Section 10. Definitions

Part I. General Framework for Waterworks Regulations

Article 1. Definitions

As used in this chapter, the following words and terms shall have meanings respectively set forth unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:

"Action level" means the concentration of lead or copper in water specified in 12VAC5-590-385, which determines, in some cases, the treatment requirements contained in 12VAC5-590-405 that an owner is required to complete.

"Air gap separation" means the unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet supplying pure water to a tank, plumbing fixture, or other device and the rim of the receptacle.

"Annual daily water demand" means the average rate of daily water usage over at least the most recent three-year period.

"Applied water" means water that is ready for filtration.

"Approved" means material, equipment, workmanship, process or method that has been accepted by the commissioner as suitable for the proposed use.

"Auxiliary water system" means any water system on or available to the premises other than the waterworks. These auxiliary waters may include water from a source such as wells, lakes, or streams; process fluids; or used water. They may be polluted or contaminated or objectionable, or constitute an unapproved water source or system over which the water purveyor does not have control.

"Backflow" means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, or substances into the distribution piping of a waterworks from any source or sources other than its intended source.

"Backflow prevention device" means any approved device, method, or type of construction intended to prevent backflow into a waterworks.

"Bag filters" means pressure-driven separation devices that remove particulate matter larger than one micrometer using an engineered porous filtration media. They are typically constructed of a nonrigid, fabric filtration media housed in a pressure vessel in which the direction of flow is from the inside of the bag to outside.

"Bank filtration" means a water treatment process that uses a well to recover surface water that has naturally infiltrated into groundwater through a river bed or bank(s). Infiltration is typically enhanced by the hydraulic gradient imposed by a nearby pumping water supply or other well(s).

"Best available technology" or "BAT" means the best technology, treatment techniques, or other means that the commissioner finds, after examination for efficacy under field conditions and not solely under laboratory conditions and in conformance with applicable EPA regulations, are available (taking cost into consideration).

"Board" means the State Board of Health.

"Breakpoint chlorination" means the addition of chlorine to water until the chlorine demand has been satisfied and further additions result in a residual that is directly proportional to the amount added.

"Cartridge filters" means pressure-driven separation devices that remove particulate matter larger than one micrometer using an engineered porous filtration media. They are typically constructed as rigid or semi-rigid, self-supporting filter elements housed in pressure vessels in which flow is from the outside of the cartridge to the inside.

"Chlorine" means dry chlorine.

"Chlorine gas" means dry chlorine in the gaseous state.

"Chlorine solution (chlorine water)" means a solution of chlorine in water.

"Chronically noncompliant waterworks" or "CNC" means a waterworks that is unable to provide pure water for any of the following reasons: (i) the waterworks' record of performance demonstrates that it can no longer be depended upon to furnish pure water to the persons served; (ii) the owner has inadequate technical, financial, or managerial capacity to furnish pure water to the people served; (iii) the owner has failed to comply with an order issued by the board or the commissioner; (iv) the owner has abandoned the waterworks and has discontinued supplying pure water to the persons served; or (v) the owner is subject to a forfeiture order pursuant to § 32.1-174.1 of the Code of Virginia.

"Coagulation" means a process using coagulant chemicals and mixing by which colloidal and suspended materials are destabilized and agglomerated into floc.

"Coliform bacteria group" means a group of bacteria predominantly inhabiting the intestines of man or animal but also occasionally found elsewhere. It includes all aerobic and facultative anaerobic, gram-negative, non-sporeforming bacilli that ferment lactose with production of gas. Also included are all bacteria that produce a dark, purplish-green colony with metallic sheen by the membrane filter technique used for coliform identification.

"Combined distribution system" means the interconnected distribution system consisting of the distribution systems of wholesale waterworks and of the consecutive waterworks that receive finished water.

"Commissioner" means the State Health Commissioner.

"Community waterworks" means a waterworks that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents.

"Compliance cycle" means the nine-year calendar year cycle during which a waterworks shall monitor. Each compliance cycle consists of three three-year compliance periods. The first calendar year cycle begins January 1, 1993, and ends December 31, 2001; the second begins January 1, 2002, and ends December 31, 2010; the third begins January 1, 2011, and ends December 31, 2019.

