Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
a) Sanitary Surveys
1) A biennial sanitary survey shall be
obtained by all non-community public water systems that are not recreational
facilities licensed by the Department.
2) All non-community public water supplies
licensed by the Department as recreational facilities shall obtain an annual
sanitary survey.
3) Special
Monitoring Evaluation
A) To determine whether
the system is on an appropriate monitoring schedule, the Department will
perform a special monitoring evaluation during each sanitary survey. After the
Department has performed the special monitoring evaluation, it may modify the
system's monitoring schedule.
B)
For seasonal systems on quarterly or annual monitoring, the special monitoring
evaluation will include review of the approved sample siting plan, which must
designate the time period or periods for monitoring based on site-specific
considerations (e.g., during periods of highest demand or highest vulnerability
to contamination).
b) Monitoring
1) Routine Monitoring
A) A non-community water system supplier
using only groundwater, excluding groundwater under the direct influence of
surface water, as defined in 35 Ill. Adm. Code
611.102,
and serving 1,000 persons or fewer must conduct the following total coliform
and E.coli monitoring:
i) Quarterly
Monitoring. The supplier must monitor each calendar quarter that the system
provides water to the public.
ii)
Reduced Monitoring. The Department may reduce the quarterly monitoring
frequency to not less than annually, if the most recent sanitary survey shows
that the system is free of sanitary defects, has a protected water source and
the wells conform to the requirements of the Water Well Construction
Code.
B) Non-community
water systems that do not meet the requirements of subsection (b)(1)(A) are
subject to the monitoring requirements of 35 Ill Adm. Code
611.1056
and
611.1057
except vending machines classified as non-community water systems, which must
comply with (b)(1)(A).
C)
Monitoring after E. coli Violations
i) A water
system that incurs an E. coli violation, as specified in subsection (h)(1),
shall be placed on monthly monitoring for a minimum of one year beginning in
the next month in which the supplier provides water to the public, unless the
cause of the violation has been definitely determined by the Department and
corrected prior to water being served to the public.
ii) When the cause of the violation has not
been definitely determined by the Department and corrected, monitoring must be
conducted during the most vulnerable times each month for the next 12 months
following an E. coli MCL violation. If any sample result (routine, repeat,
additional routine, or clearance sample) is Total Coliform Positive within 12
months following the MCL violation, the system must collect monthly samples for
a minimum of 12 consecutive months. Monthly monitoring must begin in the next
month in which the supplier provides water to the public.
iii) After 12 consecutive months of
monitoring, the Department may allow the water system to return to quarterly
monitoring in accordance with subsection (b)(1)(A) if the water system meets
the criteria specified in subsection (b)(1)(E).
D) A water system that incurs a coliform
treatment technique violation, as specified in subsection (h)(2), shall be
placed on monthly monitoring for a minimum of one year beginning in the next
month in which the supplier provides water to the public. After 12 consecutive
months of monitoring, the Department may allow the water system to return to
quarterly monitoring in accordance with subsection (b)(1)(A).
E) A supplier may return to quarterly
monitoring after being triggered to monthly monitoring under subsection
(b)(1)(C), once all of the following criteria are met:
i) The system is free of sanitary defects,
has a protected source, and the wells conform to the requirements of the Water
Well Construction Code;
ii) The
on-site assessment and all corrective actions specified by the Department have
been completed;
iii) The system has
conducted any increased monitoring required by the Department; and
iv) The system is in compliance with
cross-connection requirements in Section
900.40(l).
2) Repeat Monitoring
A) If a sample taken under subsection (b)(1)
or (b)(4) is total coliform-positive, the supplier must collect a set of repeat
samples within 24 hours after being notified of the positive result. The
supplier must collect no fewer than three repeat samples for each total
coliform-positive sample found. The Department will extend the 24- hour limit
if the supplier has a logistical problem in collecting the repeat samples
within 24 hours that is beyond its control. The Department will not waive the
requirement for a supplier to collect the repeat samples described in
subsections (b)(2)(A) through (C).
B) The supplier must collect all repeat
samples on the same day, except the Department will allow a supplier with a
single service connection to collect the required set of repeat samples over a
three-day period or to collect a larger volume of repeat samples in one or more
sample containers of any size, as long as the total volume collected is at
least 300 milliliters.
