Section 109.303. Sampling requirements

(a) The samples taken to determine a public water system’s compliance with MCLs or MRDLs or to determine compliance with monitoring requirements shall be taken at the locations identified in § § 109.301 and 109.302 (relating to general monitoring requirements; and special monitoring requirements), or 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 total coliform MCL shall be taken at regular intervals throughout the monitoring period at sites which are representative of water throughout the distribution system according to an approved written sample siting plan as specified under § 109.701(a)(5) (relating to reporting and recordkeeping).

(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) and inorganic contaminants listed by the EPA under 40 CFR 141.62 (relating to maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for inorganic contaminants) and with the special monitoring requirements for unregulated contaminants under § 109.302(f) shall be taken at each entry point to the distribution system 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 where the water is representative of combined sources being used during normal operating conditions.

(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.

(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(n), 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), (g)(7) and (h)(10) and 141.88(a)(1)(iv) (relating to inorganic chemical sampling and analytical requirements; organic chemicals other than total trihalomethanes, 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) 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) (relating to maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides) 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.

The provisions of this § 109.303 adopted December 7, 1984, effective December 8, 1984, 14 Pa.B. 4479; amended March 24, 1989, effective March 25, 1989, 19 Pa.B. 1289; amended June 16, 1989, effective June 17, 1989, 19 Pa.B. 2543; amended May 15, 1992, effective May 16, 1992, 22 Pa.B. 2621; amended October 7, 1994, effective October 8, 1994, 24 Pa.B. 5175; amended December 23, 1994, effective December 24, 1994, 24 Pa.B. 6404; amended July 20, 2001, effective July 21, 2001, 31 Pa.B. 3895; amended April 2, 2004, effective April 3, 2004, 34 Pa.B. 1762; amended August 13, 2004, effective August 14, 2004, 34 Pa.B. 4435; amended May 22, 2009, effective May 23, 2009, 39 Pa.B. 2661; corrected August 29, 2009, effective August 1, 2009, 39 Pa.B. 5119. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (305003) to (305004) and (317215).

Notation

Cross References

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).