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Document ID ca-gcdwqgtd-2020-06-19-2 Title Guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality: Guideline technical document – Total coliforms URL http://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/guidelines-canadian-drinking-water-quality-guideline-technical-document-total-coliforms.html Jurisdiction /ca Subdomain(s) Drinking water, Water treatment, Monitoring and analysis Language en Status completed Analyzed at 2026-03-19 08:01:36.003092+00:00 Relevance National technical guideline for drinking water quality and treatment.

62 Qualitative 50 Quantitative 49 Definitions

Q Qualitative Requirements (62)

Req ID	Category	Intent	Legal Status	Name	Subdomain(s)	Context	Conditions	Confidence
#Q001	monitoring	operational	recommended	Distribution system monitoring	drinking water	Total coliforms should be monitored in the distribution system because they are used to indicate changes in water quality.	Applies to the distribution system	high
#Q002	corrective_action	operational	recommended	Investigation of total coliform detection	drinking water	Detection of total coliforms from consecutive samples from the same site or from more than 10% of the samples collected in a given sampling period should be investigated.	Consecutive samples from same site or >10% positive in a given sampling period	high
#Q003	monitoring	operational	recommended	Treatment plant water monitoring	drinking water	Total coliforms should be monitored at least weekly in water leaving a treatment plant.	Municipal-scale systems, water leaving a treatment plant	high
#Q004	corrective_action	health	recommended	Notification and resampling for positive coliform	drinking water	The presence of any total coliform bacteria in water leaving a treatment plant indicates a serious breach in treatment and is therefore unacceptable. This situation should be corrected immediately. The system owner should notify all responsible authorities and immediately reanalyze the coliform-positive sample(s) for Escherichia coli (E. coli), resample, and test the positive site(s) to confirm the presence or absence of both E. coli and total coliforms	When any total coliform bacteria are detected in water leaving a treatment plant	high
#Q005	corrective_action	health	recommended	Carrying out corrective actions	drinking water	If corrective actions are deemed necessary, the owner of the drinking water treatment system, in consultation with the responsible authorities, should carry out appropriate corrective actions	When deemed necessary based on assessment of problem significance and extent	high
#Q006	corrective_action	health	recommended	Conditions to rescind boil water advisory	drinking water	A boil water advisory should be rescinded only after a minimum of two consecutive sets of samples, collected 24 hours apart, show negative results that demonstrate full system-wide integrity (including acceptable bacteriological quality, disinfection residuals, and/or turbidity).	Prior to rescinding an active boil water advisory	high
#Q007	treatment	treatment	recommended	Minimum treatment for surface water/GUDI	drinking water	Minimum treatment of supplies derived from surface water or GUDI sources should include adequate filtration (or technologies providing an equivalent log removal/inactivation) and disinfection to ensure the removal/inactivation of enteric protozoa and enteric viruses.	Supplies derived from surface water or GUDI sources	high
#Q008	operational	treatment	recommended	Maintenance of disinfectant residual	drinking water	In all systems with a distribution system, a disinfectant residual should be maintained at all times.	Systems with a distribution system	high
#Q009	monitoring	health	recommended	Testing of new or rehabilitated wells	drinking water	New or rehabilitated wells should also be tested before use to confirm the microbiological quality.	Before use of new or rehabilitated wells	high
#Q010	monitoring	health	recommended	Resampling of residential-scale supplies	drinking water	If a sample contains total coliform bacteria, it should be immediately reanalyzed and the positive site resampled and tested to confirm the presence or absence of both E. coli and total coliforms.	When a residential-scale sample is positive for total coliforms	high
#Q011	operational	operational	recommended	Dechlorination of discharged water	drinking water	Water should be dechlorinated before being discharged into the environment. The responsible authority should be consulted regarding the methods available, as well as the correct procedure, for carrying out dechlorination	When discharging flushed or shock-chlorinated water into the environment	high
#Q012	administrative	reporting	recommended	Compliance with directed analytical methods	drinking water	All analyses for total coliforms should be carried out as directed by the responsible authority.		high
#Q013	operational	reporting	recommended	Quality assurance program	drinking water	To ensure reliable results, a quality assurance (QA) program, which incorporates quality control (QC) practices, should be in place.	When performing analytical testing	high
