Water Supply Handbook Pdf
Heli Whetzel
Introduction
What are the safe drinking water requirements?
What systems are regulated by the SafeDrinking Water Act?
What is the Illinois Department ofPublic Healths responsibility?
What are your responsibilities?
What sampling is required?
Collecting samples for bacteriological andnitrate and nitrite tests
What happens if I dont monitorcorrectly?
Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs)
How will I know when my water has exceeded anMCL?
What do I do if my water exceeds an MCL?
Public notification
Additionalrequirements for surface water supplies
Additional requirements for non-transient, non-community supplies
Additional requirements for supplies that disinfect
Listing of regulated contaminantsand their MCLs
Estimated sampling costsfor non-transient, non-community public water supplies
Operator certification
Typical duties and responsibilities of a certified operator for anon-community supply
Who do I call for additional information?
Regional map
Although it is often taken for granted, everyone depends on safe drinking water. It is essential for health, business prosperity and community growth. As an owner/operator of a public water supply system, your job is to provide safe water to all users. Preventing contamination and planning for future system needs will help you achieve this.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) oversees construction and operation of non-community public water systems to make sure water is safe to drink and use. However, as legal manager of the water system, it is your job to monitor drinking water quality. This guide will help you to develop, assess and maintain a quality water supply so you can continue to provide consumers with safe drinking water.
The SDWA regulates public water systems. There are three types of public water systems in Illinois: community; transient, non-community; and non-transient, non-community water systems. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) regulates community water systems and IDPH regulates non-community systems. This handbook focuses on the two types of non-community systems:
The regulations which govern the SDWA for Illinois non-community public water supplies are IDPH regulation, 77 Illinois Administrative Code (IAC) Part 900 (Drinking Water Systems Code), and Illinois Pollution Control Board regulation, 35 IAC Part 611 (Primary Drinking Water Standards).
Local health departments conduct inspections of non-community systems in their jurisdictions and assure compliance with the adopted drinking water regulations. Local health department and IDPH duties are explained below:
You must provide drinking water that meets state and federal drinking water standards. (A table listing maximum contaminant levels [MCLs] can be found on page 7 of this handbook.) Following are your basic responsibilities:
All non-community water systems are required to monitor for bacteria and nitrate. A number of systems sample quarterly for bacteria and nitrate, while others sample annually. Most non-community water systems receive water sample bottles from IDPH. Systems that choose not to receive bottles through IDPH are responsible for coordinating their sampling through a certified private lab. After you get the bottles, you must sample and return the bottle to the laboratory within the allowable holding time.
Several public health departments in Illinois provide sampling for non-community public water systems. Non-community public water systems in those counties will not receive a sample bottle in the mail. Local health department staff will take a water sample for you. Please contact your local health department for more information. If you take your own sample, complete the laboratory testing form included with the sampling bottles. If a private laboratory is used, the water system owner is responsible for providing the test results to the local health department.
Your water system must be constructed and maintained according to state standards. Non-community water well and pump systems must meet construction requirements of the Illinois Water Well Construction Code and the Pump Installation Code. To meet these requirements, you should contact a licensed water well or pump installation contractor before making modifications to your water system. You should also discuss your plans with IDPH or your local health department.
Keep copies of sampling results and inspections for your records. If your system changes owners, has a change in mailing address or moves to a new location, please contact the IDPH office in Springfield to provide current information.
The table below shows the minimum testing frequency for several major contaminants. If a non-community public water system detects a contaminant, it must follow retesting procedures and instructions for informing the public about the problem. IDPH will help you with a public notice. Retesting and public notice is continued until the system can reliably show that it is free of contamination.
This is a brief synopsis of sampling procedures for coliform and nitrate. Further information can be obtained from the latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, published jointly by the American Public Health Association, the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation.
Samples for microbiological examination must be collected in sterile bottles supplied by an approved laboratory. For samples expected to have any residual chlorine, the sample bottles must be treated with a dechlorinating agent such as sodium thiosulfate. Usually, the laboratory will provide the sample collector with the properly prepared container. The water sample should be taken at a tap that will be representative of the entire system. Outside locations are discouraged. Remove potential contamination sources such as screens, aeration devices and hoses. Threaded taps which might harbor bacteria around the threads should not be used. Leaking taps which allow water to flow around the stem and over the outside of the faucet should be avoided. In addition, a chlorine spray may be used to disinfect the fixture.
Because samples must be analyzed within 30 hours of collection, be sure to mail or deliver the samples to the laboratory as soon as possible after collection. Mailing samples on a Monday or Tuesday ensures adequate time for analysis. Samples may be packed in ice when transporting to the laboratory; however, do not allow samples to become submerged in water during transportation.
These contaminants can be sampled in either plastic or glass containers. Minimum sample size for each contaminant is 100 ml. An approved laboratory should provide you with the proper sampling containers and preservatives.
Failure to test water quality according to the proper schedule or failure to submit the results to IDPH violates the monitoring and reporting provisions of the SDWA and the Illinois Drinking Water Systems Code. You will be required to post a public notice, describing the violation.
The SDWA sets standards drinking water must meet. These are called maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). The MCL is the maximum allowable level of a substance in your water system. The table on page 7 lists the most current MCLs. The contaminant levels can change as the regulations change. If you're not sure or if you have questions, please contact the IDPH regional or Springfield office.
A certified laboratory must perform all of the analyses required by the state drinking water regulations. Certified laboratories will know if any of your analysis results exceeded an MCL, and they will notify you of the results. In addition, results of all analyses must be submitted to your local health department or IDPH within 10 days of receipt from the laboratory. IDPH reviews the results and informs you of any violations and follow-up sampling needed.
If the routine sample is total coliform-positive, the certified laboratory will also analyze the sample to determine if fecal coliform or E. coli is present. Repeat samples then must be collected within 24 hours of your notification of the total coliform-positive result.
If a routine sample is total coliform-positive, a system that normally collects one sample per month, quarter or year shall collect four repeat samples. A system collecting more than one routine sample per month shall collect three repeat samples for each total coliform-positive sample found. All repeat samples must be collected on the same day and they must be 100 mL samples. If all repeat samples are negative for total coliforms, no further repeat sampling is required.
If one or more repeat samples in the set are positive for total coliforms, the MCL has been exceeded. The laboratory must again analyze for the presence of fecal coliform or E. coli.
If the nitrate result for a non-transient, non-community system is greater than 50 percent of the MCL, one sample per calendar quarter is required until further notice. Quarterly sampling must continue until the results of at least four consecutive quarterly samples are below the MCL.
Drinking water with nitrates greater than the MCL of 10 mg/L as nitrogen or with nitrites over the MCL of 1 mg/L as nitrogen is a serious health threat to infants. Public notification is required for supplies with nitrate or nitrite levels over the MCL. Supplies must not allow water with nitrate levels over 20 mg/L as nitrogen to be used for human consumption.
If your water exceeds an MCL, you must issue a public notice to users of the system and take immediate action to correct the violation. The degree of follow-up action depends on the type and amount of contamination. The local health department and/or IDPH will work closely with you to determine the action necessary for your water system.
When an MCL is exceeded, you must notify the public water system users of the condition. The notification must contain, at a minimum, the contaminant found and its concentration, health effects of exposure, measures being taken to alleviate the problem, and the name and telephone number of someone who can provide the consumer with more information. This notice must be posted at all drinking water outlets. The type of notification required will depend on the severity of the contamination, the type of population being served and the urgency of the situation. IDPH will help you determine what language to put in your notification and can provide notification posters.
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