"Compliance period" means a three-year calendar year period within a compliance cycle. Each compliance cycle has three three-year compliance periods. Within the first compliance cycle, the first compliance period runs from January 1, 1993, to December 31, 1995; the second from January 1, 1996, to December 31, 1998; the third from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2001.

"Comprehensive performance evaluation" or "CPE" means a thorough review and analysis of a treatment plant's performance-based capabilities and associated administrative, operational and maintenance practices. It is conducted to identify factors that may be adversely impacting a plant's capability to achieve compliance and emphasizes approaches that can be implemented without significant capital improvements. For purposes of compliance with 12VAC5-590-530 E 1 b (2), the comprehensive performance evaluation shall consist of at least the following components: assessment of plant performance, evaluation of major unit processes, identification and prioritization of performance limiting factors, assessment of the applicability of comprehensive technical assistance, and preparation of a CPE report.

"Confluent growth" means a continuous bacterial growth covering the entire filtration area of a membrane filter, or a portion thereof, in which bacterial colonies are not discrete.

"Consecutive waterworks" means a waterworks that has no water production or source facility of its own and that obtains all of its water from another permitted waterworks or receives some or all of its finished water from one or more wholesale waterworks. Delivery may be through a direct connection or through the distribution system of one or more consecutive waterworks.

"Consumer" means any person who drinks water from a waterworks.

"Consumer's water system" means any water system located on the consumer's premises, supplied by or in any manner connected to a waterworks.

"Contaminant" means any objectionable or hazardous physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter in water.

"Conventional filtration treatment" means a series of processes including coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration resulting in substantial particulate removal.

"Corrosion inhibitor" means a substance capable of reducing the corrosivity of water toward metal plumbing materials, especially lead and copper, by forming a protective film on the interior surface of those materials.

"Cross connection" means any connection or structural arrangement, direct or indirect, to the waterworks whereby backflow can occur.

"CT" or "CT_calc" means the product of "residual disinfectant concentration" (C) in mg/L determined before or at the first customer, and the corresponding "disinfectant contact time" (T) in minutes (i.e., "C" x "T").

"Daily fluid intake" means the daily intake of water for drinking and culinary use and is defined as two liters.

"Dechlorination" means the partial or complete reduction of residual chlorine in water by any chemical or physical process at a waterworks with a treatment facility.

"Degree of hazard" means the level of health hazard, as derived from an evaluation of the potential risk to health and the adverse effect upon the waterworks.

"Diatomaceous earth filtration" means a process resulting in substantial particulate removal in which (i) a precoat cake of diatomaceous earth filter media is deposited on a support membrane (septum), and (ii) while the water is filtered by passing through the cake on the septum, additional filter media known as body feed is continuously added to the feed water to maintain the permeability of the filter cake.

"Direct filtration" means a series of processes including coagulation and filtration but excluding sedimentation resulting in substantial particulate removal.

"Disinfectant" means any oxidant (including chlorine) that is added to water in any part of the treatment or distribution process for the purpose of killing or deactivating pathogenic organisms.

"Disinfectant contact time" ("T" in CT calculations) means the time in minutes that it takes for water to move from the point of disinfectant application to the point where residual disinfectant concentration ("C") is measured.

"Disinfection" means a process that inactivates pathogenic organisms in water by chemical oxidants or equivalent agents.

"Disinfection profile" means a summary of Giardia lamblia or virus inactivation through the treatment plant.

"Distribution main" means a water main whose primary purpose is to provide treated water to service connections.

"District engineer" means the employee assigned by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water to manage its regulatory activities in a geographical area of the state consisting of a state planning district or subunit of a state planning district.

"Domestic or other nondistribution system plumbing problem" means a coliform contamination problem in a waterworks with more than one service connection that is limited to the specific service connection from which the coliform positive sample was taken.