C) The
supplier must collect an additional set of repeat samples in the manner
specified in subsections (b)(2)(A) through (C) if one or more repeat samples in
the current set of repeat samples is total coliform-positive. The supplier must
collect the additional set of repeat samples within 24 hours after being
notified of the positive result, unless the Department extends the limit as
provided in subsection (b)(2)(A). The supplier must continue to collect
additional sets of repeat samples until either total coliforms are not detected
in one complete set of repeat samples or the supplier determines that a
coliform treatment technique trigger specified in subsection (d) has been
exceeded as a result of a repeat sample being total coliform-positive and
notifies the Department. If a trigger identified in subsection (d) is exceeded
as a result of a routine sample being total coliform-positive, the supplier is
required to conduct only one round of repeat monitoring for each total
coliform-positive routine sample.
D) After a supplier collects a routine sample
and before it learns the results of the analysis of that sample, if the
supplier collects another routine sample from within five adjacent service
connections of the initial sample, and the initial sample, after analysis, is
found to contain total coliforms, then the supplier may count the subsequent
sample as a repeat sample instead of as a routine sample.
E) Results of all routine and repeat samples
taken under subsection (b) not invalidated by the Department must be used to
determine whether a coliform treatment technique trigger specified in
subsection (d) has been exceeded.
3) Escherichia coli (E. coli) Testing
A) If any routine or repeat sample is total
coliform-positive, the supplier's certified laboratory must analyze that total
coliform-positive culture medium to determine if E. coli are present. If E.
coli are present, the supplier must notify the Department by the end of the day
when the supplier is notified of the test result. If the supplier is notified
of the result after the Department office is closed and the Department does not
have either an after-hours phone line or an alternative notification procedure,
the supplier must notify the Department before the end of the next business
day.
B) The Department will allow a
supplier to forego E. coli testing on a total coliform-positive sample if that
supplier assumes that the total coliform-positive sample is E. coli-positive.
Accordingly, the supplier must notify the Department as specified in subsection
(b)(3)(A) and must notify the public in accordance with 35 Ill. Adm. Code
611.Subpart V.
4)
Additional Routine Monitoring the Month Following a Total Coliform-Positive
Sample
A) Except as provided in subsection
(b)(4)(D), a supplier conducting monitoring pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(A)
must collect at least three routine samples during the month following a total
coliform-positive sample.
B) The
supplier shall either collect samples at regular time intervals throughout the
month or shall collect all required routine samples on a single day if samples
are taken from different sites.
C)
The supplier must use the results of additional routine samples in coliform
treatment technique trigger calculations under subsection (d).
D) Waiver. Except as provided in subsection
(b)(4)(F), the Department will waive the requirement to collect three routine
samples the next month in which the supplier provides water to the public if:
i) The Department performs a site visit
before the end of the next month in which the supplier provides water to the
public. Although a sanitary survey is not required, the site visit must be
sufficiently detailed to allow the Department to determine whether additional
monitoring or any corrective action is needed;
ii) The Department determines why the sample
was total coliform-positive and establishes that the supplier has corrected the
problem or will correct the problem before the end of the next month in which
the supplier serves water to the public; or
iii) The Department determines that the
supplier has corrected the contamination problem before the supplier takes the
set of repeat samples required in subsection (b)(2) and all repeat samples were
total coliform-negative.
E) The Department must document any decision
to waive the additional monitoring requirements in writing, have it approved
and signed by the supervisor of the Department official who recommends that
decision, and make this document available to USEPA and the public. The written
documentation must describe the specific cause of the total coliform-positive
sample and what action the supplier has taken or will take to correct this
problem.
F) Any supplier that fails
to collect all required repeat samples following any total coliform-positive
sample must collect three routine samples the next month in which the supplier
provides water to the public.
5) Sample Siting Plans. A supplier must
develop a written sample siting plan that identifies sampling sites and a
sample collection schedule that are representative of water throughout the
distribution system. These plans are subject to Department review and revision.
The supplier must collect total coliform samples according to the sample siting
plan. Routine and repeat sample sites and any raw water sampling sites
necessary to conduct triggered source water monitoring must be reflected in the
sampling plan.
c) All
seasonal non-community public water system suppliers must demonstrate
completion of a Department-approved start-up procedure, which shall include a
requirement for startup sampling to demonstrate coliform bacteria is not
present prior to serving water to the public. This demonstration must be
certified by the supplier on a form provided by the Department and submitted to
the Department prior to serving water to the public. This requirement may be
waived for seasonal systems if the entire distribution system remains
pressurized during the entire period that the system is not operating. In
addition to the start-up sampling, seasonal systems must have an approved
sample siting plan that designates the time period for monitoring based on
site-specific considerations (e.g., during periods of highest demand or highest
vulnerability to contamination). Seasonal suppliers must collect compliance
samples during this time period.
d)
Coliform Treatment Technique Triggers. A supplier must conduct assessments in
accordance with subsection (e) after exceeding treatment technique triggers in
subsection (d)(1) or (d)(2).
