FAQs • KDHE, KS • CivicEngage

My samples were rejected. What do I do now, and how do I found out why they were rejected?: If your DBP samples are rejected, Kansas Health and Environment Laboratories (KHEL) will automatically send your water system replacement bottles. If you have further questions regarding why your samples were rejected, contact KHEL at: 785-296-1620 and the Public Water Supply Section at: 785-296-5514.

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Stage 2 Disinfection By-Products Rule

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1. What systems have to take part in the Stage 2 Rule?: All community water systems and non transient non-community water systems that add disinfectant other than UV light, and transient non-community water systems that treat water with chlorine dioxide are subject to Stage 2 DBP Rule requirements. This also includes consecutive systems that deliver water treated with a disinfectant other than UV light.

2. How is compliance determined for DBPs?: Compliance for Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) and Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) is determined with Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) using the calculated Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA). For an LRAA, an annual average is calculated at each monitoring site. MCLs for TTHM and HAA5 are 0.080 mg/L and 0.060 mg/L, respectively.

3. Why does my sample paperwork say to collect on a Sunday/or a holiday? Are we really supposed to collect on this day?: The sample date listed on lab paperwork is a suggested sample collection date. You have the entire month of your given sample month to take your DBP sample. Please note, though, that DBP samples must arrive at KHEL no later than Wednesday within the same sample week, with only 24 hours in transit. Samples therefore must be collected on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday in any given week of your sampling month. Also, samples must be completed within your assigned sampling month. Samples collected outside of your assigned sampling month are only allowed if operational procedures (such as a chlorine burnout) coincide with your sampling schedule and if KDHE is notified of these procedures before they occur.

4. What if I missed the sample date listed on the sample form from the lab?: You may sample on another day in your scheduled sample month. The sample date listed on lab paperwork is a suggested collection date. If you are unable to sample in your scheduled sampling month, contact the Public Water Supply Section at: 785-296-5514. If you miss sampling in your assigned sampling month, your water system may be subject to a Failure to Monitor violation.

5. What do I do if my system or the system I purchase from is performing a free chlorine burnout?: If the free chlorine burnout is occurring in or near your scheduled sampling month, contact the Public Water Supply Section so that we can adjust your sampling schedule. Please note that sampling during or closely after a chlorine burnout in either your system or a system that you purchase water from often result in very elevated DBP values that can cause your water system to invoke a DBP Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) violation.

6. Who do I contact if I have not received my sample bottles?: Contact Kansas Health and Environment Laboratories (KHEL) at: 785-296-1620 and the Public Water Supply Section at: 785-296-5514.

7. My samples were rejected. What do I do now, and how do I found out why they were rejected?: If your DBP samples are rejected, Kansas Health and Environment Laboratories (KHEL) will automatically send your water system replacement bottles. If you have further questions regarding why your samples were rejected, contact KHEL at: 785-296-1620 and the Public Water Supply Section at: 785-296-5514.

8. How do I get my water system on reduced monitoring for DBPs?

Systems may qualify for reduced monitoring if their LRAAs at all monitoring locations for TTHMs and HAA5 are no more than 0.040 mg/L and 0.030 mg/L, respectively. In addition, systems that are required to monitor for TOC must maintain annual average TOC levels of 4.0 mg/L or less in source water at each treatment plant in order to qualify.

Systems may remain on reduced monitoring as long as their quarterly LRAAs for TTHMs and HAA5 remain no more than 0.040 mg/L and 0.030 mg/L, respectively (for systems with quarterly reduced monitoring) or their TTHM and HAA5 samples are no higher than 0.060 mg/L and 0.045 mg/L, respectively (for systems with annual or less frequent monitoring).

If monitoring results indicate that a system is no longer eligible for reduced monitoring, the system must resume routine monitoring or begin increased monitoring the quarter immediately following the monitoring period in which the system exceeded the specified levels for reduced monitoring.

If your system qualifies for reduced monitoring, KDHE will notify you via mail.

9. What do I do if my sample bottle or cap is broken?: Contact Kansas Health and Environment Laboratories (KHEL) at: 785-296-1620 and the Public Water Supply Section at: 785-296-5514 so that we can get you a replacement bottle as soon as possible.

10. After I take my samples, how long do I have to get them to KHEL?: Samples may be taken on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, and sent into the lab by Wednesday within the same sample week. Samples also cannot be in transit for longer than 24 hours, as samples must remain cold to be valid.

11. Which systems have to test for TOC (DBP precursors), Bromate, and Chlorite/Chlorine Dioxide?