"Double gate-double check valve assembly" means an approved assembly composed of two single independently acting check valves including tightly closing shutoff valves located at each end of the assembly and petcocks and test gauges for testing the watertightness of each check valve.

"Dual sample set" means a set of two samples collected at the same time and same location, with one sample analyzed for TTHM and the other sample analyzed for HAA5. Dual sample sets are collected for the purposes of conducting an initial distribution system evaluation (IDSE) under 12VAC5-590-370 B 3 e (2) and determining compliance with the TTHM and HAA5 MCLs under 12VAC5-590-370 B 3 e (3).

"Effective corrosion inhibitor residual" means, for the purpose of 12VAC5-590-405 A 1 only, a concentration sufficient to form a passivating film on the interior walls of a pipe.

"Enhanced coagulation" means the addition of sufficient coagulant for improved removal of disinfection byproduct precursors by conventional filtration treatment.

"Enhanced softening" means the improved removal of disinfection byproduct precursors by precipitative softening.

"Entry point" means the place where water from the source after application of any treatment is delivered to the distribution system.

"Equivalent residential connection" means a volume of water used equal to a residential connection that is 400 gallons per day unless supportive data indicates otherwise.

"Exception" means an approved deviation from a "shall" criteria contained in Part III (12VAC5-590-640 et seq.) of this chapter.

"Exemption" means a conditional waiver of a specific PMCL or treatment technique requirement that is granted to a specific waterworks for a limited period of time.

"Filter profile" means a graphical representation of individual filter performance, based on continuous turbidity measurements or total particle counts versus time for an entire filter run, from startup to backwash inclusively, that includes an assessment of filter performance while another filter is being backwashed.

"Filtration" means a process for removing particulate matter from water by passage through porous media.

"Finished water" means water that is introduced into the distribution system of a waterworks and is intended for distribution and consumption without further treatment, except as treatment necessary to maintain water quality in the distribution system (e.g., booster disinfection, addition of corrosion control chemicals).

"First draw sample" means a one-liter sample of tap water, collected in accordance with 12VAC5-590-375 B 2, that has been standing in plumbing pipes at least six hours and is collected without flushing the tap.

"Flocculation" means a process to enhance agglomeration or collection of smaller floc particles into larger, more easily settleable particles through gentle stirring by hydraulic or mechanical means.

"Flowing stream" means a course of running water flowing in a definite channel.

"Free available chlorine" means that portion of the total residual chlorine remaining in water at the end of a specified contact period that will react chemically and biologically as hypochlorous acid or hypochlorite ion.

"GAC10" means granular activated carbon filter beds with an empty-bed contact time of 10 minutes based on average daily flow and a carbon reactivation frequency of every 180 days, except that the reactivation frequency for GAC10 used as a best available technology for compliance with 12VAC5-590-410 C 2 b (1) (b) shall be 120 days.

"GAC20" means granular activated carbon filter beds with an empty-bed contact time of 20 minutes based on average daily flow and a carbon reactivation frequency of every 240 days.

"Governmental entity" means the Commonwealth, a town, city, county, service authority, sanitary district, or any other governmental body established under the Code of Virginia, including departments, divisions, boards, or commissions.

"Gross alpha particle activity" means the total radioactivity due to alpha particle emission as inferred from measurements on a dry sample.

"Gross beta particle activity" means the total radioactivity due to beta particle emission as inferred from measurements on a dry sample.

"Groundwater" means all water obtained from sources not classified as surface water (or surface water sources).

"Groundwater system" means any waterworks that uses groundwater as its source of supply; however, a waterworks that combines all its groundwater with surface water or with groundwater under the direct influence of surface water prior to treatment is not a groundwater system. Groundwater systems include consecutive waterworks that receive finished groundwater from a wholesale waterworks.

"Groundwater under the direct influence of surface water" or "GUDI" means any water beneath the surface of the ground with significant occurrence of insects or other macroorganisms, algae, or large-diameter pathogens such as Giardia lamblia, or Cryptosporidium. It also means significant and relatively rapid shifts in water characteristics such as turbidity, temperature, conductivity, or pH that closely correlate to climatological or surface water conditions. The commissioner in accordance with 12VAC5-590-430 will determine direct influence of surface water.

