Nebraska Administrative Code
Topic - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEM
Title 179 - PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS
Chapter 8 - GROUND WATER RULE
Section 179-8-005 - GROUND WATER SOURCE MICROBIAL MONITORING AND ANALYTICAL METHODS

Universal Citation: 179 NE Admin Rules and Regs ch 8 ยง 005

Current through September 17, 2024

005.01 Triggered Source Water Monitoring

8-005.01A General Requirements: A ground water system must conduct triggered source water monitoring if the conditions identified in items 1 and either 2 or 3 below exist:
1. The system does not provide at least 4-log treatment of viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a Department-approved combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) before or at the first customer for each ground water source; and either

2. The system is notified that a sample collected under 179 NAC 3-004.01 is total coliform-positive and the sample is not invalidated under 179 NAC 3-004.03 through March 31, 2016, or

3. The system is notified that a sample collected under 179 NAC 26-006 through 179 NAC 26-009 is total coliform-positive and the sample is not invalidated under 179 NAC 26-005.03 beginning April 1, 2016.

8-005.01B Sampling Requirements: A ground water system must collect, within 24 hours of notification of the total coliform-positive sample, at least one ground water source sample from each ground water source in use at the time the total coliform-positive sample was collected under 179 NAC 3-004.01 through March 31, 2016, or collected under 179 NAC 26-006 through 26-009 beginning April 1, 2016 except as provided in 179 NAC 8-005.01B2.
8-005.01B1 The Department may extend the 24-hour time limit on a case-by-case basis if the system cannot collect the ground water source water sample within 24 hours due to circumstances beyond its control. In the case of an extension, the Department must specify how much time the system has to collect the sample.

8-005.01B2 If approved by the Department, systems with more than one ground water source may meet the requirements of 179 NAC 8-005.01B by sampling a representative ground water source or sources. If directed by the Department, systems must submit for Department approval a triggered source water monitoring plan that identifies one or more ground water sources that are representative of each monitoring site in the system's sample siting plan under 179 NAC 3-004.01 through March 31, 2016, or under 179 NAC 26-005 beginning April 1, 2016, and that the system intends to use for representative sampling under this paragraph.

8-005.01B3 Through March 31, 2016, a ground water system serving 1,000 people or fewer may use a repeat sample collected from a ground water source to meet both the requirements of 179 NAC 3-004.02 and the monitoring requirements of 179 NAC 8-005.01B for that ground water source only if the Department approves the use of E. coli as a fecal indicator for source water monitoring under 179 NAC 8-005.01. If the repeat sample collected from the ground water source is E. coli positive, the system must comply with 179 NAC 8-005.01C.

8-005.01B4 Beginning April 1, 2016, a ground water system serving 1,000 or fewer people may use a repeat sample collected from a ground water source to meet both the requirements of 179 NAC 26 and to satisfy the monitoring requirements of 179 NAC 8-005.01B for that ground water source only if the Department approves the use of E. coli as a fecal indicator for source water monitoring under 179 NAC 8-005.01 and approves the use of a single sample for meeting both the triggered source water monitoring requirements in 179 NAC 8-005.01 and the repeat monitoring requirements in 179 NAC 26-010. If the repeat sample collected from the ground water source is E. coli-positive, the system must comply with 179 NAC 8-005.01C.

8-005.01C Additional Requirements: If the Department does not require corrective action under 179 NAC 8-006.01B for a fecal indicator-positive source water sample collected under 8-005.01B that is not invalidated under 179 NAC 8-005.04, the system must collect five additional source water samples from the same source within 24 hours of being notified of the fecal indicator-positive sample.

8-005.01D Consecutive and Wholesale Systems
8-005.01D1 In addition to the other requirements of 179 NAC 8-005.01 a consecutive ground water system that has a total coliform-positive sample collected under 179 NAC 3-004.01 through March 31, 2016, or under 179 NAC 26-006 through 179 NAC 26-009 beginning April 1, 2016, must notify the wholesale system(s) within 24 hours of being notified of the total coliform-positive sample.

8-005.01D2 In addition to the other requirements of 179 NAC 8-005.01, a wholesale ground water system must comply with the following:
1. A wholesale ground water system that receives notice from a consecutive system it serves that a sample collected under 179 NAC 3-004.01 through March 31, 2016, or collected under 179 NAC 26-006 through 179 NAC 26-009 beginning April 1, 2016, is total coliform-positive must, within 24 hours of being notified, collect a sample from its ground water source(s) under 179 NAC 8-005.01B and analyze it for a fecal indicator under 179 NAC 8-005.03.

