Delaware Administrative Code
Title 7 - Natural Resources and Environmental Control
5000 - Division of Watershed Stewardship
7400 - Watershed Assessment Section
7402 - Shellfish Sanitation Regulations
Appendix 5 - Depuration Plant Minimum Sampling Schedule

Number of Pollution Incoming Final Product

Harvest Areas Variability Shellfish

Single Low Periodic Single Samples

Area Single Each Process

Samples Lot

Single High One Sample Duplicate Samples

Area from Each Each Harvest Lot

Harvest in Each Process

Lot Batch

Multiple Variable Periodic At Least One

Area Single, Duplicate Sample

Sample From Each Harvest

Each Each Week

Area Each Process Batch.

Single Samples of

Each Batch, Other

Times, Same Week

Samples of unprocessed shellfish and partially processed shellfish may be taken midway through the depuration cycle and analyzed for the end-point indicator. Such sample results may be used to predict whether the shellfish are acceptable for release. This approach can be used if an appropriate statistical analysis, performed or approved by DNREC, of the samples collected during the process verification study and other historical sample results demonstrates that this is a viable means of determining that the shellfish have been adequately depurated. Each process batch may be released for market only if the end-point fecal coliform criteria indicated in Appendix 6 are met at 24 or 48 hours.