"Haloacetic acids (five)" or "HAA5" means the sum of the concentrations in milligrams per liter of the haloacetic acid compounds (monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid, and dibromoacetic acid), rounded to two significant figures after addition.

"Halogen" means one of the chemical elements chlorine, bromine, fluorine, astatine or iodine.

"Health hazard" means any condition, device, or practice in a waterworks or its operation that creates, or may create, a danger to the health and well-being of the water consumer.

"Health regulations" means regulations that include all primary maximum contaminant levels, treatment technique requirements, and all operational regulations, the violation of which would jeopardize the public health.

"Human consumption" means drinking, food preparation, dishwashing, bathing, showering, hand washing, teeth brushing, and maintaining oral hygiene.

"Hypochlorite" means a solution of water and some form of chlorine, usually sodium hypochlorite.

"Initial compliance period" means for all regulated contaminants, the initial compliance period is the first full three-year compliance period beginning at least 18 months after promulgation with the exception of waterworks with 150 or more service connections for contaminants listed at Table 2.3, VOC 19-21; Table 2.3, SOC 19-33; and antimony, beryllium, cyanide (as free cyanide), nickel, and thallium that shall begin January 1993.

"Interchangeable connection" means an arrangement or device that will allow alternate but not simultaneous use of two sources of water.

"Karst geology" means an area predominantly underlain by limestone, dolomite, or gypsum and characterized by rapid underground drainage. Such areas often feature sinkholes, caverns, and sinking or disappearing creeks. In Virginia, this generally includes all that area west of the Blue Ridge and, in Southwest Virginia, east of the Cumberland Plateau.

"Lake/reservoir" means a natural or manmade basin or hollow on the Earth's surface in which water collects or is stored that may or may not have a current or single direction of flow.

"Large waterworks" means, for the purposes of 12VAC5-590-375, 12VAC5-590-405, 12VAC5-590-530 F, and 12VAC5-590-550 D only, a waterworks that serves more than 50,000 persons.

"Lead free" means the following:

1. When used with respect to solders and flux, refers to solders and flux containing not more than 0.2% lead;

2. When used with respect to pipes and pipe fittings, refers to pipes and pipe fittings containing not more than 8.0% lead;

3. When used with respect to plumbing fittings and fixtures intended by the plumbing manufacturer to dispense water for human ingestion, refers to fittings and fixtures that are in compliance with standards established in accordance with 42 USC § 300g-6(e).

"Lead service line" means a service line made of lead that connects the water main to the building inlet and any lead pigtail, gooseneck or other fitting that is connected to such lead line.

"Legionella" means a genus of bacteria, some species of which have caused a type of pneumonia called Legionnaires disease.

"Level 1 assessment" means an evaluation to identify the possible presence of sanitary defects, defects in distribution system coliform monitoring practices, and, when possible, the likely reason that the waterworks triggered the assessment.

"Level 2 assessment" means an evaluation to identify the possible presence of sanitary defects, defects in distribution system coliform monitoring practices, and, when possible, the likely reason that the waterworks triggered the assessment in a more comprehensive investigation than a Level 1 assessment.

"Liquid chlorine" means a liquefied, compressed chlorine gas as shipped in commerce.

"Locational running annual average" or "LRAA" means the average of sample analytical results for samples taken at a particular monitoring location during the previous four calendar quarters.

"Log inactivation (log removal)" means that a 99% reduction is a 2-log inactivation; a 99.9% reduction is a 3-log inactivation; a 99.99% reduction is a 4-log inactivation.

"Manmade beta particle and photon emitters" means all radionuclides emitting beta particles and/or photons listed in the most current edition of "Maximum Permissible Body Burdens and Maximum Permissible Concentration of Radionuclides in Air or Water for Occupational Exposure," National Bureau of Standards Handbook 69, except the daughter products of thorium-232, uranium-235 and uranium-238.

