EPA Approves Alternative Testing Methods for Drinking Water Contaminants

Six new alternative methods determined to be as effective as promulgated methods

Source EPA

Aug. 5, 2009

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a final action in the Federal Register that approves six analytical methods as optional alternatives to previously promulgated methods for analyses of regulated contaminants in drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

The alternative testing methods were evaluated and determined to be as effective as the promulgated methods for the same contaminants.

The methods include:
• One EPA method for 29 purgeable contaminants;
• Three vendor-developed methods for turbidity;
• One vendor-developed method for nitrate and nitrite; and
• One vendor-developed method for free cyanide.

EPA is using the expedited method approval process under SDWA to approve the alternative methods rather than using the notice-and-comment rulemaking process, so that these new, equally effective methods will be available to stakeholders more quickly. Approval time has been cut from several years to less than a year.

For more information, go to EPA’s website here.

Source: EPA