First Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires that once every five years the EPA issue a list of unregulated contaminants to be monitored by public water systems (PWSs).

The first Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 1) was published on September 17, 1999, and through supplemental actions on March 2, 2000, and January 11, 2001. UCMR 1 required monitoring for 24 contaminants between 2001 and 2005 using analytical methods developed by the EPA and consensus organizations. This monitoring provides a basis for future actions to protect public health.

• Federal Register Notice: Final Revisions to the UCMR 1 for Public Water Systems, September 17, 1999

• UCMR 1 Scope, Analytical Methods, and Contaminants
• Federal Register Notices

UCMR 1 Scope, Analytical Methods, and Contaminants

Assessment Monitoring (AM)

All PWSs serving more than 10,000 people and 800 representative PWSs serving 10,000 or fewer people were required to monitor for 11 contaminants during a 12-month period from January 2001 through December 2005.

Fact Sheets for Assessment Monitoring:

• UCMR 1 Monitoring by Large PWSs
• UCMR 1 Monitoring by Selected Small PWSs (PDF)(3 pp, 12 K)
• UCMR 1 Monitoring by Index PWSs (PDF)(2 pp, 10 K)

Screening Survey (SS)

PWSs monitored during a 12-month period from January 2001 through December 2003. The EPA randomly selected PWSs from those PWSs that were required to conduct AM. A set of 300 representative PWSs monitored for the 12 chemical contaminants on the SS and a different set of 300 representative PWSs monitored for Aeromonas.

Fact Sheets for the Screening Survey:

• UCMR 1 Screening Survey by Selected Large PWSs (PDF)(3 pp, 11.5 K)
• UCMR 1 Screening Survey by Selected Small PWSs (PDF)(3 pp, 11.5 K)
• UCMR 1 Screening Survey for Aeromonas at Selected PWSs (PDF)(2 pp, 9.8 K)

The EPA paid all analytical costs associated with monitoring at PWSs serving 10,000 or fewer people.

Table 1. Contaminants, Minimum Reporting Levels, Sampling Locations¹, and Analytical Methods

Notes

1. The majority of UCMR 1 samples were collected at entry point to the distribution system (EP) locations. However, samples from source water (untreated water) (SR) locations are also included in the UCMR 1 dataset. Sample point type for UCMR 1 results can be found in the UCMR Archival Data Finder and UCMR 1 occurrence data text files. Refer to the UCMR 1 Data Summary for data definitions.
2. Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number (CASRN), Not Available (NA)
3. The EPA-established UCMR Minimum Reporting Level (MRL) is the lowest concentration that laboratories may report to the EPA during UCMR monitoring. UCMR MRLs are determined using data from multiple laboratories that participate in the EPA’s MRL-setting studies and are not associated with contaminant health effects information. More specifically, an MRL is the quantitation limit for a contaminant that is considered achievable, with 95% confidence, by at least 75% of laboratories nationwide using a specified analytical method (recognizing that individual laboratories may be able to measure at lower levels).
4. Nitrobenzene was also included as an SS contaminant using EPA Method 526. Results are reported as LL-nitrobenzene.
5. CFU/100mL – Colony forming units per one hundred milliliters. See the UCMR 1 Data Summary for more information.

Federal Register Notices

On October 29, 2002, the EPA published a final rule to approve EPA Method 1605 to monitor Aeromonas. The rule also specified that laboratories wishing to be approved for this method must participate in an Aeromonas proficiency testing (PT) program conducted by the EPA.

• Federal Register Notice: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation: Approval of Analytical Method for Aeromonas; National Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Regulations: Approval of Analytical Methods for Chemical and Microbiological Contaminants

On March 12, 2002, the EPA published a rule to establish the electronic reporting date for monitoring results.

• Federal Register Notice: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for Public Water Systems; Establishment of Reporting Date (Page 11071-11072)
• Federal Register Notice: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for Public Water Systems; Establishment of Reporting Date (Page 11043-11046)
  • Other Related Documents

On March 7, 2002, the EPA published a proposed rule to approve EPA Method 1605 to monitor Aeromonas.

• Federal Register Notice: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation: Approval of Analytical Method for Aeromonas; National Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Regulations: Approval of Analytical Methods for Chemical and Microbiological Contaminants

On September 4, 2001, the EPA published a direct final rule to amend the List 2 requirements and delay the requirements for the electronic reporting of monitoring results.

• Federal Register Notice: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for Public Water Systems; Amendment to the List 2 Rule and Partial Delay of Reporting of Monitoring Results
  • Other Related Documents

On January 11, 2001, the EPA published analytical methods for several Screening Survey List 2 contaminants and described the required monitoring for those contaminants. In this notice, the EPA also modified the UCMR to improve the implementation of monitoring for both List 1 and List 2 contaminants.

• Federal Register Notice: Revisions to the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for Public Water Systems; Final Rule
• Federal Register Notice: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for Public Water Systems; Analytical Methods for List 2 Contaminants; Clarifications to the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation
  • Other Related Documents
• Federal Register Notice: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for Public Water Systems; Analytical Methods for List 2 Contaminants and Clarifications; Proposed Rule

On March 2, 2000, the EPA published a rule specifying the approved analytical methods for perchlorate and acetochlor. The EPA included a notice about a laboratory approval process for laboratories interested in participating in perchlorate monitoring.

• Federal Register Notice: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for Public Water Systems: Analytical Methods for Perchlorate and Acetochlor; Announcement of Laboratory Approval and Performance Testing (PT) Program for the Analysis of Perchlorate; Final Rule and Proposed Rule - Part 1
• Federal Register Notice: Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for Public Water Systems: Analytical Methods for Perchlorate and Acetochlor; Announcement of Laboratory Approval and Performance Testing (PT) Program for the Analysis of Perchlorate; Final Rule and Proposed Rule - Part 2

On January 8, 1999, the EPA published a rule suspending unregulated contaminant monitoring for small PWSs.

• Federal Register Notice: Suspension of Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Requirements for Small Public Water Systems; Final Rule and Proposed Rule
  • Other Related Documents (Page 1493-1498)
• Federal Register Notice: Suspension of Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Requirements for Small Public Water Systems (Page 1499)