§ 109.303. Sampling requirements.
(a) The samples taken to determine a public water system’s compliance with MCLs, MRDLs or treatment technique requirements or to determine compliance with monitoring requirements shall be taken at the locations identified in § § 109.301, 109.302, 109.1003, 109.1103, 109.1202 and 109.1303 and 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 E. coli MCL under § 109.202(a)(2) (relating to State MCLs, MRDLs and treatment technique requirements) and for determining whether an assessment is triggered under § 109.202(c)(4) shall be taken at regular intervals throughout the monitoring period at sites which are representative of water throughout the distribution system according to a written sample siting plan as specified under § 109.701(a)(5) (relating to reporting and recordkeeping). Representative locations include, but are not limited to, the following:
(i) Dead ends.
(ii) First service connection.
(iii) Finished water storage facilities.
(iv) Interconnections with other public water systems.
(v) Areas of high water age.
(vi) Areas with previous coliform detections.
(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), inorganic contaminants listed by the EPA under 40 CFR 141.62 (relating to maximum contaminant levels for inorganic contaminants), and radionuclide contaminants listed by the EPA under 40 CFR 141.66 (relating to maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides) shall be taken at each entry point to the distribution system which is representative of each source 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 during periods of normal operating conditions when water is representative of all sources being used.
(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.
(6) Samples for determining compliance with MCLs for PFAS contaminants listed in § 109.202(a)(4) shall be collected at each entry point to the distribution system which is representative of each source 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 during periods of normal operating conditions when water is representative of all sources being used.
(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(a), 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) and (h)(10) and 141.88(a)(1)(iv) (relating to inorganic chemical sampling and analytical requirements; organic chemicals, 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) (relating to general monitoring requirements) 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) 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.
(i) Samples taken to determine compliance with this chapter shall be taken in accordance with a written comprehensive monitoring plan as specified in § 109.718 (relating to comprehensive monitoring plan). These plans are subject to Department review and revision.
Authority The provisions of this § 109.303 amended under section 4 of the Pennsylvania Safe Drinking Water Act (35 P.S. § 721.4); and section 1920-A of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 510-20).
Source 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; amended September 23, 2016, effective September 24, 2016, 46 Pa.B. 6005; amended April 27, 2018, effective April 28, 2018, 48 Pa.B. 2509; amended August 17, 2018, effective August 18, 2018, 48 Pa.B. 4974; amended January 13, 2023, effective January 14, 2023, 53 Pa.B. 333. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (393270) to (393272).
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).
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