#Q014	monitoring	operational	mandatory	Sample collection procedures	drinking water	Proper procedures for collecting samples must be observed to ensure that the samples are representative of the water being examined.		high
#Q015	monitoring	operational	recommended	Sample transportation temperature	drinking water	The sample should be transported to the laboratory in a cooler containing ice or cooling packs (at 5 ± 3°C), to minimize changes in populations and concentrations	During sample transport	high
#Q016	monitoring	operational	recommended	Protection from freezing during transport	drinking water	Samples should be protected from direct contact with the ice or cooling packs to prevent freezing during transport.	During sample transport	high
#Q017	reporting	reporting	recommended	Reporting collection or storage issues	drinking water	Water utilities should record any collection or storage related issues and report them to the laboratory, so that results can be properly interpreted.	If issues arise during sample collection or storage	high
#Q018	monitoring	reporting	recommended	Minimum sample examination volume	drinking water	A minimum volume of 100 mL of water should be examined to obtain a reliable estimate of the number of organisms (using MTF or MF) or to obtain an accurate presence-absence result at the expected low levels in treated drinking water.		high
#Q019	monitoring	health	recommended	Minimum testing frequency for treated water	drinking water	As a minimum, water leaving a treatment plant should be tested daily for disinfectant residual and turbidity and at least weekly for total coliforms as part of the verification process in a source-to-tap approach.	For water leaving a treatment plant	high
#Q020	monitoring	operational	recommended	Disinfectant residual and turbidity concurrent testing	drinking water	Disinfectant residual and turbidity analyses tests should be conducted when bacteriological samples are taken in the distribution system.	When taking bacteriological samples in the distribution system	high
#Q021	administrative	operational	mandatory	Approval of sampling point locations	drinking water	In municipal-scale systems, the location of sampling points must be selected or approved by the responsible authority.	Municipal-scale systems	high
#Q022	operational	treatment	recommended	Disinfection and residual maintenance	drinking water	In general, all drinking water supplies should be disinfected, and a disinfectant residual should be maintained throughout the distribution system at all times.	All drinking water supplies	high
#Q023	monitoring	health	recommended	Periodic testing of treatment devices	drinking water	Periodic testing for E. coli and total coliforms by an accredited laboratory should be conducted on both the water entering the treatment device and the treated water to verify that the treatment device is effective.	For residential/small scale treatment devices	high
#Q024	operational	operational	recommended	Servicing of treatment devices	drinking water	Treatment devices should be inspected and serviced in accordance with the maintenance schedule and manufacturer's recommendations.		high
#Q025	monitoring	operational	recommended	Regular monitoring of distribution systems	drinking water	Distribution system water quality should be regularly monitored.		high
#Q026	operational	operational	recommended	Implementation of protection and optimization measures	drinking water	In addition to regularly monitoring distribution system water quality, source water protection measures should be implemented, along with treatment optimization, maintenance of physical/hydraulic integrity of the distribution system, and minimization of negative- or low-pressure events		high
#Q027	administrative	health	recommended	Consumer notification of contamination incident	drinking water	In the event that an incident that may have contaminated the distribution system or interfered with treatment is known to the owner, consumers should be notified immediately to boil the drinking water.	When a contamination incident or treatment interference is known to the owner	high
#Q028	monitoring	health	recommended	Municipal distribution sampling frequency	drinking water	In municipal-scale distribution and storage systems, the number of samples collected for total coliform testing should reflect the size of the population being served, with a minimum of four samples per month.	Municipal-scale distribution and storage systems	high
#Q029	operational	health	recommended	Physical condition verification for residential-scale systems	drinking water	The first step is to verify the physical condition of the drinking water system, as applicable, including water intake, well, well head, pump, treatment system (including chemical feed equipment, if present), plumbing, and surrounding area. Any identified faults should be corrected before proceeding.	Corrective action step for residential-scale disinfected supplies	high
#Q030	monitoring	operational	recommended	Sample labeling requirements	drinking water	Samples should be labelled with the time, date, location, type of sample (e.g., raw water, distribution system), sampler's name, and identification number (if used), along with the disinfectant residual measurements and any special conditions.		high
