Reporting Requirements for the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5)
Large and small public water systems (PWSs) subject to UCMR 5 are required to take actions (including entering information) in EPA’s web-based reporting system, the “Safe Drinking Water Accession and Review System” (or “SDWARS 5”), to prepare for UCMR 5 sampling. Separate demos for large and small PWSs have been provided to help PWSs complete these actions. Laboratories responsible for sample analysis post data to SDWARS 5 on behalf of PWSs, consistent with prior UCMR cycles. Users (including PWSs that wish to review/approve data posted by their laboratories) access SDWARS through EPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX).
- SDWARS 5 Large PWS Walkthrough (for PWSs serving more than 10,000 people) (video)
- SDWARS 5 Small PWS Walkthrough (for PWSs serving 10,000 or fewer people) (video)
- CDX
PWSs that are subject to UCMR 5 are also subject to the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) and the Public Notification (PN) rules. The CCR rule requires that community water systems (CWSs) report monitoring results when unregulated contaminants are measured at or above the UCMR 5 minimum reporting level (40 CFR 141.153). Consumers interested in their CCR report should contact their water supplier or may find information for how to obtain a copy of the CCR in their water bill. The PN rule requires that PWSs notify the public that the UCMR results are available (40 CFR 141.207). Many CWSs meet these PN requirements using their CCR. Please refer to the CCR rule and the PN rule for further information.
Key reporting dates
Deadlines for UCMR 5 reporting prior to sample collection
Six months prior to scheduled sample collection:
- Ground water PWSs serving more than 10,000 people that wish to monitor from representative entry points to the distribution system (EPTDS), using the flexibility described in the rule, must submit either:
- a copy of an approved ground water representative monitoring plan (GWRMP) from a prior UCMR cycle, or
- a new, proposed GWRMP
- PWSs scheduled for sample collection in 2023 are encouraged to submit proposals for a new GWRMP by December 31, 2022
- Changes to inventory data in SDWARS that impact a PWS’s representative plan must be reported within 30 days of the change
By December 31, 2022:
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PWSs are required to establish a CDX/SDWARS account and take the following actions:
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Read and accept your UCMR 5 Notification Letter
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Review and, as needed, adjust sample location inventory
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Add the zip codes associated with all customers in your service area
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Review your sampling schedule
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Provide a physical shipping address (applicable for PWSs serving 10,000 or fewer people
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After December 31, 2022:
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PWSs serving more than 10,000 people are required to notify EPA:
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of sampling location and inventory changes
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if unable to sample according to the original schedule
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Deadlines for reporting UCMR 5 monitoring results
- Within 90 days of sample collection: Laboratories must post monitoring results to EPA's electronic reporting system, SDWARS.
- Within 30 days of lab posting data: PWSs serving more than 10,000 people may review and approve data; if no action is taken within this review period, results for large PWSs are treated as approved and ready for EPA/state review.
Questions and answers on reporting
What do water systems serving 10,000 or fewer people ("small systems") need to do?
Small systems will need to do the following:
- Establish a CDX/SDWARS account and take the following actions:
- Read and accept your UCMR 5 Notification Letter
- Review and, as needed, adjust sample location inventory
- Add the zip codes associated with all customers in your service area
- Review your sampling schedule
- Provide a physical shipping address
- Select responses to the UCMR 5 Data Elements (e.g., Disinfectant Type)
- All small public water systems serving between 3,300 and 10,000 people and a nationally representative sample of public water systems serving fewer than 3,300 people will collect samples for UCMR 5 contaminants, using sampling kits and following sampling instructions provided by the Agency's support contractor, if notified by EPA that they are subject to UCMR 5 participation.
- EPA will arrange for, and pay for, sample analysis and will review monitoring results for small PWSs. After review, EPA will release data to the PWSs and states through SDWARS.
- PWSs should save the SDWARS report as their official record.
What do water systems serving more than 10,000 people ("large systems") need to do?
Large systems will need and do the following:
- Establish a CDX/SDWARS account to take the following actions:
- Read and accept your UCMR 5 Notification Letter
- Review and, as needed, adjust sample location inventory
- Add the zip codes associated with all customers in your service area
- Review your sampling schedule
- Select responses to the UCMR 5 Data Elements (e.g., Disinfectant Type)
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Collect samples for unregulated contaminants per the established schedule
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Contract with laboratories approved by EPA for analysis of their UCMR 5 samples
In addition, large PWSs have the opportunity to review, approve, and submit analytical results to EPA using SDWARS. PWSs will have 30 days after a laboratory posts data to do so. If the PWS does not act on their data within those 30 days, EPA will consider the data approved by the PWS and available to EPA and states for review and public release. After review, UCMR 5 data reside in EPA's National Contaminant Occurrence Database (NCOD) and on UCMR's occurrence data page.
