Alabama Administrative Code › Title 335 - ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT › WATER DIVISION - WATER SUPPLY PROGRAM › Chapter 335-7-2 - PRIMARY DRINKING WATER STANDARDS › Section 335-7-2-.21 - Public Notification

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1) Any
				public water system which fails to comply with an applicable MCL or MRDL
				established in these regulations, is granted an exemption from an applicable
				MCL fails to comply with an applicable treatment process, fails to comply with
				the requirements of any schedule prescribed pursuant to an exemption, fails to
				collect any 3 months of
Cryptosporidium
monitoring as required
				in rule 335-7-2-.17, or fails to
				determine the system's
Cryptosporidium
bin classification,
				fails to take corrective action, fails to maintain at least 4-log treatment of
				viruses before or at the first customer as required in
				335-7-5-.22(6)(a),
				or has a treatment technique violation or reporting violation according to
				paragraph
				335-7-2-.07(7)
				shall notify persons served by the systems as follows:
(a) Community systems shall provide
				notification within 30 days by other methods to reach persons not being reached
				by direct notification. These methods must include publication in a daily
				newspaper of general circulation in the area served by the system. If the area
				served by a public water system is not served by a daily newspaper of general
				circulation, notice shall instead be given in a weekly newspaper of general
				circulation serving the area. Public notification shall also be made by
				distribution of multiple copies to customers that provide drinking water to
				others, by the Internet, by posting for seven days or by delivery to community
				organizations if directed by the Department.
(b) Community water systems shall provide
				notification by direct mail, inclusion with a water bill or by hand delivery,
				within 30 days after the violation or failure.
(c) Following the initial notice given under
				this rule, the water system must give notice at least once every three months
				for as long as the violation or failure exists, unless the Department
				determines that appropriate circumstances warrant a different repeat notice
				frequency. The repeat notice must be given a minimum of at least once per year.
				No reduction in repeat notice frequency will be given for microbial contaminant
				maximum contaminant level violations.
(d) NTNC water systems must post notice in
				places of public view or provide hand delivery to those using the system within
				30 days of becoming aware of the violation. The notice shall remain posted for
				a minimum of seven days or as long as the failure continues, whichever is
				greater. A copy of the notice must also be furnished to a communications media
				that is most likely to serve the local area.
(e) Non-community water systems must post
				notice in places of public view instead of hand delivery within 30 days of
				becoming aware of the violation. The notice shall remain posted for a minimum
				of seven days or as long as the failure continues, whichever is greater. A copy
				of the notice must also be furnished to a communications media that is most
				likely to serve the local area.
(f)
				When violations of the MCL of contaminants that may pose an acute risk to human
				health occur, public notification must be provided by the system within 24
				hours of the discovery of the violation by either radio and television, posting
				of the notice in conspicuous locations throughout the area served by the water
				system or by hand delivery of the notice to persons served by the water system.
				The water system must also consult with the Department within 24 hours to
				determine additional public notification requirements. The following violations
				are considered to be acute risk to human health:
1. Violation of the E. coli maximum
				contaminant level as specified in paragraph
				335-7-2-.07(1).
2. Violation of the MCL for nitrates,
				nitrites or total nitrates and nitrites.
3. Violation of the MCL for organic or
				inorganic chemicals at a level determined by the Department to be an acute risk
				to human health.
4. An acute
				violation of the MRDL for chlorine dioxide.
5. Other violations or situations with
				significant potential to have serious adverse effects on human health as a
				result of short term exposure, as determined by the Department either in its
				regulations or on a case by case basis.
(g) Other situations which require public
				notification within 24 hours are:
1.
				Exceedance of the maximum allowable turbidity limit if the Department is not
				notified within 24 hours of the violation or when the Department determines
				that an acute violation has occurred.
2. Occurrence of a waterborne disease
				outbreak or other emergency such as a natural disaster that disrupts water
				treatment, a chemical spill or unexpected high levels of possible pathogens in
				the source water.
3. Detection of
E. coli,
enterococci, or coliphage in source water samples as
				specified under
				335-7-5-.22(5)
				(a) and
				335-7-5-.22(5)(b).