#Q031	monitoring	operational	recommended	Maximum sample holding time	drinking water	Ideally, for total coliform analysis of drinking water samples, the holding time between the collection of the sample and the beginning of its examination should not exceed 30 hours.		high
#Q032	operational	operational	recommended	O&M programs and hygiene during repairs	drinking water	Operations and maintenance programs should be in place (e.g., watermain cleaning, cross-connection control, asset management) and strict hygiene should be practiced during watermain repairs to ensure drinking water is transported to the consumer with minimum loss of quality.		high
#Q033	monitoring	operational	recommended	Minimum Corrective Action Sampling	drinking water	At a minimum, one sample upstream and one sample downstream from the original sample site(s) plus the finished water from the treatment plant as it enters the distribution system should be tested.	When sampling and testing sites adjacent to positive sample sites during corrective actions	high
#Q034	corrective_action	treatment	recommended	Non-Disinfected Well Shock Chlorination	drinking water	Shock-chlorinate the well and plumbing system.	Corrective action for non-disinfected wells with acceptable physical conditions	high
#Q035	monitoring	operational	recommended	Residential Well Confirmatory Test Timing	drinking water	Confirmatory tests should be done no sooner than either 48 hours after tests indicate the absence of a chlorine residual or five days after the well has been treated.	After shock-chlorination and flushing of non-disinfected wells	high
#Q036	monitoring	health	recommended	Long-Term Follow-Up Testing	drinking water	An additional test should be taken after three to four months to ensure that the contamination has not reoccurred.	Long-term follow-up for residential well contamination	high
#Q037	monitoring	operational	recommended	Representative Sampling Locations	drinking water	In general, samples should be taken at the point where the water enters the system and from representative points throughout the distribution system.	Selection of distribution system sampling points	high
#Q038	monitoring	operational	recommended	Targeted Area Sampling	drinking water	The majority of samples should be taken from potential problem areas: low-pressure zones, reservoirs, dead ends, areas at the periphery of the system farthest from the treatment plant, and areas with a poor previous record.	Distribution system monitoring	high
#Q039	operational	treatment	recommended	Hypochlorite Certification Requirement	drinking water	Private and semi-public supplies that use liquid chlorine should use hypochlorite solutions that are certified as meeting NSF/ANSI/CAN Standard 60 (NSF/ANSI/CAN, 2018)	When using liquid chlorine for disinfection	high
#Q040	administrative	health	recommended	Outbreak Advisory Consultation	drinking water	If enhanced health surveillance indicates that a waterborne outbreak may be occurring or if conditions exist that could result in a waterborne outbreak, then the necessity of issuing a boil water advisory should be discussed immediately with qualified operations personnel at the water utility and with the responsible authority.	During potential waterborne outbreaks or high-risk conditions	high
#Q041	operational	reporting	recommended	Test Kit Performance Requirements	drinking water	In addition to the QA/QC program, any test kits used should meet minimum requirements for accuracy, detection (sensitivity), and reproducibility, and be used according the manufacturer's instructions.	When using commercial test kits for analysis	high
#Q042	administrative	operational	recommended	Sampling Problem Consultation	drinking water	Any on-going problems with sampling and/or transportation should be discussed with the responsible authority.	Presence of persistent sampling or transport issues	high
#Q043	monitoring	operational	recommended	Timely Examination Commencement	drinking water	To avoid unpredictable changes in the bacterial flora of the sample, examination should be started as soon as possible after collection.		high
#Q044	operational	treatment	recommended	Operator CT/IT Value Maintenance	drinking water	Thus operators should understand and maintain the required CT/IT values (where CT = concentration of disinfectant x contact time, and IT = intensity of UV light x contact time, see sections 7.1.3.1 and 7.3.1.2 for descriptions of the CT and IT concepts, respectively) for primary disinfection, in addition to disinfectant residual requirements for secondary disinfection.	Primary disinfection operations	high
#Q045	treatment	health	recommended	Point-of-Use Device Equipping	drinking water	To minimize the potential health risks from the use of microbiologically-contaminated drinking water, it is important to note that in the absence of a point-of-entry system, all points of water used for drinking, food and beverage preparation, hygiene or washing dishes should be equipped with a point-of-use treatment device.	Residential-scale systems without point-of-entry treatment	high
