United States Environmental 

Protection Agency 

Office of Water 

4303T 

EPA-821-F-06-005 

June 2006 

FACT SHEET

Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the 

Analysis of Pollutants Under the Clean Water Act; 

National Primary Drinking Water Regulations; and 

National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations; 

Analysis and Sampling Procedures 

EPA is adding and updating procedures for sampling and analysis in wastewater and drinking water. 

These revisions for analytical methods provide additional choices to the set of EPA approved methods 

for measuring pollutants. The newly approved methods also reflect improvements in science and 

technology and, in some instances, offer more cost-effective ways to monitor for compliance. 

Background 

EPA approves sampling procedures and 

analytical methods used by industrial and 

municipal facilities to determine chemical, 

microbiological, and radiological 

components of wastewater and drinking 

water as required by the Clean Water Act 

(CWA) and Safe Drinking Water Act 

(SDWA). Facilities use these methods to 

demonstrate compliance with permits under 

the CWA and SDWA. 

EPA revises the list of approved methods 

periodically based on information from the 

AlternateTest Procedures approval process, 

from the public, from Voluntary Consensus 

Standards Bodies (VCSB), and from 

vendors. 

In August 2003 and April 2004, EPA 

proposed to approve a number of new and 

revised analytical methods. The proposed 

changes included: 

• the addition of vendor-developed 

methods; 

• new EPA and VCSB methods; 

• updated versions of currently 

approved methods; 

• revised method modification and 

analytical requirements; 

• withdrawal of certain outdated 

methods; and 

• changes to sample collection, 

preservation, and holding time 

requirements. 

Summary of Final Rule 

This rule amends EPA’s wastewater permit 

program--the National Pollutant Discharge 

Elimination System (at 40 CFR part 122) to: 

• clarify the use of analytical methods; 

• correct inconsistencies in sampling 

requirements, and 

• add E. coli and Enterococci to the list of 

parameters. 

This rule amends the Guidelines Establishing 

Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants 

(at 40 CFR part 136) to: 

• approve new methods submitted by 

stakeholders; 

• correct errors to tables; 

• clarify method requirements; and 

• withdraw outdated methods. 

This rule amends the National Primary 

Drinking Water Regulations (at 40 CFR part 

141) to: 

• approve new methods submitted by 

stakeholders; 

• standardize methods; and 

• clarify method requirements. 

This rule amends the National Secondary 

Drinking Water Regulations (at 40 CFR part 

143) to approve new methods. 
This rule amends the General Pretreatment 

Regulations for Existing and New Sources 

of Pollution (at 40 CFR part 403) to: 

• correct inconsistencies in sampling 

requirements; and 

• approve a new method. 

Finally, this rule amends the effluent 

guidelines for Pesticide Chemicals (at 40 

CFR part 455) to: 

• correct a table; and 

• replace a method. 

Additional Information and Copies

You can learn more about the methods for 

wastewater by contacting Meghan 

Hessenauer, Engineering and Analysis 

Division (4303T), U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, Office of Water, Office of 

Science and Technology, 1200 

Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, 

D.C. 20460; (e-mail: 

hessenauer.meghan@epa.gov). You can 

learn more about the methods for drinking 

water by contacting Patricia Snyder Fair, 

Technical Support Center (MC-140), U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 

Water, Office of Ground Water and Drinking 

Water, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, 

Cincinnati, Ohio 45268; (e-mail: 

fair.pat@epa.gov). 

You can view or download the complete text 

of the Federal Register notice from the 

Internet at 

www.epa.gov/waterscience/methods.