"Maximum contaminant level" or "MCL" means the maximum permissible level of a contaminant in pure water that is delivered to any user of a waterworks. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. MCLs may be either "primary" (PMCL), meaning based on health considerations, or "secondary" (SMCL) meaning based on aesthetic considerations.

"Maximum contaminant level goal" or "MCLG" means the maximum level of a contaminant in drinking water at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons would occur and that allows an adequate margin of safety. Maximum contaminant level goals are nonenforceable health goals.

"Maximum daily water demand" means the rate of water usage during the day of maximum water use.

"Maximum residual disinfectant level" or "MRDL" means a level of a disinfectant added for water treatment that may not be exceeded at the consumer's tap without an unacceptable possibility of adverse health effects. For chlorine and chloramines, a waterworks is in compliance with the MRDL when the running annual average of monthly averages of samples taken in the distribution system, computed quarterly, is less than or equal to the MRDL. For chlorine dioxide, a waterworks is in compliance with the MRDL when daily samples are taken at the entrance to the distribution system and no two consecutive daily samples exceed the MRDL. MRDLs are enforceable in the same manner as maximum contaminant levels. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of waterborne microbial contaminants. Notwithstanding the MRDLs listed in Table 2.12, operators may increase residual disinfectant levels of chlorine or chloramines (but not chlorine dioxide) in the distribution system to a level and for a time necessary to protect public health to address specific microbiological contamination problems caused by circumstances such as distribution line breaks, storm runoff events, source water contamination, or cross-connections.

"Maximum residual disinfectant level goal" or "MRDLG" means the maximum level of a disinfectant added for water treatment at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons would occur, and that allows an adequate margin of safety. MRDLGs are nonenforceable health goals and do not reflect the benefit of the addition of the chemical for control of waterborne microbial contaminants.

"Maximum total trihalomethane potential" or "MTP" means the maximum concentration of total trihalomethanes produced in a given water containing a disinfectant residual after seven days at a temperature of 25°C or above.

"Medium waterworks" means, for the purpose of 12VAC5-590-375 and 12VAC5-590-405 only, a waterworks that serves greater than 3,300 and less than or equal to 50,000 persons.

"Membrane filtration" means a pressure or vacuum-driven separation process in which particulate matter larger than one micrometer is rejected by an engineered barrier, primarily through a size exclusion mechanism, and that has a measurable removal efficiency of a target organism that can be verified through the application of a direct integrity test. This definition includes the common membrane technologies of microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis.

"Method detection limit" means the minimum concentration of a substance that can be measured and reported with 99% confidence that the analyte concentration is greater than zero and is determined from analysis of a sample in a given matrix containing the analyte.

"Most probable number" or "MPN" means that number of organisms per unit volume that, in accordance with statistical theory, would be more likely than any other number to yield the observed test result or that would yield the observed test result with the greatest frequency, expressed as density of organisms per 100 milliliters. Results are computed from the number of positive findings of coliform-group organisms resulting from multiple-portion decimal-dilution plantings.

"Noncommunity waterworks" means a waterworks that is not a community waterworks, but operates at least 60 days out of the year.

"Nonpotable water" means water not classified as pure water.

"Nontransient noncommunity waterworks" or "NTNC" means a waterworks that is not a community waterworks and that regularly serves at least 25 of the same persons over six months out of the year.

"Office" or "ODW" means the Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water.

"One hundred year flood level" means the flood elevation that will, over a long period of time, be equaled or exceeded on the average once every 100 years.

"Operator" means any individual employed or appointed by any owner, and who is designated by such owner to be the person in responsible charge, such as a supervisor, a shift operator, or a substitute in charge, and whose duties include testing or evaluation to control waterworks operations. Not included in this definition are superintendents or directors of public works, city engineers, or other municipal or industrial officials whose duties do not include the actual operation or direct supervision of waterworks.

"Optimal corrosion control treatment" means the corrosion control treatment that minimizes the lead and copper concentrations at users' taps while ensuring that the treatment does not cause the waterworks to violate any other section of this chapter.

