§ 141.403 - Treatment technique requirements for ground water systems.

§ 141.403 Treatment technique requirements for ground water systems.

(a) Ground water systems with significant deficiencies or source water fecal contamination.

(1) The treatment technique requirements of this section must be met by ground water systems when a significant deficiency is identified or when a ground water source sample collected under § 141.402(a)(3) is fecal indicator-positive.

(2) If directed by the State, a ground water system with a ground water source sample collected under § 141.402(a)(2), § 141.402(a)(4), or § 141.402(b) that is fecal indicator-positive must comply with the treatment technique requirements of this section.

(3) When a significant deficiency is identified at a Subpart H public water system that uses both ground water and surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water, the system must comply with provisions of this paragraph except in cases where the State determines that the significant deficiency is in a portion of the distribution system that is served solely by surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water.

(4) Unless the State directs the ground water system to implement a specific corrective action, the ground water system must consult with the State regarding the appropriate corrective action within 30 days of receiving written notice from the State of a significant deficiency, written notice from a laboratory that a ground water source sample collected under § 141.402(a)(3) was found to be fecal indicator-positive, or direction from the State that a fecal indicator'positive collected under § 141.402(a)(2), § 141.402(a)(4), or § 141.402(b) requires corrective action. For the purposes of this subpart, significant deficiencies include, but are not limited to, defects in design, operation, or maintenance, or a failure or malfunction of the sources, treatment, storage, or distribution system that the State determines to be causing, or have potential for causing, the introduction of contamination into the water delivered to consumers.

(5) Within 120 days (or earlier if directed by the State) of receiving written notification from the State of a significant deficiency, written notice from a laboratory that a ground water source sample collected under § 141.402(a)(3) was found to be fecal indicator-positive, or direction from the State that a fecal indicator-positive sample collected under § 141.402(a)(2), § 141.402(a)(4), or § 141.402(b) requires corrective action, the ground water system must either:

(i) Have completed corrective action in accordance with applicable State plan review processes or other State guidance or direction, if any, including State-specified interim measures; or

(ii) Be in compliance with a State-approved corrective action plan and schedule subject to the conditions specified in paragraphs (a)(5)(ii)(A) and (a)(5)(ii)(B) of this section.

(A) Any subsequent modifications to a State-approved corrective action plan and schedule must also be approved by the State.

(B) If the State specifies interim measures for protection of the public health pending State approval of the corrective action plan and schedule or pending completion of the corrective action plan, the system must comply with these interim measures as well as with any schedule specified by the State.

(6) Corrective action alternatives. Ground water systems that meet the conditions of paragraph (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section must implement one or more of the following corrective action alternatives:

(i) Correct all significant deficiencies;

(ii) Provide an alternate source of water;

(iii) Eliminate the source of contamination; or

(iv) Provide treatment that reliably achieves at least 4-log treatment of viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a State-approved combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) before or at the first customer for the ground water source.

(7) Special notice to the public of significant deficiencies or source water fecal contamination.

(i) In addition to the applicable public notification requirements of § 141.202, a community ground water system that receives notice from the State of a significant deficiency or notification of a fecal indicator-positive ground water source sample that is not invalidated by the State under § 141.402(d) must inform the public served by the water system under § 141.153(h)(6) of the fecal indicator-positive source sample or of any significant deficiency that has not been corrected. The system must continue to inform the public annually until the significant deficiency is corrected or the fecal contamination in the ground water source is determined by the State to be corrected under paragraph (a)(5) of this section.

(ii) In addition to the applicable public notification requirements of § 141.202, a non-community ground water system that receives notice from the State of a significant deficiency must inform the public served by the water system in a manner approved by the State of any significant deficiency that has not been corrected within 12 months of being notified by the State, or earlier if directed by the State. The system must continue to inform the public annually until the significant deficiency is corrected. The information must include:

(A) The nature of the significant deficiency and the date the significant deficiency was identified by the State;

(B) The State-approved plan and schedule for correction of the significant deficiency, including interim measures, progress to date, and any interim measures completed; and

(C) For systems with a large proportion of non-English speaking consumers, as determined by the State, information in the appropriate language(s) regarding the importance of the notice or a telephone number or address where consumers may contact the system to obtain a translated copy of the notice or assistance in the appropriate language.

(iii) If directed by the State, a non-community water system with significant deficiencies that have been corrected must inform its customers of the significant deficiencies, how the deficiencies were corrected, and the dates of correction under paragraph (a)(7)(ii) of this section.