2. If the sample collected under 179 NAC 8-005.01D2 item 1 is fecal indicator-positive, the wholesale ground water system must notify all consecutive systems served by that ground water source of the fecal indicator source water positive within 24 hours of being notified of the ground water source sample monitoring result and must meet the requirements of 179 NAC 8-005.01C.

8-005.01E Exceptions to the Triggered Source Water Monitoring Requirements: A ground water system is not required to comply with the source water monitoring requirements of 179 NAC 8-005.01 if either of the following conditions exists:
1. The Department determines, and documents in writing, that the total coliform-positive sample collected under 179 NAC 3-004.01 through March 31, 2016, or under 179 NAC 26-006 through 179 NAC 26-009 beginning April 1, 2016 is caused by a distribution system deficiency; or

2. The total coliform-positive sample collected under 179 NAC 3-004.01 through March 31, 2016, or under 179 NAC 26-006 through 179 NAC 26-009 beginning April 1, 2016, is collected at a location that meets Department criteria for distribution system conditions that will cause total coliform-positive samples.

005.02 Assessment Source Water Monitoring

If directed by the Department, ground water systems must conduct assessment source water monitoring that meets Department-determined requirements for such monitoring. A ground water system conducting assessment source water monitoring may use a triggered source water sample collected under 179 NAC 8-005.01B to meet the requirements of 179 NAC 8-005.02. Department-determined assessment source water monitoring requirements may include:

1. Collection of a total of 12 ground water source samples that represent each month the system provides ground water to the public,

2. Collection of samples from each well unless the system obtains written Department approval to conduct monitoring at one or more wells within the ground water system that are representative of multiple wells used by that system and that draw water from the same hydrogeologic setting,

3. Collection of a standard sample volume of at least 100 mL for fecal indicator analysis regardless of the fecal indicator or analytical method used,

4. Analysis of all ground water source samples using one of the analytical methods incorporated in 179 NAC 8-005.03B for the presence of E. coli, enterococci, or coliphage,

5. Collection of ground water source samples at a location prior to any treatment of the ground water source unless the Department approves a sampling location after treatment, and

6. Collection of ground water source samples at the well itself unless the system's configuration does not allow for sampling at the well itself and the Department approves an alternate sampling location that is representative of the water quality of that well.

005.03 Analytical Methods

8-005.03A A ground water system subject to the source water monitoring requirements of 179 NAC 8-005.01 must collect a standard sample volume of at least 100 mL for fecal indicator analysis regardless of the fecal indicator or analytical method used.

8-005.03B A ground water system must analyze all ground water source samples collected under 179 NAC 8-005.01 using one of the analytical methods listed in 40 CFR 141.402(c)(2) or the equivalent as determined by EPA for the presence of E. coli, enterococci, or coliphage:

005.04 Invalidation of a Fecal Indicator-Positive Ground Water Source Sample

8-005.04A A ground water system may obtain Department invalidation of a fecal indicator-positive ground water source sample collected under 179 NAC 8-005.01 only under the following conditions:
1. The system provides the Department with written notice from the laboratory that improper sample analysis occurred; or

2. The Department determines and documents in writing that there is substantial evidence that a fecal indicator-positive ground water source sample is not related to source water quality.

8-005.04B If the Department invalidates a fecal indicator-positive ground water source sample, the ground water system must collect another source water sample under 179 NAC 8-005.01 within 24 hours of being notified by the Department of its invalidation decision and have it analyzed for the same fecal indicator using the analytical methods incorporated in 179 NAC 8-005.03. The Department may extend the 24-hour time limit on a case-by-case basis if the system cannot collect the source water sample within 24 hours due to circumstances beyond its control. In the case of an extension, the Department must specify how much time the system has to collect the sample.

005.05 Sampling Location

8-005.05A Any ground water source sample required under 179 NAC 8-005.01 must be collected at a location prior to any treatment of the ground water source unless the Department approves a sampling location after treatment.

8-005.05B If the system's configuration does not allow for sampling at the well itself, the system may collect a sample at a Department-approved location to meet the requirements of 179 NAC 8-005.01 if the sample is representative of the water quality of that well.

005.06 New Sources

If directed by the Department, a ground water system that places a new ground water source into service must conduct assessment source water monitoring under 179 NAC 8-005.02. If directed by the Department, the system must begin monitoring before the ground water source is used to provide water to the public.

005.07 Public Notification

A ground water system with a ground water source sample collected under 179 NAC 8-005.01 or 8-005.02 that is fecal indicator-positive and that is not invalidated under 179 NAC 8-005.04, including consecutive systems served by the ground water source, must conduct public notification under 179 NAC 4-004.

005.08 Monitoring Violations

Failure to meet the requirements of 179 NAC 8-005.01 through 8-005.06 is a monitoring violation and requires the ground water system to provide public notification under 179 NAC 4-006.

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