"Owner" or "water purveyor" means an individual, group of individuals, partnership, firm, association, institution, corporation, governmental entity, or the federal government that supplies or proposes to supply water to any person within this state from or by means of any waterworks (see Article 2 (§ 32.1-167 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of Title 32.1 of the Code of Virginia).

"Picocurie" or "pCi" means that quantity of radioactive material producing 2.22 nuclear transformations per minute.

"Plant intake" means the works or structures at the head of a conduit through which water is diverted from a source (e.g., river or lake) into the treatment plant.

"Point of disinfectant application" means the point where the disinfectant is applied and water downstream of that point is not subject to recontamination by surface water runoff.

"Point-of-entry treatment device" or "POE device" means a treatment device applied to the water entering a house or building for the purpose of reducing contaminants in the water distributed throughout the house or building.

"Point-of-use treatment device" or "POU device" means a treatment device applied to a single tap for the purpose of reducing contaminants in the water at that one tap.

"Pollution" means the presence of any foreign substance (chemical, physical, radiological, or biological) in water that tends to degrade its quality so as to constitute an unnecessary risk or impair the usefulness of the water.

"Pollution hazard" means a condition through which an aesthetically objectionable or degrading material may enter the waterworks or a consumer's water system.

"Postchlorination" means the application of chlorine to water subsequent to treatment.

"Potable water" – see "Pure water."

"Practical quantitation level" or "PQL" means the lowest level achievable by good laboratories within specified limits during routine laboratory operating conditions.

"Prechlorination" means the application of chlorine to water prior to filtration.

"Presedimentation" means a preliminary treatment process used to remove gravel, sand and other particulate material from the source water through settling before the water enters the primary clarification and filtration processes in a treatment plant.

"Process fluids" means any fluid or solution that may be chemically, biologically, or otherwise contaminated or polluted that would constitute a health, pollutional, or system hazard if introduced into the waterworks. This includes, but is not limited to:

1. Polluted or contaminated water;

2. Process waters;

3. Used waters, originating from the waterworks that may have deteriorated in sanitary quality;

4. Cooling waters;

5. Contaminated natural waters taken from wells, lakes, streams, or irrigation systems;

6. Chemicals in solution or suspension; and

7. Oils, gases, acids, alkalis, and other liquid and gaseous fluid used in industrial or other processes, or for firefighting purposes.

"Pure water" means water fit for human consumption that is (i) sanitary and normally free of minerals, organic substances, and toxic agents in excess of reasonable amounts and (ii) adequate in quantity and quality for the minimum health requirements of the persons served (see Article 2 (§ 32.1-167 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of Title 32.1 of the Code of Virginia).

"Raw water main" means a water main that conveys untreated water from a source to a treatment facility.

"Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device" or "RPZ device" means a device containing a minimum of two independently acting check valves together with an automatically operated pressure differential relief valve located between the two check valves. During normal flow and at the cessation of normal flow, the pressure between these two checks shall be less than the supply pressure. In case of leakage of either check valve, the differential relief valve, by discharging to the atmosphere, shall operate to maintain the pressure between the check valves at less than the supply pressure. The unit shall include tightly closing shutoff valves located at each end of the device, and each device shall be fitted with properly located test cocks. These devices shall be of the approved type.

"REM" means the unit of dose equivalent from ionizing radiation to the total body or any internal organ or organ system. A millirem (MREM) is 1/1000 of a REM.

"Repeat compliance period" means any subsequent compliance period after the initial compliance period.

"Residual disinfectant concentration" ("C" in CT Calculations) means the concentration of disinfectant measured in mg/L in a representative sample of water.

"Responsible charge" means designation by the owner of any individual to have duty and authority to operate or modify the operation of waterworks processes.

"Sanitary facilities" means piping and fixtures, such as sinks, lavatories, showers, and toilets, supplied with potable water and drained by wastewater piping.

"Sanitary defect" means a defect that could provide a pathway of entry for microbial contamination into the distribution system or that is indicative of a failure or imminent failure in a protective barrier that is already in place.

