Source Monitoring Waivers

Information for Writing the Consumer Confidence Report

A waiver is permission granted by the Department of Health for reduced monitoring requirements. Waivers are granted for individual sources of water and for specific analytical test methods. A water system may apply for a waiver and, if the state determines that a source’s susceptibility to contamination is sufficiently low, the waiver will be granted. Depending on source susceptibility to contamination, the state may grant a waiver that either reduces or eliminates the monitoring requirements for a particular class of chemicals, such as inorganic chemicals (IOCs), synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs), or volatile organic chemicals (VOCs).

If your water system was granted a source-specific waiver because a particular chemical was not detected in the water, neither the waiver nor the chemical to which it applies have to be reported on or explained in your consumer confidence report.

If you aren’t sure whether a source-specific waiver was granted for your water system, you may contact DOH Regional Office source monitoring staff. Before contacting your Regional Office, however, check your files for a copy of the "green sheet." The "green sheet" lists all source monitoring requirements for the current compliance period. If it cannot be located, contact the Regional Office source monitoring staff.

Statewide Waivers

Dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD): DOH issued a state-wide waiver for dioxin monitoring. No notice was given to water systems indicating this waiver was granted. A few systems in the state, however, voluntarily monitor for dioxin. These water systems may include the results of this voluntary monitoring in their consumer confidence report, but do not have to.

Diquat, Endothall, Glyphosate: DOH issued a state-wide waiver for diquat, endothall, and glyphosate monitoring for all systems with groundwater sources and for systems with surface water sources that chlorinate. The state did not issue a waiver for systems with surface water sources that do not chlorinate. If a water system monitored for diquat, endothall, and glyphosate and these compounds were detected, the results need to be included in the consumer confidence report.

PCBs: DOH issued a state-wide waiver for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). No notice was given to water systems indicating this waiver was granted. Some systems, however, voluntarily monitor for PCBs. These water systems may include the results of this voluntary monitoring in their consumer confidence report, but do not have to.

Epichlorohydrin and Acrylamide: Epichlorohydrin and acrylamide are by-products of additives used for treatment by filtration. DOH has not certified laboratories to test for these compounds. A federal regulation limits the use of filtration products that result in the formation of these compounds. Specifically, a product cannot result in the formation of epichlorohydrin in excess of a 0.01% concentration when applied at 20 parts per million (ppm) or equivalent. A product cannot result in the formation of acrylamide in excess of a 0.05% concentration when applied at 1 ppm or equivalent. The Consumer Confidence Report regulation states that if such a product is used and formation of epichlorohydrin or acrylamide exceeds the federal limit, the report must include the concentration reported by the lab and the pertinent health effects statements provided in Appendix C of the federal CCR regulation. If such a product is used and formation of epichlorohydrin or acrylamide is detected by the lab, but does not result in an exceedance of the federal use limits, the detected concentration must be reported, but the CCR health effects language does not need to be included. If epichlorohydrin or acrylamide are not detected, they do not need to be included in the report.

County-specific Waivers

EDB/DBCP: The state waiver for ethylene dibromide (EDB) and dibromochloropropane (DBCP) monitoring is county-specific. DOH waived both compounds together for the 1996-98 compliance period. The following list shows counties that are required to monitor for EDB and DBCP. If a county is not listed below, monitoring for EDB or DBCP is not required. All systems that purchase water are waived for EDB and DBCP monitoring. If a water system was evaluated by the state as having a relatively low susceptibility to contamination by EDB and/or DBCP, the monitoring requirement was waived. If the system was rated as having a moderate or high susceptibility, monitoring was required once during the 1996-1998 compliance period. In 1998, the state sent letters to water systems notifying them of their waiver status for these substances.

Counties that are required to monitor for EDB and DBCP:

Adams Asotin Benton Chelan Columbia Douglas Franklin

Garfield Grant Kittitas Klickitat Lincoln Okanogan Skagit

Snohomish Spokane Thurston Walla Walla Whatcom Whitman Yakima