Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5) (Renewal)
Published Date: 1/16/2025
Notice
Summary
The EPA is asking to keep collecting info on unregulated contaminants in drinking water through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5). This affects water systems that test for new or rare contaminants to keep our water safe. They’re extending the approval through 2025 and want your comments by February 18, 2025—no big costs, just important data gathering!
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Mandatory UCMR 5 Monitoring Duty
Public water systems (PWSs) are required under section 1445(a) of the Safe Drinking Water Act to monitor up to 30 unregulated contaminants under UCMR 5. The ICR renewal covers monitoring activity in the 2025–2027 ICR years and the UCMR 5 rule was originally published December 27, 2021.
EPA Pays Small Systems' Lab Costs
EPA will pay analytical and sample shipping costs for small public water systems that serve 10,000 or fewer people under UCMR 5. This payment applies during the sampling program covered by the ICR renewal.
Estimated Annual Burden and Costs
EPA estimates total labor burden at 21,275 hours per year and total cost at $5,633,415 per year during the ICR renewal years 2025–2027; this includes $4,702,003 in annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
Sampling Frequency by Water Source
Under UCMR 5, PWSs that rely on surface water and ground water under the direct influence of surface water must sample quarterly (four sampling events), while PWSs that rely on groundwater must sample twice at six-month intervals; all sampling occurs during a continuous 12-month period.
Renewal Sees Lower Participation, Lower Burden
EPA reports fewer PWSs will participate during 2025–2027 (only one-third will monitor in that period), producing a decrease of 27,193 hours in total respondent burden compared with the original UCMR 5 ICR; States are also expected to incur less burden during 2025–2027.
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