(b) Compliance monitoring -

(1) Existing ground water sources. A ground water system that is not required to meet the source water monitoring requirements of this subpart for any ground water source because it provides at least 4-log treatment of viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a State-approved combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) before or at the first customer for any ground water source before December 1, 2009, must notify the State in writing that it provides at least 4-log treatment of viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a State-approved combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) before or at the first customer for the specified ground water source and begin compliance monitoring in accordance with paragraph (b)(3) of this section by December 1, 2009. Notification to the State must include engineering, operational, or other information that the State requests to evaluate the submission. If the system subsequently discontinues 4-log treatment of viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a State-approved combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) before or at the first customer for a ground water source, the system must conduct ground water source monitoring as required under § 141.402.

(2) New ground water sources. A ground water system that places a ground water source in service after November 30, 2009, that is not required to meet the source water monitoring requirements of this subpart because the system provides at least 4-log treatment of viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a State-approved combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) before or at the first customer for the ground water source must comply with the requirements of paragraphs (b)(2)(i), (b)(2)(ii) and (b)(2)(iii) of this section.

(i) The system must notify the State in writing that it provides at least 4-log treatment of viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a State-approved combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) before or at the first customer for the ground water source. Notification to the State must include engineering, operational, or other information that the State requests to evaluate the submission.

(ii) The system must conduct compliance monitoring as required under § 141.403(b)(3) of this subpart within 30 days of placing the source in service.

(iii) The system must conduct ground water source monitoring under § 141.402 if the system subsequently discontinues 4-log treatment of viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a State-approved combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) before or at the first customer for the ground water source.

(3) Monitoring requirements. A ground water system subject to the requirements of paragraphs (a), (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section must monitor the effectiveness and reliability of treatment for that ground water source before or at the first customer as follows:

(i) Chemical disinfection -

(A) Ground water systems serving greater than 3,300 people. A ground water system that serves greater than 3,300 people must continuously monitor the residual disinfectant concentration using analytical methods specified in § 141.74(a)(2) at a location approved by the State and must record the lowest residual disinfectant concentration each day that water from the ground water source is served to the public. The ground water system must maintain the State-determined residual disinfectant concentration every day the ground water system serves water from the ground water source to the public. If there is a failure in the continuous monitoring equipment, the ground water system must conduct grab sampling every four hours until the continuous monitoring equipment is returned to service. The system must resume continuous residual disinfectant monitoring within 14 days.

(B) Ground water systems serving 3,300 or fewer people. A ground water system that serves 3,300 or fewer people must monitor the residual disinfectant concentration using analytical methods specified in § 141.74(a)(2) at a location approved by the State and record the residual disinfection concentration each day that water from the ground water source is served to the public. The ground water system must maintain the State-determined residual disinfectant concentration every day the ground water system serves water from the ground water source to the public. The ground water system must take a daily grab sample during the hour of peak flow or at another time specified by the State. If any daily grab sample measurement falls below the State-determined residual disinfectant concentration, the ground water system must take follow-up samples every four hours until the residual disinfectant concentration is restored to the State-determined level. Alternatively, a ground water system that serves 3,300 or fewer people may monitor continuously and meet the requirements of paragraph (b)(3)(i)(A) of this section.

(ii) Membrane filtration. A ground water system that uses membrane filtration to meet the requirements of this subpart must monitor the membrane filtration process in accordance with all State-specified monitoring requirements and must operate the membrane filtration in accordance with all State-specified compliance requirements. A ground water system that uses membrane filtration is in compliance with the requirement to achieve at least 4-log removal of viruses when:

(A) The membrane has an absolute molecular weight cut-off (MWCO), or an alternate parameter that describes the exclusion characteristics of the membrane, that can reliably achieve at least 4-log removal of viruses;

(B) The membrane process is operated in accordance with State-specified compliance requirements; and

(C) The integrity of the membrane is intact.

(iii) Alternative treatment. A ground water system that uses a State-approved alternative treatment to meet the requirements of this subpart by providing at least 4-log treatment of viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a State-approved combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) before or at the first customer must:

(A) Monitor the alternative treatment in accordance with all State-specified monitoring requirements; and

(B) Operate the alternative treatment in accordance with all compliance requirements that the State determines to be necessary to achieve at least 4-log treatment of viruses.

(c) Discontinuing treatment. A ground water system may discontinue 4-log treatment of viruses (using inactivation, removal, or a State-approved combination of 4-log virus inactivation and removal) before or at the first customer for a ground water source if the State determines and documents in writing that 4-log treatment of viruses is no longer necessary for that ground water source. A system that discontinues 4-log treatment of viruses is subject to the source water monitoring and analytical methods requirements of § 141.402 of this subpart.

(d) Failure to meet the monitoring requirements of paragraph (b) of this section is a monitoring violation and requires the ground water system to provide public notification under § 141.204.