United
States
Environmental
Protection
Agency
Office
of
Water
4303T
EPA­
821­
X­
03­
XXX
December
2003
FACT
SHEET
Guidelines
Establishing
Test
Procedures
for
the
Analysis
of
Pollutants
Under
the
Clean
Water
Act;
National
Primary
Drinking
Water
Regulations;
and
National
Secondary
Drinking
Water
Regulations;
Analysis,
Sampling,
and
Monitoring
Procedures;
Proposed
Rule
EPA
is
proposing
changes
to
sampling
and
analysis
procedures
under
Clean
Water
Act
and
Safe
Drinking
Water
Act
compliance
monitoring
programs.
The
proposal
approves
several
new
analytical
methods
for
compliance
monitoring
and
withdraws
older
EPA
methods,
CFC­
113
based
oil
and
grease
methods
and
methods
with
technical
deficiencies.
In
addition,
EPA
is
proposing
new
sample
collection
procedures,
general
analytical
requirements
for
multi­
analyte
methods,
and
method
flexibility
requirements
for
its
Clean
Water
Act
programs.
The
Agency
also
is
soliciting
comment
on
the
Agency's
microbiological
alternate
test
procedure
guidance
document.

Background
EPA
approves
sampling
procedures
and
analytical
methods
used
by
industrial
and
municipal
facilities
to
determine
chemical,
microbiological,
and
radiological
components
of
wastewater
and
whole
effluent
toxicity
(
WET)
under
the
Clean
Water
Act
(
CWA).
EPA
also
approves
methods
for
determining
drinking
water
contaminants
to
monitor
compliance
with
Safe
Drinking
Water
Act
(
SDWA)
regulations.
In
addition,
EPA
develops
guidance
for
the
alternate
test
procedure
(
ATP)
program
that
can
be
used
by
method
vendors
to
assess
the
comparability
of
their
methods
to
EPA
approved
and
recommended
methods.
Today's
action
proposes,
for
efforts
under
the
CWA,
the
approval
and
withdrawal
of
certain
methods,
revision
of
some
sampling
procedures,
and
addition
of
new
method
flexibility
guidelines.
For
efforts
under
the
SDWA,
we
are
proposing
adding
and
withdrawing
methods
for
SDWA
monitoring.
We
are
also
soliciting
comment
on
EPA's
Microbiological
ATP
protocol
guidance.

Clean
Water
Act
Regulations
Today's
action
proposes
a
number
of
analytical
methods
for
CWA
monitoring,
including:
°
ATPs
for
the
determination
of
anions,
cyanide,
phenolics,
and
WET
(
Microtox).
Microtox
will
introduce
a
new
phylogenetic
group
(
bacteria)
to
the
WET
monitoring
program.
°
Methods
previously
proposed
on
October
18,
1995
(
60
FR
53987).
These
methods
are
being
re­
proposed
to
comply
with
the
National
Technology
Transfer
Advancement
Act
of
1996
and
to
request
information
from
the
public
on
the
use
of
these
methods
under
interim
approvals
issued
since
1995.
°
EPA
Method
245.7
for
the
determination
of
mercury.
°
New
methods
developed
by
voluntary
consensus
standard
bodies
that
stakeholders
have
requested.
°
Updates
currently
approved
EPA
WET
methods,
70
ASTM
Methods,
and
85
Standard
Methods
On­
line.

Other
proposed
additions
include
modifying
some
methods
(
e.
g.,
approving
new
standards
for
turbidity
methods),
clarifying
analytical
requirements
for
multi­
analyte
methods,
and
establishing
guidelines
for
increased
method
flexibility
for
CWA
monitoring.