"Sanitary survey" means an evaluation conducted by ODW of a waterworks' water supply, facilities, equipment, operation, maintenance, monitoring records, and overall management of a waterworks to ensure the provision of pure water.

"Seasonal waterworks" means a noncommunity waterworks that is not operated as a waterworks on a year-round basis, and starts up and shuts down at the beginning and end of each operating season.

"Secondary water source" means any approved water source, other than a waterworks' primary source, connected to or available to that waterworks for emergency or other nonregular use.

"Sedimentation" means a process for removal of solids before filtration by gravity or separation.

"Service connection" means the point of delivery of water to a customer's building service line as follows:

1. If a meter is installed, the service connection is the downstream side of the meter;

2. If a meter is not installed, the service connection is the point of connection to the waterworks;

3. When the water purveyor is also the building owner, the service connection is the entry point to the building.

"Service line sample" means a one-liter sample of water, collected in accordance with 12VAC5-590-375 B 2 c, that has been standing for at least six hours in a service line.

"Sewer" means any pipe or conduit used to convey sewage or industrial waste streams.

"Significant deficiency" means any defect in a waterworks' design, operation, maintenance, or administration, as well as the failure or malfunction of any waterworks component, that may cause, or has the potential to cause, an unacceptable risk to health or could affect the reliable delivery of pure water to consumers.

"Single-family structure" means, for the purpose of 12VAC5-590-375 B only, a building constructed as a single-family residence that is currently used as either a residence or a place of business.

"Slow sand filtration" means a process involving passage of raw water through a bed of sand at low velocity (generally less than 0.4 m/h) resulting in substantial particulate removal by physical and biological mechanisms.

"Small waterworks" means, for the purpose of 12VAC5-590-375, 12VAC5-590-405, 12VAC5-590-530 F and 12VAC5-590-550 D only, a waterworks that serves 3,300 persons or fewer.

"Standard sample" means that portion of finished drinking water that is examined for the presence of coliform bacteria.

"Surface water" means all water open to the atmosphere and subject to surface runoff.

"SUVA" means specific ultraviolet absorption at 254 nanometers (nm), an indicator of the humic content of water. It is a calculated parameter obtained by dividing a sample's ultraviolet absorption at a wavelength of 254 nm (UV₂₅₄) (in m-1) by its concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) (in mg/L).

"Synthetic organic chemicals" or "SOC" means one of the family of organic manmade compounds generally utilized for agriculture or industrial purposes.

"System hazard" means a condition posing an actual, or threat of, damage to the physical properties of the waterworks or a consumer's water system.

"Terminal reservoir" means an impoundment providing end storage of water prior to treatment.

"Too numerous to count" means that the total number of bacterial colonies exceeds 200 on a 47-mm diameter membrane filter used for coliform detection.

"Total effective storage volume" means the volume available to store water in distribution reservoirs measured as the difference between the reservoir's overflow elevation and the minimum storage elevation. The minimum storage elevation is that elevation of water in the reservoir that can provide a minimum pressure of 20 psi at a flow as determined in 12VAC5-590-690 C to the highest elevation served within that reservoir's service area under systemwide maximum daily water demand.

"Total organic carbon" or "TOC" means total organic carbon in mg/L measured using heat, oxygen, ultraviolet irradiation, chemical oxidants, or combinations of these oxidants that convert organic carbon to carbon dioxide, rounded to two significant figures.

"Total trihalomethanes" or "TTHM" means the sum of the concentrations of the trihalomethanes expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L) and rounded to two significant figures. For the purpose of these regulations, the TTHMs shall mean trichloromethane (chloroform), dibromochloromethane, bromodichloromethane, and tribromomethane (bromoform).

"Transient noncommunity waterworks" or "TNC" means a noncommunity waterworks that is not a nontransient noncommunity waterworks. A TNC serves at least 25 persons daily for at least 60 days out of the year.

"Transmission main" means a water main whose primary purpose is to move significant quantities of treated water among service areas.

"Treatment technique requirement" means a requirement that specifies for a contaminant a specific treatment technique(s) demonstrated to the satisfaction of the division to lead to a reduction in the level of such contaminant sufficient to comply with these regulations.

