOS)
Perfluorooctanoic acid
(PFOA)
Perfluorononanoic acid
(PFNA)
Perfluorohexane sulfonic
acid (PFHxS)
Perfluoroheptanoic acid
(PFHpA)
Perfluorobutane sulfonic
acid (PFBS)
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/ucmr/upload/UCMR3_D
ata-Summary_June-2015_508.pdf
UCMR4 Schedule
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June 25, 2014UCMR 4 Stakeholder Meeting and Webinar
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July 2015 Published UCMR 4 Proposal
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July 2015 through October 2015 Public Comment
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Final Rule Drafted beginning October 2015 ending in
2016
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December 2016 Final Rule Published
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2017 Implementation of Rule—Laboratory Certifications
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UCMR 4 monitoring tentatively starting in Jan. 2018
http://www.amwa.net/sites/default/files/UCMR4StakeholderPresentations.pdf
UCMR 4 Candidates (List 1)
Assessment Monitoring
Metals by Method
200.8 (ICP-MS)
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http://www.amwa.net/sites/default/files/UCMR4StakeholderPrese
ntations.pdf
Germanium
Manganese (CCL4
nomination)
UCMR 4 Candidates (List 1)
Assessment Monitoring
Pesticides by Method
525.3 (GC-MS)
http://www.amwa.net/sites/default/files/UCMR4StakeholderPrese
ntations.pdf
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Disulfoton
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Ethoprop
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Alpha-Hexachlorocyclohexane
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trans-Permethrin
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cis-Permethrin
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Tribufos
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Profenofos
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Oxyfluorfen
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Vinclozolin
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Dimethipin (Method 530)
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Tebuconazole
UCMR 4 Candidates (List 1)
Assessment Monitoring
Semi-Volatile Organic
Compounds by Method
530 (GC-MS)—Method
in development as of
June 2014
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Quinoline
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o-Toluidine
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http://www.amwa.net/sites/default/files/UCMR4StakeholderPresentatio
ns.pdf
Butylated
hydroxyanisole
Dimethipin (Method
525.3)
UCMR 4 Candidates (List 1)
Assessment Monitoring
Pesticides by Method
538 (DAI-LC/MS/MS)
http://www.amwa.net/sites/default/files/UCMR4StakeholderPresentatio
ns.pdf
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Dicrotophos
methylOxydemeton
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Methamidophos
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Acephate
UCMR 4 Candidates (List 1)
Assessment Monitoring
Alcohols by method
541 (GC/MS)—In
development as of
June 2014
http://www.amwa.net/sites/default/files/UCMR4StakeholderPrese
ntations.pdf
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1-Butanol
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2-Propen-1-ol
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2-Methoxyethanol
UCMR 4 Candidates (List 1)
Assessment Monitoring
Pharmaceuticals by
method 542
(LC/MS/MS)—In
development as of
June 2014
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http://www.amwa.net/sites/default/files/UCMR4StakeholderPrese
ntations.pdf
Erythromycin
Triclosan (CCL4
nomination)
UCMR 4 Candidates (List 1)
Assessment Monitoring
Carbonyl/Aldehydes by
method 556.1 (Fast
GC)
http://www.amwa.net/sites/default/files/UCMR4StakeholderPrese
ntations.pdf
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Formaldehyde
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Acetaldehyde
UCMR 4 Candidates (List 2)
Screening Survey
Cyanotoxins by Method 544 (LC/MS/MS)
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Microcystin-LR
Cyanotoxins by Method 545
(LC/ESI/MS/MS)
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Anatoxin-a
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Cylindrospermopsin
Both methods in development as of June 2014
Applies to Surface Water and GUDI, possibly targeting summer
http://www.amwa.net/sites/default/files/UCMR4StakeholderPresentatio
months
ns.pdf
Other Contaminants under Consideration
Under Evaluation—possibly list 3?:
• Legionella pneumophila
Other contaminants under consideration:
• Nitrate/Nitrite (currently regulated) sampled
in distribution—not just entry point
• 4 Unregulated brominated DBPs
(bromochloroacetic acid, bromodichloroacetic acid, dibromochloroacetic acid, and tribromoacetic acid, monitored at stage 2 DBPR compliance locations
http://www.amwa.net/sites/default/files/UCMR4StakeholderPrese
ntations.pdf
Potential Changes between UCMR3 and UCMR4?
• Compress the monitoring period to 2 years to make
data available to help with regulatory determinations
or maintain the monitoring period at three years to
provide temporal coverage and accommodate lab
capacity?
• Asssign analytes to specific months to ensure
coverage of temporal vulnerability and variability?
• Year and months of monitoring assigned to small
systems?
• Large systems may re‐define their year and month(s)
http://www.amwa.net/sites/default/files/UCMR4StakeholderPrese
of monitoring?
ntations.pdf
EPA Contacts
UCMR Sampling Coordinator:
800‐949‐1581
[email protected]
To upgrade current Central Data Exchange (CDX) to access Safe Drinking Water Accession and Review System (SDWARS):
[email protected] or call 888‐890‐
1995
www.epa.gov type UCMR 3
Remember that all passwords are purged every 90 days. At that time they must be upgraded to access SDWARS.