#Q046	operational	operational	recommended	Consumer Maintenance and Verification	drinking water	Consumers should verify the expected longevity of the components in their treatment device according to the manufacturer's recommendations and establish a clearly defined maintenance schedule.	Ownership of residential-scale treatment devices	high
#Q047	monitoring	health	recommended	Risk-Based Residential Sampling Frequency	drinking water	Sampling frequencies for residential-scale systems will be determined by the authority having jurisdiction for the system and should include times when the risk of contamination is greatest, for example, early spring after the thaw, after an extended dry spell, or following heavy rains.	Residential-scale system monitoring programs	high
#Q048	monitoring	health	recommended	Investigative Phase Sampling	drinking water	Continue selected sampling and testing (e.g., bacteriology, disinfectant residual, turbidity) of all identified sites during the investigative phase to confirm the extent of the problem and to verify the success of the corrective actions	During the investigative phase following the detection of total coliforms in municipal systems	high
#Q049	corrective_action	health	recommended	Retesting After Flushing	drinking water	Flush the system thoroughly and retest to confirm that the water is free of total coliform contamination.	Following shock-chlorination of non-disinfected wells	high
#Q050	monitoring	health	recommended	Confirmatory Negative Samples	drinking water	A minimum of two consecutive total coliform-negative samples should be obtained.	To confirm a problem has been corrected in residential-scale non-disinfected wells	high
#Q051	administrative	reporting	recommended	Analytical Method Performance Measures	drinking water	Water utilities should establish performance measures regarding method sensitivity and specificity when selecting analytical methods for internal analysis or when purchasing laboratory services.		high
#Q052	monitoring	operational	recommended	Delayed Examination Procedure	drinking water	When delays are anticipated, a delayed incubation procedure should be employed or consideration given to on-site testing.	When holding time between collection and examination will exceed recommendations (30 hours)	high
#Q053	operational	treatment	mandatory	Operator Training and Process Control	drinking water	Adequate process control measures and operator training are also required to ensure the effective operation of treatment barriers at all times		high
#Q054	monitoring	operational	recommended	Multi-source sampling	drinking water	If the water supply is obtained from more than one source, the location of sampling points in the system should ensure that water from each source is periodically sampled.	Applies when water supply is obtained from more than one source	high
#Q055	treatment	treatment	mandatory	Treatment target achievement point	drinking water	It is essential that the removal and disinfection targets are achieved before drinking water reaches the first consumer in the distribution system.		high
#Q056	monitoring	operational	recommended	Remote area repeat sampling procedure	drinking water	if normal transportation time exceeds the above recommendations, the sample should be processed and arrangements made to have another sample collected as soon as the first sample is received.	When normal transportation time exceeds recommended holding times (remote areas)	high
#Q057	administrative	operational	mandatory	Authority oversight of distribution monitoring	drinking water	The sampling points and testing frequencies for total coliforms, residual disinfectant, and turbidity in treated water within distribution and storage systems will be specified and/or approved by the responsible authority.		high
#Q058	corrective_action	health	mandatory	Residential Coliform Source Investigation	drinking water	Regardless of whether a boil water advisory is issued, the source of the coliforms needs to be investigated, and appropriate actions need to be taken (see Appendix B).	When total coliforms are detected in residential-scale supplies	high
#Q059	monitoring	operational	recommended	Site-Specific Sampling Frequency Assessment	drinking water	systems should conduct a site-specific assessment to ensure that their sampling frequency meets the requirements of the responsible authority.	Municipal-scale distribution system monitoring	high
#Q060	monitoring	operational	recommended	Storage Data Recording for Delayed Samples	drinking water	When examination will be delayed, it is particularly important to record the duration and temperature of storage, as this information should be taken into consideration when interpreting the results.	When sample examination is delayed	high
#Q061	administrative	operational	recommended	Remote Area Holding Time Consultation	drinking water	In remote areas, up to 48 hours may be an acceptable time interval; however, the implications of the extended holding time should be discussed with the responsible authorities.	When sample holding time in remote areas extends up to 48 hours	high