"Triggered source water monitoring" means monitoring required of any groundwater system as a result of a total coliform-positive sample in the distribution system.

"Trihalomethane" or "THM" means one of the family of organic compounds, named as derivatives of methane, wherein three of the four hydrogen atoms in methane are each substituted by a halogen atom in the molecular structure.

"Two-stage lime softening" means a process in which chemical addition and hardness precipitation occur in each of two distinct unit clarification processes in series prior to filtration.

"Uncovered finished water storage facility" means a tank, reservoir, or other facility used to store water that will undergo no further treatment to reduce microbial pathogens (except residual disinfection) and is directly open to the atmosphere.

"Unregulated contaminant" or "UC" means a contaminant for which a monitoring requirement has been established, but for which no MCL or treatment technique requirement has been established.

"Used water" means any water supplied by a water purveyor from the waterworks to a consumer's water system after it has passed through the service connection.

"Variance" means a conditional waiver of a specific regulation that is granted to a specific waterworks. A PMCL variance is a variance to a primary maximum contaminant level, or a treatment technique requirement. An operational variance is a variance to an operational regulation or a secondary maximum contaminant level. Variances for monitoring, reporting and public notification requirements will not be granted.

"Virus" means a microbe that is infectious to humans by waterborne transmission.

"Volatile synthetic organic chemical" or "VOC" means one of the family of manmade organic compounds generally characterized by low molecular weight and rapid vaporization at relatively low temperatures or pressures.

"Waterborne disease outbreak" means the significant occurrence of acute infectious illness, epidemiologically associated with the ingestion of water from a waterworks that is deficient in treatment, as determined by the commissioner or the State Epidemiologist.

"Water purveyor" (same as owner).

"Water supply" means water that shall have been taken into a waterworks from all wells, streams, springs, lakes, and other bodies of surface waters (natural or impounded), and the tributaries thereto, and all impounded groundwater, but the term "water supply" shall not include any waters above the point of intake of such waterworks (see Article 2 (§ 32.1-167 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of Title 32.1 of the Code of Virginia).

"Water supply main" or "main" means any water supply pipeline that is part of a waterworks distribution system.

"Water Well Completion Report" means a report form published by the State Water Control Board entitled "Water Well Completion Report," which requests specific information pertaining to the ownership, driller, location, geological formations penetrated, water quantity and quality encountered as well as construction of water wells. The form is to be completed by the well driller.

"Waterworks" means a system that serves piped water for human consumption to at least 15 service connections or 25 or more individuals for at least 60 days out of the year. "Waterworks" includes all structures, equipment, and appurtenances used in the storage, collection, purification, treatment, and distribution of pure water except the piping and fixtures inside the building where such water is delivered (see Article 2 (§ 32.1-167 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of Title 32.1 of the Code of Virginia).

"Waterworks with a single service connection" means a waterworks that supplies drinking water to consumers via a single service line.

"Wholesale waterworks" means a waterworks that treats source water as necessary to produce finished water and then delivers some or all of that finished water to another waterworks. Delivery may be through a direct connection or through the distribution system of one or more consecutive waterworks.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR355-18-001.02 § 1.1, eff. August 1, 1991; amended, Volume 09, Issue 17, eff. June 23, 1993; Volume 12, Issue 02, eff. November 15, 1995; Volume 18, Issue 19, eff. July 3, 2002; Volume 19, Issue 17, eff. June 4, 2003; Volume 21, Issue 13, eff. April 6, 2005; Volume 22, Issue 24, eff. September 6, 2006; Volume 25, Issue 05, eff. December 10, 2008; Volume 27, Issue 01, eff. October 13, 2010; Volume 28, Issue 05, eff. December 7, 2011; Volume 28, Issue 19, eff. June 21, 2012; Volume 31, Issue 01, eff. October 10, 2014; Volume 33, Issue 03, eff. November 2, 2016.

Statutory Authority

§§ 32.1-12 and 32.1-170 of the Code of Virginia.