EPA Approves New Alternative Test Procedures
The USEPA published an expedited list of newly approved alternative test procedures, or ATP’s, in the Federal Register on 06/19/2014 (79 FR 35081). These ATP’s affect only analysis performed on contaminants under the US Safe Drinking Water Act for public water suppliers. The EPA used “streamlined authority” to add 21 additional methods available for the testing of drinking water samples.
ATP’s are periodically approved by EPA to broaden the scope of methods available for laboratories, public water systems, and primacy agencies. New methods may provide more timely access to new measurement techniques and more choices when choosing analytical methods in order to reduce costs and maintain public health protection.
The most common action that this new ATP took is the acceptance of some new procedures in the online version of Standard Methods and the addition of some new vendor developed methods. These include new methods for Total Coliforms and Escherichia coli (E.coli), and new vendor methods developed by IDEXX, Veolia Water Solutions, and Hach.
You can view the final Rule at the website of the Federal Register by clicking here.