1) Monitoring
Assessment Triggers
A) The supplier fails to
take a routine sample as required in subsection (b)(1)(A).
B) The supplier fails to take every required
repeat sample after any single total coliform-positive sample, as required in
subsection (b)(2).
C) The supplier
fails to take additional routine monitoring samples as required in subsection
(b)(4).
2) On-site
Assessment Triggers
A) An E. coli MCL
violation, as specified in subsection (h)(1).
B) A system has two or more total
coliform-positive samples in the same month.
e) Requirements for Assessments
1) A supplier must ensure that monitoring
assessments are conducted in order to identify the cause of the monitoring
violation and to institute procedures to prevent future monitoring
violations.
2) A supplier must
ensure that on-site assessments are conducted in order to identify the possible
presence of sanitary defects and defects in distribution system coliform
monitoring practices. On-site assessments must be conducted by the Department
or parties approved by the Department.
3) When conducting on-site assessments, the
supplier must ensure that the assessor evaluates minimum elements that include
review and identification of inadequacies in sample sites; sampling protocol;
sample processing; atypical events that could affect distributed water quality
or indicate that distributed water quality was impaired; changes in
distribution system maintenance and operation that could affect distributed
water quality (including water storage); source and treatment considerations
that bear on distributed water quality, where appropriate (e.g., small ground
water systems); and existing water quality monitoring data. The supplier must
conduct the assessment consistent with specific assessment elements with
respect to the size and type of the system and the size, type, and
characteristics of the distribution system.
4) Monitoring Assessments. A supplier shall
obtain a monitoring assessment if the water system exceeds one of the treatment
technique triggers in subsection (d)(1).
A)
The supplier must complete a monitoring assessment as soon as practical after
any trigger in subsection (d)(1). In the completed assessment form, the
supplier must describe corrective actions completed, and a proposed timetable
for any corrective actions not already completed. The supplier must submit the
completed monitoring assessment form to the Department within 30 days after the
supplier learns that it has exceeded a trigger.
B) If the Department reviews the completed
monitoring assessment and determines that the assessment is not sufficient
(including any proposed timetable for any corrective actions not already
completed), the Department must consult with the supplier. If the Department
requires revisions after consultation, the supplier must submit a revised
assessment form to the Department on an agreed-upon schedule not to exceed 30
days after the date of the consultation.
C) Upon completion and submission of the
assessment form by the supplier, the Department must determine if the supplier
has identified a likely cause for the monitoring assessment trigger and, if so,
establish that the supplier has corrected the problem, or has included a
schedule acceptable to the Department for correcting the problem.
D) Monitoring assessments must include
submittal of replacement samples for all missed samples that caused a
monitoring assessment trigger to be exceeded.
E) Monitoring Assessments do not require an
on-site visit and may be conducted by telephone or electronic
correspondence.
5)
On-site Assessments. A supplier shall obtain an on-site assessment if the water
system exceeds one of the treatment technique triggers in subsection (d)(2).
The supplier must comply with any expedited actions or additional actions
required by the Department in the case of an E. coli MCL violation.
A) The supplier must ensure that an on-site
assessment is completed by the Department or by a third party approved by the
Department as soon as practical after any trigger in subsection (d)(2). The
supplier must submit a completed on-site assessment form to the Department
within 30 days after the supplier learns that it has exceeded a trigger. The
assessment form must describe sanitary defects detected, corrective actions
completed, and a proposed timetable for any corrective actions not already
completed. The assessment form may also note that no sanitary defects were
identified.
B) If the Department
reviews the completed on-site assessment and determines that the assessment is
not sufficient (including any proposed timetable for any corrective actions not
already completed), the Department must consult with the supplier. If the
Department requires revisions after consultation, the supplier must submit a
revised assessment form to the Department on an agreed-upon schedule not to
exceed 30 days.
C) Upon completion
and submission of the assessment form by the supplier, the Department must
determine if a definitive cause for the on-site trigger has been identified and
determine whether the supplier has corrected the problem or has included a
schedule acceptable to the Department for correcting the problem.
