Nebraska Administrative Code
Topic - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEM
Title 179 - PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS
Chapter 25 - LONG TERM 2 (LT2) ENHANCED SURFACE WATER TREATMENT
Section 179-25-004 - SOURCE WATER MONITORING

Universal Citation: 179 NE Admin Rules and Regs ch 25 ยง 004

Current through March 20, 2024

004.01 Source Water Monitoring

Systems must conduct the following monitoring on the schedule in 179 NAC 25-004.02 unless they meet the monitoring exemption criteria in 179 NAC 25-004.03 or the Department has approved a different sampling schedule.

25-004.01A Filtered systems serving at least 10,000 people must sample their source water for Cryptosporidium, E. coli, and turbidity at least monthly for 24 months.

25-004.01B Unfiltered systems serving at least 10,000 people must sample their source water for Cryptosporidium at least monthly for 24 months.

25-004.01C Filtered Systems and E. coli monitoring
1. Filtered systems serving fewer than 10,000 people must sample their source water for E. coli at least once every two weeks for 12 months.

2. A filtered system serving fewer than 10,000 people may avoid E. coli monitoring if the system notifies the Department that it will monitor for Cryptosporidium as described in 179 NAC 25-004.01D. The system must notify the Department no later than 3 months prior to the date the system is otherwise required to start E. coli monitoring.

25-004.01D Filtered systems serving fewer than 10,000 people must sample their source water for Cryptosporidium at least twice per month for 12 months or at least monthly for 24 months if they meet one of the following, based on monitoring conducted under 179 NAC 25-004.01C or 40 CFR 141 Subpart W:
1. The annual mean E. coli concentration is greater than 100 E. coli/100 mL.

2. The system does not conduct E. coli monitoring as described in 179 NAC 25-004.01C.

25-004.01E For filtered systems serving fewer than 10,000 people, the Department may approve monitoring for an indicator other than E. coli under 179 NAC 25-004.01C. The Department also may approve an alternative to the E. coli concentration in 179 NAC 25-004.01D item 1 to trigger Cryptosporidium monitoring. This approval by the Department must be provided to the system in writing and must include the basis for the Department's determination that the alternative indicator and/or trigger level will provide a more accurate identification of whether a system will exceed the Bin 1 Cryptosporidium level in 179 NAC 25-012.

25-004.01F Unfiltered systems serving fewer than 10,000 people must sample their source water for Cryptosporidium at least twice per month for 12 months or at least monthly for 24 months.

25-004.01G Systems may sample more frequently than required under 179 NAC 25-004 if the sampling frequency is evenly spaced throughout the monitoring period.

004.02 Monitoring Schedule

Systems are required to begin source water monitoring no later than the month beginning with the date listed in this table or on a schedule approved by the Department:

SOURCE WATER MONITORING STARTING DATES TABLE

Systems that serve . . . Must begin source water monitoring no later than the month beginning . . .
(1) At least 100,000 people April 1, 2015
(2) From 50,000 to 99,999 people October 1, 2015
(3) From 10,000 to 49,999 people October 1, 2016
(4) Fewer than 10,000 and monitor for E. coli a October 1, 2017
(5) Fewer than 10,000 and monitor for Cryptosporidiumb April 1, 2019

a Applies only to filtered systems.

b Applies to filtered systems that meet the conditions of 179 NAC 25-004.01D and unfiltered systems.

004.03 Monitoring Avoidance

25-004.03A Filtered systems are not required to conduct source water monitoring under this chapter if the system will provide a total of at least 5.5-log of treatment for Cryptosporidium, equivalent to meeting the treatment requirements of Bin 4 in 179 NAC 25-013.

25-004.03B Unfiltered systems are not required to conduct source water monitoring under this chapter if the system will provide a total of a least 3-log Cryptosporidium inactivation, equivalent to meeting the treatment requirements for unfiltered systems with a mean Cryptosporidium concentration of greater than 0.01 oocysts/L in 179 NAC 25-014.

25-004.03C If a system chooses to provide the level of treatment in 179 NAC 25-004.03A or 25-004.03B, as applicable, rather than start source water monitoring, the system must notify the Department in writing no later than the date the system is otherwise required to submit a sampling schedule for monitoring under 179 NAC 25-005. Alternatively, a system may choose to stop sampling at any point after it has initiated monitoring if it notifies the Department in writing that it will provide this level of treatment. Systems must install and operate technologies to provide this level of treatment by the applicable treatment compliance date in 179 NAC 25-015.

004.04 Plants Operating Only Part of the Year

Systems with surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water plants that operate for only part of the year must conduct source water monitoring in accordance with this chapter, but with the following modifications:

1. Systems must sample their source water only during the months that the plant operates unless the Department specifies another monitoring period based on plant operating practices.

2. Systems with plants that operate less than six months per year and that monitor for Cryptosporidium must collect at least six Cryptosporidium samples per year during each of two years of monitoring. Samples must be evenly spaced throughout the period the plant operates.

004.05 New Sources

25-004.05A A system that begins using a new source of surface water or GWUDI after the system is required to begin monitoring must monitor the new source on a schedule the Department approves. Source water monitoring must meet the requirements of this chapter. The system must also meet the bin classification and Cryptosporidium treatment requirements of 179 NAC 25-012, 25-013, or 25-014, as applicable, for the new source on a schedule the Department approves.

25-004.05B The requirements of 179 NAC 25-004.05 apply to surface water and GWUDI systems that begin operation after the monitoring start date applicable to the system's size.

004.06 Failure to collect any required source water sample in accordance with the sampling schedule, sampling location, analytical method, approved laboratory, and reporting requirements is a monitoring violation.

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