Impact/Purpose:

The objective of this research effort is to develop analytical methods to be used to measure the occurence of priority water pollutants in the nation's drinking water supplies. To accomplish this objective, ORD scientists must first coordinate with staff from the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW) to identify the most appropriate chemical contaminants for which analytical methods need to be developed, and then ORD must develop, and demonstrate the applicability of, new or improved analytical methods, that are specific, sensitive, and practical enough for application in commercial laboratories as part of the UCMR monitoring efforts.

Description:

The 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) required EPA to establish a Contaminant Candidate List (CCL), that contains a list of drinking water contaminants that the Agency will consider for future regulation. EPA must make a regulatory determination on a minimum of five contaminants every five years. The first CCL was published in 1998, and updates were anticipated every five years thereafter. One of the key pieces of information that must be available in order to make a regulatory determination, is nationwide occurrence data for the chemical contaminants under consideration. Historically, EPA has collected the necessary occurrence data under its Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulations. Under the UCMR, monitoring is conducted at selected drinking water utilities for specific contaminants of interest. The chemical analyses are usually performed by the utilities or by commercial laboratories. To meet the requirements of monitoring under the UCMR program, the analytical methods developed should be specific, sensitive, and practical enough for application in commercial laboratories. This task will focus on the development of analytical methods for chemicals identified on future CCLs or emerging contaminants not yet listed on the CCL. These methods will be used for the collection of occurrence data under future Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulations (UCMR).

Record Details:

Record Type:PROJECT

Start Date:10/01/2004

Projected Completion Date:09/01/2007

OMB Category:Other

Record ID: 81029

Show Additional Record Data

Project Information:

Progress :None. This is a new project scheduled to begin in FY05. Based on conversations with OGWDW staff, initial methods work in FY05 will focus on perflouroalkyl surfactants and 1,4-dioxane.

Relevance :EPA is currently assessing a number of drinking water contaminants for possible future regulation. Occurrence data is a key piece of information that is required before a regulatory determination can be made. The analytical methods developed under this task will be used by OGWDW to collect nationwide occurrence data under the UCMR for specific chemical contaminants under consideration for regulation. The success of these method development tasks will result in better monitoring for contaminants of interest. Better monitoring data will assist OGWDW in better regulatory decisions, and help safeguard the American public from harmful drinking water contaminants.

Regular communications have been established with OGWDW concerning the establishment of the 2003 CCL (CCL2) and the 2008 CCL (CCL3), and plans for future unregulated contaminant monitoring. Through this process, the need for analytical methods for individual contaminants and/or classes of contaminants will be established. Based upon available resources and expertise, NERL and/or OGWDW will conduct the research independently or in collaboration with each other. Method development progress is regularly communicated to OGWDW.

Clients :Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (Dave Munch, Hiba Shukairy, Valerie Blank, Kesha Forrest)

Project IDs:

ID Code :19125

Project type :OMIS