D) On-site assessments must include clearance
samples and submittal of replacement samples for all missed routine, repeat and
additional routine samples.
f) Corrective Action. A supplier must correct
sanitary defects found through either monitoring or on-site assessments
conducted under subsection (e). For corrections not completed by the time of
submission of the assessment form, the supplier must complete the corrective
actions in compliance with a timetable approved by the Department in
consultation with the supplier. The supplier must notify the Department when
each scheduled corrective action is completed.
g) Consultation. At any time during the
assessment or corrective action phase, either the supplier or the Department
may request a consultation with the other party to determine the appropriate
actions to be taken. The supplier may consult with the Department on all
relevant information that may impact on its ability to comply with a
requirement of this Section, including the method of accomplishment, an
appropriate timeframe, and other relevant information.
h) Violations
1) E. coli MCL Violations. A supplier is in
violation of the MCL for E. coli when any of the conditions identified in this
subsection (h)(1) occur.
A) The supplier has
an E. coli-positive repeat sample following a total coliform-positive routine
sample.
B) The supplier has a total
coliform-positive repeat sample following an E. coli-positive routine
sample.
C) The supplier fails to
take all required repeat samples following an E. coli-positive routine
sample.
D) The supplier fails to
test for E. coli when any repeat sample tests positive for total
coliform.
2) Treatment
Technique Violation
A) A treatment technique
violation occurs when a supplier exceeds a treatment technique trigger
specified in subsection (d) and then fails to complete the required assessment
or corrective actions, including the collection of all required samples in
accordance with subsections (d)(1) and (d)(2), within the timeframe specified
in subsections (e) and (f).
B) A
treatment technique violation occurs when a seasonal supplier fails to complete
a Department-approved start-up procedure prior to serving water to the
public.
3) Monitoring
Violations
A) Failure to take every required
routine or additional routine sample in a compliance period is a monitoring
violation.
B) Failure to analyze
for E. coli following a total coliform-positive routine sample is a monitoring
violation.
4) Reporting
Violations
A) Failure to submit a monitoring
report or completed assessment form after a supplier properly conducts
monitoring or assessment in a timely manner is a reporting violation.
B) Failure to notify the Department following
an E. coli-positive sample as required by subsection (b)(3)(A) in a timely
manner is a reporting violation.
C)
Failure to submit certification of completion of Department-approved start-up
procedure by a seasonal supplier is a reporting violation.
i) Reporting
1) E. coli
A) A supplier must notify the Department by
the end of the day when the system learns of an E. coli MCL violation. If the
supplier learns of the violation after the Department office is closed and the
Department does not have either an after-hours phone line or an alternative
notification procedure, the supplier must notify the Department before the end
of the next business day. The supplier must also notify the public in
accordance with 35 Ill. Adm. Code 611.Subpart V.
B) A supplier must notify the Department by
the end of the day when the supplier is notified of an E. coli-positive routine
sample. If the supplier is notified of the result after the Department office
is closed and the Department does not have either an after-hours phone line or
an alternative notification procedure, the supplier must notify the Department
before the end of the next business day.
2) A supplier that has violated the treatment
technique for coliforms in subsections (e) and (f) must report the violation to
the Department no later than the end of the next business day after it learns
of the violation and must notify the public in accordance with 35 Ill. Adm.
Code 611.Subpart V.
3) A supplier
required to conduct an assessment under subsection (e) must submit the
assessment report within 30 days. The supplier must notify the Department in
accordance with subsection (f) when each scheduled corrective action is
completed for corrections not completed by the time of submission of the
assessment form.
4) A supplier that
has failed to comply with a coliform monitoring requirement must report the
monitoring violation to the Department within 10 days after the supplier
discovers the violation and must notify the public in accordance with 35 Ill.
Adm. Code 611.Subpart V.
5) A
seasonal supplier must certify, prior to serving water to the public, that it
has complied with the Department-approved start-up procedure.
j) Recordkeeping
1) The supplier must maintain all assessment
forms, and documentation of corrective actions completed as a result of those
assessments, or other available summary documentation of the sanitary defects
and corrective actions taken under subsections (e) and (f) for Department
review. This record must be maintained by the supplier for a period not less
than five years after completion of the assessment or corrective
action.
2) The supplier must
maintain a record of any repeat sample taken that meets Department criteria for
an extension of the 24-hour period for collecting repeat samples as provided
for under subsection (b)(2)(A).