Nebraska Administrative Code › Topic - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEM › Title 179 - PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS › Chapter 3 - MONITORING AND ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS › Section 179-3-005 - INORGANIC CHEMICAL SAMPLING AND ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS

Current through June 17, 2024
Community water systems and non-transient, non-community
				  water systems must conduct monitoring to determine compliance with the maximum
				  contaminant levels specified in 179 NAC
				  2-002.04A in
				  accordance with 179 NAC 3-005. Transient, non-community water systems must
				  conduct monitoring to determine compliance with the nitrate and nitrite maximum
				  contaminant levels in 179 NAC
				  2-002.04A (12), (13), and
				  (14) in accordance with 179 NAC 3-005.
				  Monitoring must be conducted as follows.
005.01 Sampling Sites and Protocol
1.
Ground Water
				Sources
: Ground water sources must be monitored at every entry
				point to the distribution system which is representative of each ground water
				source after treatment (hereafter called a sampling point or entry point). The
				system owner must take each sample at the same sampling point unless conditions
				make another sampling point more representative of each source or treatment
				plant.
2.
Surface Water
				Sources
: Surface water sources must be monitored at every entry
				point to the distribution system after any application of treatment or in the
				distribution system at a point which is representative of each source after
				treatment (hereafter called a sampling point or entry point). The system owner
				must take each sample at the same sampling point unless conditions make another
				sampling point more representative of each source or treatment plant.
NOTE: For the purpose of 179 NAC 3-005.01 item 2, surface
				  water systems include systems with a combination of surface and ground
				  sources.
3.
Multiple Sources
: If a system draws water from more
				than one source and the sources are combined before distribution, the system
				owner must sample at an entry point to the distribution system during periods
				of normal operating conditions (i.e., when water is representative of all
				sources being used).
4.
Composite Sampling
: The Director may reduce the total
				number of samples which must be analyzed by allowing the use of compositing.
				Composite samples from a maximum of five sampling points are allowed.
				Compositing of samples must be done in the laboratory.
a. If the concentration in the composite
				sample is greater than or equal to the detection limit of any inorganic
				chemical, then a follow-up sample must be analyzed within 14 days from each
				sampling point included in the composite. These samples must be analyzed for
				the contaminants which were detected in the composite sample. Detection limits
				for each analytical method are the following:
DETECTION LIMITS FOR INORGANIC
				  CONTAMINANTS
Contaminant
MCL (mg/L)
Methodology
Detection Limit (mg/L)
Antimony
0.006
Atomic Absorption; Furnace
0.003
Atomic Absorption; Platform
0.00085
ICP-Mass Spectrometry
0.0004
Hydride- Atomic Absorption
0.001
Arsenic
0.0106
Atomic Absorption; Furnace Atomic Absorption;
								Platform -
0.001
Stabilized Temperature
0.00057
Atomic Absorption; Gaseous Hydride
0.001
ICP-Mass Spectrometry
0.00148
Asbestos
7 MFL1
Transmission Electron Microscopy
0.01 MFL
Barium
2
Atomic Absorption; furnace technique
0.002
Atomic Absorption; direct aspiration
0.1
Inductively Coupled Plasma
0.002, ( 0.001)
Beryllium
0.004
Atomic Absorption; Furnace
0.0002
Atomic Absorption; Platform
0.000025
Inductively Coupled
								Plasma2
0.0003
ICP-Mass Spectrometry
0.0003
Cadmium
0.005
Atomic Absorption; furnace technique
0.0001
Inductively Coupled Plasma
0.001
Chromium
0.1
Atomic Absorption; furnace technique
0.001
Inductively Coupled Plasma
0.007 ( 0.001)
Cyanide
0.2
Distillation,
								Spectrophotometric3
0.02
Distillation, Automated,
								Spectrophotometric3
0.005
Distillation, Selective
								Electrode3,4
0.05
Distillation, Amenable,
								Spectrophotometric4
0.02
UV, Distillation, Spectrophotometric9
								  Micro Distillation, Flow Injection,
0.0005
Spectrophotometric3
0.0006
Ligand Exchange with
								Amperometry4
0.0005
Mercury
0.002
Manual Cold Vapor Technique
0.0002
Automated Cold Vapor Technique
0.0002
Nickel
xl
Atomic Absorption; Furnace
0.001
Atomic Absorption; Platform
0.00065
Inductively Coupled
								Plasma2
0.005
ICP-Mass Spectrometry
0.0005
Nitrate
10 (as N)
Manual Cadmium Reduction
0.01
Automated Hydrazine Reduction
0.01
Automated Cadmium Reduction
0.05
Ion Selective Electrode
1
Ion Chromatography
0.01
Capillary Ion Electrophoresis
0.076
Nitrite
1 (as N)
Spectrophotometric
0.01
Automated Cadmium Reduction
0.05
Manual Cadmium Reduction
0.01
Ion Chromatography
0.004
Capillary Ion Electrophoresis
0.103
Selenium
0.05
Atomic Absorption; furnace
0.002
Atomic Absorption; gaseous hydride
0.002
Thallium
0.002
Atomic Absorption; Furnace
0.001
Atomic Absorption; Platform
0.00075
ICP-Mass Spectrometry
0.0003
1 MFL = million fibers per liter
				  >10µm.
2 Using a 2X preconcentration step
				  as noted in Method 200.7. Lower MDLs may be achieved when using a 4X
				  preconcentration.
3 Screening method for total
				  cyanides.
4 Measures "free" cyanides when
				  distillation, digestion, or ligand exchange is omitted.
5 Lower MDLs are reported using
				  stabilized temperature graphite furnace atomic absorption.
6 The value for arsenic is
				  effective January 23, 2006. Until then, the MCL is 0.05 mg/L.
7 The MDL reported for EPA Method
				  200.9 (Atomic Absorption; Platform-Stabilized Temperature) was determined using
				  a 2x concentration step during sample digestion. The MDL determined for samples
				  analyzed using direct analyses (i.e., no sample digestion) will be higher.
				  Using multiple depositions, EPA 200.9 is capable of obtaining an MDL of 0.0001
				  mg/L.
8 Using selective ion monitoring,
				  EPA Method 200.8 (ICP-MS) is capable of obtaining an MDL of 0.0001 mg/L.
9Measures total cyanides when
				  UV-digestor is used, and "free" cyanides when UV-digestor is bypassed.
b. If the population served by the
				system is greater than 3,300 individuals, then compositing may only be
				permitted by the Director at sampling points within a single system. In systems
				serving less than or equal to 3,300 individuals, the Director may permit
				compositing among different systems provided the five-sample limit is
				maintained.
c. If duplicates of the
				original sample taken from each sampling point used in the composite are
				available, the system owner may use these instead of resampling. The duplicates
				must be analyzed and the results reported to the Director within 14 days of
				collection.