AWWA Applauds Signing of Total Coliform Rule Agreement in Principle
October 13, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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The American Water Works Association (AWWA) applauded the recent signing of the Total Coliform Rule (TCR) Agreement in Principle (AIP).
The agreement resulted from the work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Total Coliform Rule/Distribution System Advisory Committee (TCRDSAC), of which AWWA was a member.
"It's hard to overstate the importance of this rule, which affects virtually every water system in America," said Tom Curtis, AWWA deputy executive director of government affairs.
"By and large, the AIP puts the emphasis where it should be - on public health. So it makes the rule both better for utilities and more effective for the public. I'm proud that AWWA and others in the water community played such a key role in getting this done right."
AWWA was an active member of the rule's advisory committee, providing technical detail and extensive data review. The TCR AIP responded to two charges from EPA: to improve TCR implementation while improving public health protection and distribution system water quality, and to determine the best research, data collection and risk management strategies to identify and address contaminant occurrences and any public health risks.
The TCR was last revised in 1989 and set health goals and legal limits for the presence of total coliforms, fecal coliforms and E. coli in drinking water. Significant improvements were made during the revision process, including creating new treatment techniques, assessment triggers, response actions and violations, and revising the type and frequency of testing that water systems must undertake.
The revised TCR will apply to all public water systems. If the rulemaking process occurs on a normal timeline, EPA will propose the revised rule in 2010. It will be finalized in 2012 and compliance will be required in 2015. The AIP and the proposed rule revision will be posted in the Federal Register and will also be available on the AWWA web site, awwa.org.
Source: American Water Works Association (AWWA).