Section 440. Analytical methods

All drinking water analyses for compliance purposes shall have been performed by analytical methods that are consistent with current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations found at 40 CFR Part 141 and 40 CFR Part 143. Laboratories seeking certification to perform drinking water analyses shall comply with all applicable regulations promulgated by the Department of General Services, Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services.

Testing for alkalinity, calcium, conductivity, disinfectant residual, orthophosphate, pH, silica, temperature, and turbidity for compliance purposes may be performed by any person or party acceptable to the commissioner.

	Table 2.2 ― Inorganic Chemicals.
	Substance	Primary Maximum Contaminant Level (mg/L)
	Antimony	0.006
	Arsenic (As)	0.010***
	Asbestos	7 Million Fibers/Liter (longer than 10 um)
	Barium (Ba)	2
	Beryllium	0.004
	Cadmium (Cd)	0.005
	Chromium (Cr)	0.1
	Cyanide (as free Cyanide)	0.2
	Fluoride (F)	4.0 #
	Mercury (Hg)	0.002
	Nickel	No Limits Designated
	Nitrate (as N)	10**
	Nitrite (as N)	1
	Total Nitrate and Nitrite (as N)	10
	Selenium (Se)	0.05
	Thallium	0.002
	Substance	Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (mg/L)
	Chloride (Cl)	250.0
	Copper (Cu)	1.0
	Corrosivity	Noncorrosive, See Appendix B
	Fluoride	2.0
	Foaming Agents	0.5*
	Iron (Fe)	0.3
	Manganese (Mn)	0.05
	Sodium (Na)	No Limits Designated
	Sulfate (SO4)	250.0
	Zinc (Zn)	5.0
	Substance	Action Level (mg/L)
	Lead (Pb)	0.015
	Copper (Cu)	1.3
	# Note. For artificially fluoridated waterworks the minimum concentration of fluoride should be 0.8 mg/L and the maximum should be 1.0 mg/L. The optimum control limit is 0.9 mg/L. (See Appendix B)
	*Note. Concentration reported in terms of Methylene Blue Active Substances.
	**Note. See Appendix B for Exception Regarding Noncommunity Waterworks.
	***Note. The PMCL for arsenic is 0.010 mg/L for community and nontransient noncommunity waterworks effective January 23, 2006. Arsenic sampling results shall be reported to the nearest 0.001 mg/L.

	Table 2.3 ― Organic Chemicals.
	Substance	Primary Maximum Contaminant Levels (mg/L)
	VOC
	1. Vinyl Chloride	0.002
	2. Benzene	0.005
	3. Carbon Tetrachloride	0.005
	4. 1,2‑Dichloroethane	0.005
	5. Trichloroethylene (TCE)	0.005
	6. 1,1‑Dichloroethylene	0.007
	7. 1,1,1‑Trichloroethane	0.2
	8. para‑Dichlorobenzene	0.075
	9. cis‑1,2‑Dichloroethylene	0.07
	10. 1,2‑Dichloropropane	0.005
	11. Ethylbenzene	0.7
	12. Monochlorobenzene	0.1
	13. o‑Dichlorobenznen	0.6
	14. Styrene	0.1
	15. Tetrachloroethylene	0.005
	16. Toluene	1
	17. trans‑1,2‑Dichloroethylene	0.1
	18. Xylene (total)	10
	19. Dichloromethane	0.005
	20. 1,2,4‑Trichlorobenzene	0.07
	21. 1,1,2‑Trichloroethane	0.05
	SOC
	1. Alachlor	0.002
	2. Atrazine	0.003
	3. Carbofuran	0.04
	4. Chlordane	0.002
	5. Heptachlor	0.0004
	6. Heptachlor epoxide	0.0002
	7. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)	0.0005
	8. Dibromochloropropane (DBCP)	0.0002
	9. Ethylene dibromide (EDB)	0.00005
	10. Lindane	0.0002
	11. Methoxychlor	0.04
	12. Toxaphene	0.003
	13.4‑Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4‑D)	0.07
	14. 2,4,5‑Trichlorophenoxypropionic Acid (2,4,5‑TP or Silvex)	0.05
	15. Reserved
	16. Reserved
	17. Reserved
	18. Pentachlorophenol	0.001
	19. Benzo(a)pyrene	0.0002
	20. Dalapon	0.2
	21. Di(2‑ethylhexy)adipate	0.4
	22. Di(2‑ethylhexy)phthalate	0.006
	23. Dinoseb	0.007
	24. Diquat	0.02
	25. Endothall	0.1
	26. Endrin	0.002
	27. Glyphosate	0.7
	28. Hexachlorobenzene	0.001
	29. Hexachlorocyclopentadiene	0.05
	30. Oxamyl (Vydate)	0.2
	31. Picloram	0.5
	32. Simazine	0.004
	33. 2,3,7,8‑TCDD (Dioxin)	3 X 10-8

