[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 21]
[Revised as of July 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR141.80]

[Page 460-461]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
         CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 141_NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS--Table of Contents
 
                  Subpart I_Control of Lead and Copper
 
Sec. 141.80  General requirements.

    Source: 56 FR 26548, June 7, 1991, unless otherwise noted.


    (a) Applicability and effective dates. (1) The requirements of this 
subpart I constitute the national primary drinking water regulations for 
lead and copper. Unless otherwise indicated, each of the provisions of 
this subpart applies to community water systems and non-transient, non-
community water systems (hereinafter referred to as ``water systems'' or 
``systems'').
    (2) The requirements set forth in Sec. Sec. 141.86 to 141.91 shall 
take effect on July 7, 1991. The requirements set forth in Sec. Sec. 
141.80 to 141.85 shall take effect on December 7, 1992.
    (b) Scope. These regulations establish a treatment technique that 
includes requirements for corrosion control treatment, source water 
treatment, lead service line replacement, and public education. These 
requirements are triggered, in some cases, by lead and copper action 
levels measured in samples collected at consumers' taps.
    (c) Lead and copper action levels. (1) The lead action level is 
exceeded if the concentration of lead in more than 10 percent of tap 
water samples collected during any monitoring period conducted in 
accordance with Sec. 141.86 is greater than 0.015 mg/L (i.e., if the 
``90th percentile'' lead level is greater than 0.015 mg/L).
    (2) The copper action level is exceeded if the concentration of 
copper in more than 10 percent of tap water samples collected during any 
monitoring period conducted in accordance with Sec. 141.86 is greater 
than 1.3 mg/L (i.e., if the ``90th percentile'' copper level is greater 
than 1.3 mg/L).
    (3) The 90th percentile lead and copper levels shall be computed as 
follows:
    (i) The results of all lead or copper samples taken during a 
monitoring period shall be placed in ascending order from the sample 
with the lowest concentration to the sample with the highest 
concentration. Each sampling result shall be assigned a number, 
ascending by single integers beginning with the number 1 for the sample 
with the lowest contaminant level. The number assigned to the sample 
with the highest contaminant level shall be equal to the total number of 
samples taken.
    (ii) The number of samples taken during the monitoring period shall 
be multiplied by 0.9.
    (iii) The contaminant concentration in the numbered sample yielded 
by the calculation in paragraph (c)(3)(ii) is the 90th percentile 
contaminant level.
    (iv) For water systems serving fewer than 100 people that collect 5 
samples per monitoring period, the 90th percentile is computed by taking 
the average of the highest and second highest concentrations.

[[Page 461]]

    (d) Corrosion control treatment requirements. (1) All water systems 
shall install and operate optimal corrosion control treatment as defined 
in Sec. 141.2.
    (2) Any water system that complies with the applicable corrosion 
control treatment requirements specified by the State under Sec. Sec. 
141.81 and 141.82 shall be deemed in compliance with the treatment 
requirement contained in paragraph (d)(1) of this section.
    (e) Source water treatment requirements. Any system exceeding the 
lead or copper action level shall implement all applicable source water 
treatment requirements specified by the State under Sec. 141.83.
    (f) Lead service line replacement requirements. Any system exceeding 
the lead action level after implementation of applicable corrosion 
control and source water treatment requirements shall complete the lead 
service line replacement requirements contained in Sec. 141.84.
    (g) Public education requirements. Any system exceeding the lead 
action level shall implement the public education requirements contained 
in Sec. 141.85.
    (h) Monitoring and analytical requirements. Tap water monitoring for 
lead and copper, monitoring for water quality parameters, source water 
monitoring for lead and copper, and analyses of the monitoring results 
under this subpart shall be completed in compliance with Sec. Sec. 
141.86, 141.87, 141.88, and 141.89.
    (i) Reporting requirements. Systems shall report to the State any 
information required by the treatment provisions of this subpart and 
Sec. 141.90.
    (j) Recordkeeping requirements. Systems shall maintain records in 
accordance with Sec. 141.91.
    (k) Violation of national primary drinking water regulations. 
Failure to comply with the applicable requirements of Sec. Sec. 141.80-
141.91, including requirements established by the State pursuant to 
these provisions, shall constitute a violation of the national primary 
drinking water regulations for lead and/or copper.

[56 FR 26548, June 7, 1991; 57 FR 28788, June 29, 1992]