In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three years.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
03/31/2019
36 Months From Approved
03/31/2016
2,154
0
4,211
17,902
0
40,667
6,546,967
0
13,093,934
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in 1996, requires EPA to establish criteria for a program to monitor not more than 30 unregulated contaminants every five years. Information collected under the program supports Agency decision making regarding whether or not to regulate particular contaminants in drinking water. EPA published the first group of contaminants in UCMR 1 in the Federal Register on September 17, 1999 (64 FR 50556), and the second group of contaminants in UCMR 2 in the Federal Register on January 4, 2007. UCMR 3 addresses the third group of 30 contaminants and was published in the Federal Register on May 2, 2012.
UCMR 3 "Assessment Monitoring" began in January 2013 and continues through December 2015 for all large systems (those systems serving 10,001 to 100,000 people) and very large systems (those systems serving more than 100,000 people), and for a nationally representative sample of 800 small public water systems (PWSs) (those serving 10,000 or fewer people). The "Screening Survey" began in January 2013 and continues through December 2015 for all very large systems, 320 randomly-selected large systems, and 480 randomly selected small systems. "Pre-Screen Testing" began in January 2013 and continues through December 2015 for a sample of 800 very small (systems serving 1,000 or fewer people) undisinfected ground water systems.
This request renews the currently approved UCMR 3 ICR, (OMB Control No. 2040-0270), which covered the period 2012-2014. This ICR renewal accounts for activities conducted during 2015-2017. The complete 5-year UCMR 3 period of 2012-2016 overlaps with the applicable ICR period only during 2015 and 2016. With respect to this ICR renewal, PWSs will only be involved in active monitoring during 2015 (i.e., one-third of this ICR period).
There is a decrease of 22,765 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the existing ICR. This decrease is an adjustment to estimates due to the reduced number of PWSs that have to monitor during the ICR period of 2015-2017.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.