	Table 2.4 ― Physical Quality.
	Parameter	Maximum Contaminant Level	Concentration
	Color	Secondary	15 Color Units
	Odor	Secondary	3 Threshold odor numbers
	pH	Secondary	6.5‑8.5
	Total Dissolved	Secondary	500 mg/L Solids (TDS)
	Turbidity	Primary	*1 Turbidity Unit
	* See Appendix B for operational requirements.

	Table 2.5 ― Radiological Quality.
	A. Maximum Contaminant Level Goals for Radionuclides
	Substance			MCLG
	1. Combined radium-226 and radium-228			Zero
	2. Gross alpha particle activity (excluding Radon and uranium)			Zero
	3. Beta particle and photon radioactivity			Zero
	4. Uranium			Zero
	B. Primary Maximum Contaminant Levels for Radionuclides
	Substance			Primary Maximum Contaminant Level
	1. Combined radium‑226 and radium‑228			5 pCi/L
	2. Gross Alpha Activity (excluding Radon and Uranium)			15 pCi/L
	3. Uranium			30 μg/L
	Primary Maximum Contaminant Levels for Beta Particle and Photon Radioactivity from Man-Made Radionuclides
	1. The average annual concentration of Beta particle and Photon radioactivity from man-made radionuclides in drinking water shall not produce an annual dose equivalent to the total body or any internal organ greater than 4 millirem/year.
	2. Except for the radionuclides listed in Schedule I, the concentration of man-made radionuclides causing 4 MREM total body or organ dose equivalents shall be calculated on the basis of a 2 liter per day drinking water intake using the 168-hour data listed in "Maximum Permissible Body Burdens and Maximum Permissible Concentrations of Radionuclides in Air and Water for Occupational Exposure," MBS Handbook 69 as amended August 1963, U.S. Department of Commerce. If two or more radionuclides are present, the sum of their annual dose equivalent to the total body or to any organ exceed 4 millirem/year.
	Schedule 1
	Average annual concentrations assumed to produce a total body organ dose of 4 mrem/year.
	Radionuclide	Critical Organ	pCi/liter
	Tritium	Total Body	20,000
	Strontium‑90	Bone Marrow	8
	* See Appendix B

	Table 2.6 ― Unregulated Contaminant Organics to be Monitored.
	Group A
	1. Chloroform	12. Chloromethane
	2. Bromodichloromethane	13. Bromoethane
	3. Chlorodibromomethane	14. 1,2,3‑Trichloropropane
	4. Bromoform	15. 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane
	5. Chlorobenzene	16. Chloroethane
	6. m‑Dichlorobenzene	17. 2,2‑Dichloropropane
	7. Dibromomethane	18. o‑Chlorotoluene
	8. 1,1‑Dichloropropene	19. p‑Chlorotoluene
	9. 1,1‑Dichloroethane	20. Bromobenzene
	10. 1,1,2,2‑Tetrachloroethane	21. 1,3‑Dichloropropene
	11. 1,3‑Dichloropropane
	Group B
	1. Aldrin	8. Metoachlor
	2. Butachlor	9. Metribuzin
	3. Carbaryl	10. Propachlor
	4. Dicamba	11. Aldicarb
	5. Dieldrin	12. Aldicarb sulfone
	6. Methomyl	13. Aldicarb sulfoxide
	7. 3‑Hyposycarbofuran

