Agency Seeks Comments on Total Coliform Rule Guidance Manual
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a draft of the Proposed Revised Total Coliform Rule Assessments and Corrective Actions Guidance Manual for public review and comment.
The draft guidance manual provides public water systems and primacy agencies with guidance on complying with and implementing the assessment and corrective action requirements of the proposed Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR).
Under the proposed RTCR, public water systems that are vulnerable to microbial contamination in the distribution system (as indicated by their monitoring results for total coliforms and E. coli) are required to assess the problem and take corrective action. The proposed corrective action requirement may reduce cases of illnesses and deaths due to potential fecal contamination and waterborne pathogen exposure.
The manual provides information on the common causes of total coliform and E. coli occurrence in the distribution system, how to conduct assessments to identify possible causes of contamination (“sanitary defects”), and corresponding corrective actions that systems can take to correct the problem.
Submit your comments and suggestions to prtcr_acaguide@epa.gov by Nov. 30.