Today's
action
also
proposes
to
withdraw
most
methods
published
in
the
1983
methods
manual
Methods
for
the
Chemical
Analysis
of
Water
and
Wastes
(
MCAWW),
liquid­
liquid
extraction
methods
for
dichlorobenzenes,
and
CFC­
113
based
oil
and
grease
methods.
Where
MCAWW
methods
are
withdrawn,
alternative
test
procedures
published
by
EPA
or
other
organizations
(
e.
g.,
ASTM,
Standard
Methods)
will
be
provided.
Non­
liquid­
liquid
extraction
methods
are
currently
approved
for
determination
of
dichlorobenzene.
Finally,
nhexane
based
methods
are
currently
approved
alternatives
for
to
CFC­
method
for
determination
of
oil
and
grease.

With
regard
to
sampling
requirements,
today's
action
proposes
new
and
revised
sample
collection
and
storage
procedures.
We
are
making
these
changes
to
correct
inconsistencies
between
sampling
requirements
at
40
CFR
122,
136,
and
403;
to
make
requirements
reflect
current
scientific
understanding
(
e.
g.,
extending
holding
times
or
changing
to
superior
sample
preservatives
based
on
available
data);
and
to
clarify
existing
requirements.

We
are
also
making
general
editorial
changes
to
increase
the
utility
of
the
CFR.
For
example,
we
are
moving
the
table
of
approved
methods
in
the
pesticide
chemicals
industrial
subcategory
(
40
CFR
455)
to
40
CFR
136
in
order
to
consolidate
lists
of
approved
methods.

Safe
Drinking
Water
Act
Regulations
Today's
action
proposes
a
number
of
analytical
methods
for
SDWA
monitoring,
including:

°
Three
ATP's
for
the
determination
of
available
cyanide,
anions,
and
free
chlorine.
°
EPA
Method
327.0
for
determination
of
chlorine
dioxide.
°
Updated
revisions
of
24
ASTM
Methods
and
52
Standard
Methods
On­
line.

Due
to
reported
problems
with
method
interferences,
EPA
also
proposes
to
withdraw
Syngenta
Method
AG­
625
for
the
determination
of
atrazine
by
immunoassay.

Microbiological
ATP
Protocol
EPA
is
soliciting
comments
on
the
EPA
Microbiological
Alternate
Test
Procedure
(
ATP)
Protocol
for
Drinking
Water,
Ambient
Water,
and
Wastewater
Monitoring
Methods
 
Guidance
(
July
2003,
EPA­
821­
B­
03­
004).
The
Protocol
is
draft
guidance
for
the
evaluating
microbiological
ATPs.
It
was
referenced
in
the
July
21,
2003,
rule
promulgating
methods
for
analyzing
microbiological
contaminants
in
ambient
waters
(
July
21,
2003,
68
FR
43272).
EPA
does
not
plan
to
codify
the
protocol,
but
is
interested
in
receiving
comments
to
consider
in
future
revisions.

Additional
Information
and
Copies
For
further
information
about
the
wastewater
portion
of
this
proposal,
please
contact
Marion
Kelly
at
the
U.
S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency,
Office
of
Water,
Engineering
and
Analysis
Division
(
4303T),
1200
Pennsylvania
Avenue,
Washington,
D.
C.
20460;
(
e­
mail:
Kelly.
Marion@
epa.
gov).

For
information
about
the
drinking
water
portion
of
this
proposal
contact
Herbert
J.
Brass
at
the
U.
S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency,
Office
of
Water,
Office
of
Ground
Water
and
Drinking
Water,
Cincinnati,
Ohio
45268
;
(
e­
mail:
Brass.
Herb@
epa.
gov).

For
information
about
the
Microbiological
ATP
Protocol,
please
contact
Robin
Oshiro
at
the
U.
S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency,
Office
of
Water,
Engineering
and
Analysis
Division
(
4303T),
1200
Pennsylvania
Avenue,
Washington,
D.
C.
20460;
(
e­
mail:
Oshiro.
Robin@
epa.
gov).

The
complete
text
of
the
Federal
Register
notice
may
be
viewed
or
downloaded
on
the
Internet
at
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
waterscience/
methods.
