Your monitoring summary outlines your water system’s monitoring requirements. Please use it as a planning tool to help your public water system (PWS) remain in compliance with the State of Alaska Drinking Water Regulations, 18 AAC 80. Monitoring your drinking water for contaminants is very important so that your customers do not become sick.
Have questions about your monitoring summary or sampling requirements? Contact your local Environmental Program Specialist (EPS).
To learn more about how to read your monitoring summary, visit Navigating the Monitoring Summary.
Reminders for 2026
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
By April 2027, all Community Water Systems (CWS) and Non-Transient Non-Community (NTNC) systems will need to complete initial PFAS monitoring or use previously collected monitoring data to determine their routine sample schedule. Surface Water systems will need to collect 4 quarterly samples (2-4 months apart) and Ground Water systems will need to collect 2 samples (at least 5-7 months apart). This means sampling MUST start early in 2026 to meet initial monitoring requirements.
Free sample kits are available from the DEC Environmental Health Lab for initial PFAS monitoring. If you are interested in participating in this free sampling program, please contact Christina Harris at christina.harris@alaska.gov or 907-262-3420 or Kellie Alvstad at kellie.alvstad@alaska.gov or 907-376-1859 for guidance. To learn more about the PFAS rule, visit our PFAS webpage.
Lead and Copper Rules
Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI)
By November 2027, CWS and NTNC systems will be required to meet the following provisions: lowering the Lead Action Level to 10 ppb (currently 15 ppb), requiring consumer notices to be completed within 3 days of results (currently 30 days) and updating Sample Plans. DW Program staff will be contacting PWS in the coming year to update their Sample Plans to meet the new rule requirements. To learn more about this rule visit EPA's LCRI webpage.
Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR)
If your system has not completed a Lead Service Line Inventory, this requirement will appear in the Compliance Schedule section of the monitoring summary. Please complete your inventory by the due date noted or ASAP if overdue. More detailed information is available at our LCRR webpage.
Synthetic Organic Chemicals (SOC) Monitoring Waiver
The SOC Monitoring Waiver Application for the 2026-2028 monitoring period is now available! CWS and NTNC systems can apply for a SOC waiver through to the Drinking Water Program website or by contacting your local EPS. Submit your waiver application with the required fee to avoid sampling for SOCs. The SOC analyses are very expensive, so it’s important to take advantage of this waiver process. The SOC waiver application deadline is September 30, 2027. Applications submitted after this date may result in monitoring violations and/or additional monitoring. Visit our SOC Waiver webpage for more information on the waiver process.
Sanitary Surveys
Sanitary surveys are required as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act. To stay in compliance, your systems must complete surveys on time and correct any deficiencies. Please review the monitoring summary to confirm when your next survey is due and what deficiencies remain unaddressed. Significant Deficiencies that need to be fixed according to the DW Program’s records are listed under the Compliance Schedules section. Remember to send your EPS documentation of how and when deficiencies have been fixed. If you would like to schedule a survey with the DW Program, please contact the DW Program’s Sanitary Survey Section staff, at 907-376-1873 or DEC.sanitarysurveys@alaska.gov.
PWS owners/operators are encouraged to request a question set from the Drinking Water Program prior to a sanitary survey inspection. This provides an opportunity for you to review the system and fix any potential deficiencies before the inspection takes place. For more information on Sanitary Surveys, please see our Sanitary Survey webpage.
Drinking Water Viewer
The DW Program has a new tool for accessing Drinking Water data online called Drinking Water (DW) Viewer. DW Viewer is similar to our older program, Drinking Water Watch, but offers more real-time information, along with new features and data displays. This program will eventually replace Drinking Water Watch, but for now both are available and can be accessed through the Drinking Water Data webpage.
General Compliance Reminders
Violations are issued if a PWS fails to collect required samples, submit required reports, or resolve sanitary survey deficiencies within the appropriate timeframe. When violations are not addressed in a timely manner, this can lead to increased enforcement actions and your system may be listed on the EPA’s national Enforcement Targeting Tool (ETT). Below are some tips for staying in compliance with the regulations and avoiding violations:
- Submit the required samples according to the enclosed monitoring summary. Please use the monitoring summary as a planning tool for the year. Samples can be costly, however if you spread them out over the year, these costs can be more manageable.
- If you are required to conduct daily operator testing, please submit the proper Monthly Operator Report form for your system. Your operator report must be filled out, signed, and sent to the Drinking Water Program before the 10th of the following month. (For example, the January operator report should be sent to the Drinking Water Program by the 10th of February.)
- Lead/copper samples must be sampled from locations that meet regulatory tiering criteria, from locations regularly used for consumption, and according to your systems Lead and Copper Sampling Plan. If you have questions on where to collect lead and copper samples or do not have a current Lead and Copper Sampling Plan, contact your EPS prior to sampling
- Do not wait until the end of the month to take your Total Coliform bacteria samples. That way if transportation, weather, or other issues arise, you have time to resample during the month.
- Take other types of samples at the beginning of a monitoring period (i.e., the first month of a quarter). This helps ensure samples are not forgotten and allows time if resampling is required. Please note: TTHM and HAA5s (DBPs) must be sampled during the specific time(s) and location(s) noted on the monitoring summary.
- Ensure samples are sent/brought to the laboratory in a cooler with ice, so the samples are cool but not frozen. Most samples must be between 0.0°C and 6.0°C when they arrive at the laboratory or samples will not be accepted and the system must resample.
- PWS on Quarterly Total Coliform Monitoring schedule, reminder that you are required to collect 3 additional routine TC samples the month following a TC Present (TC+) sample. Ensure that you’re prepared to collect these samples by having extra sample bottles on hand.
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