Table 2.7 ― Reserved

	Table 2.8 ― Organic Chemical Monitoring Implementation Schedule.
	Number of Persons Served	Monitoring to Begin During the Quarter that Begins
	Over 10,000	January 1,1988
	3,300 to 10,000	January 1,1989
	less than 3,300	January 1,1991

	Table 2.9 ― PMCL Effective Dates.
	Table 2.3, Organics Chemicals, VOC 1 through 8 (Phase I)	January 9, 1989
	Total Trihalomethanes and Fluoride	July 1, 1991
	Table 2.3, Organics Chemicals, VOC 9 through 18 and SOC 1 through 14 (Phase II VOCs and SOCs)	July 30, 1992
	Asbestos, Cadmium, Chromium, Mercury, Nitrate, Nitrite, Total Nitrate+Nitrite, Selenium (Phase II IOCs)	July 30, 1992
	Table 2.3, Organics Chemicals, SOC 15 through 18 and Table 2.2, Inorganic Chemicals, Barium (Phase II SOCs and IOCs)	January 1, 1993
	Table 2.3, Organics Chemicals, VOC 19 through 21, SOC 19 through 33 and Table 2.2, Inorganic Chemicals; antimony, beryllium, cyanide (as free cyanide), nickel, and thallium	January 17, 1994
	Uranium	December 8, 2003
	E. coli	April 1, 2016

	Table 2.10 ― Maximum Contaminant Level Goals for Microbiological Contaminants.
	Contaminant	MCLG
	Giardia lamblia	Zero
	Viruses	Zero
	Legionella	Zero
	Cryptosporidium	Zero
	Escherichia coli (E. coli)	Zero

	Table 2.11 ― Maximum Contaminant Level Goals for Disinfection Byproducts.
	Disinfection byproduct	MCLG (mg/L)
	Bromate	Zero
	Bromodichloromethane	Zero
	Bromoform	Zero
	Chlorite	0.8
	Chloroform	0.07
	Dibromochloromethane	0.06
	Dichloroacetic acid	Zero
	Monochloroacetic acid	0.07
	Trichloroacetic acid	0.02

	Table 2.12 ― Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goals (MRDLG) and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levels (MRDL) for Disinfectants
	Disinfectant residual	MRDLG (mg/L)	MRDL (mg/L)
	Chlorine	4 (as Cl2)	4.0 (as Cl2)
	Chloramines	4 (as Cl2)	4.0 (as Cl2)
	Chlorine dioxide	0.8 (as ClO2)	0.8 (as ClO2)

Notwithstanding the MRDLs in Table 2.12, owners may increase residual disinfectant levels in the distribution system of chlorine or chloramines (but not chlorine dioxide) to a level and for a time necessary to protect public health, to address specific microbiological contamination problems caused by circumstances such as, but not limited to, distribution line breaks, storm run-off events, source water contamination events, or cross-connection events.

	Table 2.13 ― Primary Maximum Contaminant Levels (PMCL) for Disinfection Byproducts
	Disinfection byproduct	PMCL (mg/L)
	Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)	0.080
	Haloacetic Acids (five) (HAA5)	0.060
	Bromate	0.010
	Chlorite	1.0

Historical Notes

Derived from VR355-18-004.11 § 2.11, eff. June 23, 1993; amended, 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 19, Issue 24, eff. September 10, 2003; Volume 22, Issue 15, eff. May 3, 2006; Volume 22, Issue 24, eff. September 6, 2006; Volume 25, Issue 05, eff. December 10, 2008; Volume 28, Issue 05, eff. December 7, 2011; Volume 33, Issue 03, eff. November 2, 2016.

Statutory Authority

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