Current through Register Vol. 55, No. 13, March 29, 2025
(a) The
samples taken to determine a public water system's compliance with MCLs, MRDLs
or treatment technique requirements or to determine compliance with monitoring
requirements shall be taken at the locations identified in §§
109.301, 109.302, 109.1003,
109.1103, 109.1202 and 109.1303 and as follows:
(1) Samples for determining compliance with
the turbidity MCL shall be taken at each entry point associated with a surface
water source that the Department has determined shall be filtered.
(2) Samples for determining compliance with
the
E. coli MCL under
109.202(a)(2)
(relating to State MCLs, MRDLs and treatment technique requirements) and for
determining whether an assessment is triggered under
109.202(c)(4)
shall be taken at regular intervals throughout the monitoring period at sites
which are representative of water throughout the distribution system according
to a written sample siting plan as specified under
109.701(a)(5)
(relating to reporting and recordkeeping). Representative locations include,
but are not limited to, the following:
(ii) First service
connection.
(iii) Finished water
storage facilities.
(iv)
Interconnections with other public water systems.
(v) Areas of high water age.
(vi) Areas with previous coliform
detections.
(3) Samples
for determining compliance with the fluoride MCL shall be taken at each entry
point.
(4) Samples for determining
compliance with MCLs for organic contaminants listed by the EPA under
40 CFR
141.61 (relating to maximum contaminant
levels for organic contaminants), inorganic contaminants listed by the EPA
under 40 CFR
141.62 (relating to maximum contaminant
levels for inorganic contaminants), and radionuclide contaminants listed by the
EPA under 40 CFR
141.66 (relating to maximum contaminant
levels for radionuclides) shall be taken at each entry point to the
distribution system which is representative of each source after an application
of treatment during periods of normal operating conditions. If a system draws
water from more than one source and the sources are combined prior to
distribution, the system shall sample at the entry point during periods of
normal operating conditions when water is representative of all sources being
used.
(5) Asbestos sampling points
shall be at the distribution tap where asbestos contamination is expected to be
the greatest based on the presence of asbestos cement pipe and lack of optimum
corrosion control treatment, and at the entry point for each source which the
Department has reason to believe may contain asbestos, except that a collected
distribution sample which is representative of a source may be substituted for
a required entry point sample.
(6)
Samples for determining compliance with MCLs for PFAS contaminants listed in
§
109.202(a)(4)
shall be collected at each entry point to the distribution system which is
representative of each source after an application of treatment during periods
of normal operating conditions. If a system draws water from more than one
source and the sources are combined prior to distribution, the system shall
sample at the entry point during periods of normal operating conditions when
water is representative of all sources being used.
(b) The samples taken to determine a public
water system's compliance with treatment technique and performance monitoring
requirements shall be taken at a point that is as close as practicable to each
treatment technique process and that is not influenced by subsequent treatment
processes or appurtenances.
(c)
Public water suppliers shall assure that samples for laboratory analysis are
properly collected and preserved, are collected in proper containers, do not
exceed maximum holding times between collection and analysis and are handled in
accordance with guidelines governing quality control which may be established
by the Department. A public water supplier who utilizes an accredited
laboratory for sample collection as well as analysis satisfies the requirements
of this subsection.
(d) Compliance
monitoring samples for the VOCs listed under
40 CFR
141.61(a) shall be collected
by a person properly trained by a laboratory accredited by the Department to
conduct VOC or vinyl chloride analysis.
(e) Compliance monitoring samples for the
contaminants listed under
40 CFR
141.40(a),
141.61(a)
and (c),
141.62
and
141.88
may be composited in accordance with
40 CFR
141.23(a)(4),
141.24(f)(14)
and (h)(10) and
141.88(a)(1)(iv)
(relating to inorganic chemical sampling and analytical requirements; organic
chemicals, sampling and analytical requirements; and monitoring requirements
for lead and copper in source water) except:
(1) Samples from groundwater entry points may
not be composited with samples from surface water entry points.
(2) Samples used in compositing shall be
collected in duplicate.
(3) If a
contaminant listed under
40 CFR
141.61(a) or (c) is detected
at an entry point, samples from that entry point may not be composited for
subsequent or repeat monitoring requirements.
(4) Samples obtained from an entry point
which contains water treated by a community water supplier or a nontransient
noncommunity water supplier to specifically meet an MCL for an organic
contaminant listed under
40 CFR
141.61(a) or (c) or an MCL
for an inorganic contaminant listed under
40 CFR
141.62 may not be composited with other entry
point samples.
(f) A
compliance sample required under
109.301(9)
(relating to general monitoring requirements) shall be taken at a free flowing
tap in the house, building or facility where the POE device is located or at a
monitoring point approved by the Department on the effluent side of the POE
device.
(g) Samples taken to
determine compliance with combined radium-226 and radium-228, gross alpha
particle activity or uranium under
40 CFR
141.66(b), (c) and (e) may
be composited from a single entry point if the analysis is done within 1 year
of the date of the collection of the first sample. The Department will treat
analytical results from the composited sample as the average analytical result
to determine compliance with the MCLs and the future monitoring frequency.
(1) If the analytical result from the
composited sample is greater than one-half the MCL, the Department may direct
the system to take additional quarterly samples before allowing the system to
sample under a reduced monitoring schedule.
(2) Samples obtained from an entry point that
contains water treated to specifically meet an MCL for a radionuclide
contaminant listed under
40 CFR
141.66(b), (c) or (e) may
not be composited.
(h)
Samples taken to determine compliance with beta particle and photon
radioactivity under
40 CFR
141.66(d) may be composited
as follows:
(1) Monitoring for gross
beta-particle activity may be based on the analysis of a composite of 3 monthly
samples.
(2) Monitoring for
strontium-90 and tritium may be based on the analysis of a composite of 4
consecutive quarterly samples.
(i) Samples taken to determine compliance
with this chapter shall be taken in accordance with a written comprehensive
monitoring plan as specified in §
109.718 (relating to comprehensive
monitoring plan). These plans are subject to Department review and
revision.
The provisions of this § 109.303 amended under section 4 of
the Pennsylvania Safe Drinking Water Act (35 P.S. §
721.4); and section 1920-A of The
Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. §
510-20).
This section cited in 25 Pa. Code §
109.301 (relating to general
monitoring requirements); 25 Pa. Code §
109.503 (relating to public water
system construction permits); 25 Pa. Code §
109.701 (relating to reporting and
recordkeeping); and 25 Pa. Code §
109.1103 (relating to monitoring
requirements).