What do laboratories need to do?
Laboratories must be approved by EPA prior to analyzing UCMR 5 samples and reporting results to SDWARS. Laboratories can only post data for methods for which they have received EPA approval. To receive EPA approval, laboratories must successfully participate in UCMR's laboratory approval program.
Laboratories granted EPA approval are obligated to report their data to SDWARS within 90 days of sample collection. Instructions on submitting data can be found in SDWARS.
What do states need to do?
States will have an opportunity to review PWS data upon PWS approval (for results from large PWSs) and EPA review/approval (for results from small PWSs). States can review data through SDWARS.
Data elements for UCMR 5
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Data element |
Definition |
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1. Public Water System Identification (PWSID) Code |
The code used to identify each PWS. The code begins with the standard 2-character postal State abbreviation or Region code; the remaining 7 numbers are unique to each PWS in the State. The same identification code must be used to represent the PWS identification for all current and future UCMR monitoring. |
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2. Public Water System Name |
Unique name, assigned once by the PWS. |
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3. Public Water System Facility Identification Code |
An identification code established by the State or, at the State’s discretion, by the PWS, following the format of a 5-digit number unique within each PWS for each applicable facility (i.e., for each source of water, treatment plant, distribution system, or any other facility associated with water treatment or delivery). The same identification code must be used to represent the facility for all current and future UCMR monitoring. |
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4. Public Water System Facility Name |
Unique name, assigned once by the PWS, for every facility ID (e.g., Treatment Plant). |
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5. Public Water System Facility Type |
That code that identifies that type of facility as either:
CC = Consecutive connection.
SS = Sampling station.
TP = Treatment plant.
OT = Other.
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6. Water Source Type |
The type of source water that supplies a water system facility. Systems must report one of the following codes for each sampling location:
SW = Surface water (to be reported for water facilities that are served entirely by a surface water source during the 12-month period).
GU = Ground water under the direct influence of surface water (to be reported for water facilities that are served all or in part by ground water under the direct influence of surface water at any time during the 12-month sampling period), and are not served at all by surface water during this period.
MX = Mixed water (to be reported for water facilities that are served by a mix of surface water, ground water and/or ground water under the direct influence of surface water during the 12-month period).
GW = Ground water (to be reported for water facilities that are served entirely by a ground water source during the 12-month period).
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7. Sampling Point Identification Code |
An identification code established by the State, or at the State’s discretion, by the PWS, that uniquely identifies each sampling point. Each sampling code must be unique within each applicable facility, for each applicable sampling location (i.e., entry point to the distribution system, source water influent or distribution system sample at maximum residence time). The same identification code must be used to represent the sampling location for all current and future UCMR monitoring. |
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8. Sampling Point Name |
Unique sample point name, assigned once by the PWS, for every sample point ID (e.g., Entry Point). |
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9. Sampling Point Type Code |
A code that identifies the location of the sampling point as:
EP = Entry point to the distribution system.
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10. Disinfectant Type |
All of the disinfectants/oxidants that have been added prior to the entry point to the distribution system. Please select all that apply.
PEMB = Permanganate.
HPXB = Hydrogen peroxide.
CLGA = Gaseous chlorine.
CLOF = Offsite generated hypochlorite (stored as a liquid form).
CLON = Onsite generated hypochlorite.
CAGC = Chloramine (formed with gaseous chlorine).
CAOF = Chloramine (formed with offsite hypochlorite).
CAON = Chloramine (formed with onsite hypochlorite).
CLDB = Chlorine dioxide.
OZON = Ozone.
ULVL = Ultraviolet light.
OTHD = All other types of disinfectant/oxidant.
NODU = No disinfectant/oxidant used.
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11. Treatment Information |
Treatment information associated with the sample point. Please select all that apply.
CON = Conventional (non-softening, consisting of at least coagulation/sedimentation basins and filtration)
SFN = Softening
RBF = River bank filtration
PSD = Pre-sedimentation
INF = In-line filtration
DFL = Direct filtration
SSF = Slow sand filtration
BIO = Biological filtration (operated with an intention of maintaining biological activity within filter)
UTR = Unfiltered treatment for surface water source
GWD = Groundwater system with disinfection only
PAC = Application of powder activated carbon
GAC = Granular activated carbon adsorption (not part of filters in CON, SFN, INF, DFL, or SSF)
AIR = Air stripping (packed towers, diffused gas contactors)
POB = Pre-oxidation with chlorine (applied before coagulation for CON or SFN plants or before filtration for other filtration plants)
MFL = Membrane filtration
IEX = Ionic exchange
DAF = Dissolved air floatation
CWL = Clear well/finished water storage without aeration
CWA = Clear well/finished water storage with aeration
ADS = Aeration in distribution system (localized treatment)
OTH = All other types of treatment
NTU = No treatment used
DKN = Do not know
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12. Sample Collection Date |
The date the sample is collected, reported as 4-digit year, 2-digit month, and 2-digit day (YYYY/MM/DD). |
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13. Sample Identification Code |
An alphanumeric value up to 30 characters assigned by the laboratory to uniquely identify containers, or groups of containers, containing water samples collected at the same sampling location for the same sampling date. |
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14. Contaminant |
The unregulated contaminant for which the sample is being analyzed. |
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15. Analytical Method Code |
The identification code of the analytical method used. |
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16. Extraction Batch Identification Code |
Laboratory assigned extraction batch ID. Must be unique for each extraction batch within the laboratory for each method. For CCC samples report the Analysis Batch Identification Code as the value for this field. For methods without an extraction batch, leave this field null. |
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17. Extraction Date |
Date for the start of the extraction batch (YYYY/MM/DD). For methods without an extraction batch, leave this field null. |
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18. Analysis Batch Identification Code |
Laboratory assigned analysis batch ID. Must be unique for each analysis batch within the laboratory for each method. |
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19. Analysis Date |
Date for the start of the analysis batch (YYYY/MM/DD). |
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20. Sample Analysis Type |
The type of sample collected and/or prepared, as well as the fortification level. Permitted values include:
CCCL = MRL level continuing calibration check; a calibration standard containing the contaminant, the internal standard, and surrogate analyzed to verify the existing calibration for those contaminants.
CCCM = Medium level continuing calibration check; a calibration standard containing the contaminant, the internal standard, and surrogate analyzed to verify the existing calibration for those contaminants.
CCCH = High level continuing calibration check; a calibration standard containing the contaminant, the internal standard, and surrogate analyzed to verify the existing calibration for those contaminants.
FS = Field sample; sample collected and submitted for analysis under this final rule.
LFB = Laboratory fortified blank; an aliquot of reagent water fortified with known quantities of the contaminants and all preservation compounds.
LRB = Laboratory reagent blank; an aliquot of reagent water treated exactly as a field sample, including the addition of preservatives, internal standards, and surrogates to determine if interferences are present in the laboratory, reagents, or other equipment.
LFSM = Laboratory fortified sample matrix; a UCMR field sample with a known amount of the contaminant of interest and all preservation compounds added.
LFSMD = Laboratory fortified sample matrix duplicate; duplicate of the laboratory fortified sample matrix.
QCS = Quality control sample; a sample prepared with a source external to the one used for initial calibration and CCC. The QCS is used to check calibration standard integrity.
FRB = Field reagent blank; an aliquot of reagent water treated as a sample including exposure to sampling conditions to determine if interferences or contamination are present from sample collection through analysis.
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21. Analytical Result—Sign |
A value indicating whether the sample analysis result was:
(<) “less than” means the contaminant was not detected, or was detected at a level below the Minimum Reporting Level.
(=) “equal to” means the contaminant was detected at the level reported in “Analytical Result— Measured Value.”
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22. Analytical Result—Measured Value |
The actual numeric value of the analytical results for: field samples; laboratory fortified matrix samples; laboratory fortified sample matrix duplicates; and concentration fortified. |
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23. Additional Value |
Represents the true value or the fortified concentration for spiked samples for QC Sample Analysis Types (CCCL, CCCM, CCCH, QCS, LFB, LFSM, and LFSMD). |
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24. Laboratory Identification Code |
The code, assigned by EPA, used to identify each laboratory. The code begins with the standard two-character State postal abbreviation; the remaining five numbers are unique to each laboratory in the State. |
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25. Sample Event Code |
A code assigned by the PWS for each sample event. This will associate samples with the PWS monitoring plan to allow EPA to track compliance and completeness. Systems must assign the following codes:
SE1, SE2, SE3 and SE4 - Represent samples collected to meet UCMR Assessment Monitoring requirements; where “SE1” and “SE2” represent the first and second sampling period for all water types; and “SE3” and “SE4” represent the third and fourth sampling period for SW, GU, and MX sources only.
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| 26. Historical Information for Contaminant Detections and Treatment | A yes or no answer provided by the PWS for each entry point to the distribution system. Question: Have you tested for the contaminant in your drinking water in the past? YES = If yes, did you modify your treatment and if so, what types of treatment did you implement? Select all that apply.
NO = Never tested for the contaminant
DK = Do not know |
| 27. Potential PFAS Sources | A yes or no answer provided by the PWS for each entry point to the distribution system. Question: Are you aware of any potential current and/or historical sources of PFAS that may have impacted the drinking water sources at your water system? YES = If yes, select all that apply:
DK = Do not know |