#Q062	prohibition	health	recommended	Surface Water Supply Restriction	drinking water	In general, surface water is not recommended as a private or semi-public water supply unless it is properly filtered, disinfected and monitored for water quality.	Private or semi-public water supplies	high

P Quantitative Requirements (50)

Req ID	Category	Intent	Legal Status	Name	Subdomain(s)	Limit Type	Limit Value	Context	Conditions	Confidence
#P001	microbiological	health	mandatory	total coliforms	drinking water	MAC	none detectable per 100 mL	in water leaving a treatment plant and in non-disinfected groundwater leaving the well	Applies to water leaving a treatment plant and non-disinfected groundwater leaving the well	high
#P002	microbiological	operational	recommended	total coliforms	drinking water	treatment_goal	> 10 %	Detection of total coliforms from consecutive samples from the same site or from more than 10% of the samples collected in a given sampling period should be investigated.	Applies to distribution systems	high
#P003	microbiological	treatment	mandatory	enteric protozoa	drinking water	treatment_goal	>= 3 log	minimum 3 log or 99.99% removal and/or inactivation	Surface water or GUDI systems	high
#P004	microbiological	treatment	mandatory	enteric viruses	drinking water	treatment_goal	>= 4 log	minimum 4 log or 99.99% removal and/or inactivation	Surface water, GUDI systems, and groundwater systems	high
#P005	physical	operational	recommended	Storage temperature	drinking water	requirement	5 ± 3 °C	The sample should be transported to the laboratory in a cooler containing ice or cooling packs (at 5 ± 3°C)	Sample transportation	high
#P006	operational	operational	recommended	holding time	drinking water	requirement	<= 30 hours	the holding time between the collection of the sample and the beginning of its examination should not exceed 30 hours.	Ideally, for total coliform analysis of drinking water samples	high
#P007	physical	operational	recommended	Minimum volume	drinking water	requirement	>= 100 mL	A minimum volume of 100 mL of water should be examined to obtain a reliable estimate of the number of organisms	Water sample collection	high
#P008	design	treatment	mandatory	UV dose	drinking water	requirement	>= 40 mJ/cm2	UV systems certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 55 Class A are designed to deliver a UV dose at least equivalent to 40 mJ/cm2	Class A UV systems	high
#P009	microbiological	treatment	mandatory	bacteria and bacterial spores	drinking water	requirement	>= 6 log	To meet this standard, a distillation system must provide a minimum 6 log reduction of bacteria and bacterial spores.	NSF/ANSI Standard 62 for Drinking Water Distillation Systems	high
#P010	operational	operational	recommended	total coliforms monitoring frequency (treatment plant)	drinking water	requirement	>= 1 per week	Total coliforms should be monitored at least weekly in water leaving a treatment plant.	Water leaving a treatment plant	high
#P011	operational	operational	recommended	total coliforms monitoring frequency (distribution system)	drinking water	requirement	>= 4 samples per month	In municipal-scale distribution and storage systems, the number of samples collected for total coliform testing should reflect the size of the population being served, with a minimum of four samples per month.	Municipal-scale distribution and storage systems	high
#P012	operational	reporting	mandatory	boil water advisory rescinding criteria (sample sets)	drinking water	requirement	>= 2 consecutive sets of samples	A boil water advisory should be rescinded only after a minimum of two consecutive sets of samples... show negative results.	Rescinding a boil water advisory	high
#P013	operational	reporting	mandatory	boil water advisory rescinding criteria (sampling interval)	drinking water	requirement	>= 24 hours	A boil water advisory should be rescinded only after a minimum of two consecutive sets of samples, collected 24 hours apart...	Rescinding a boil water advisory	high
#P014	operational	operational	recommended	well confirmatory testing (no chlorine residual)	drinking water	requirement	>= 48 hours	Confirmatory tests should be done no sooner than either 48 hours after tests indicate the absence of a chlorine residual...	Retesting after shock-chlorination of non-disinfected wells	high
#P015	operational	operational	recommended	well confirmatory testing (post-treatment)	drinking water	requirement	>= 5 days	Confirmatory tests should be done no sooner than ... five days after the well has been treated.	Retesting after shock-chlorination of non-disinfected wells	high
#P016	operational	operational	recommended	recommended sampling frequency (pop up to 5000)	drinking water	requirement	4 samples per month	Minimum number of samples per month for population served up to 5000.	Distribution system monitoring	high
#P017	operational	operational	recommended	recommended sampling frequency (pop 5000-90,000)	drinking water	requirement	1 per 1000 persons (samples per month)	Minimum number of samples per month for population served between 5000 and 90,000.	Distribution system monitoring	high
#P018	operational	operational	recommended	recommended sampling frequency (pop 90,000+)	drinking water	requirement	90 + (1 per 10,000) persons (samples per month)	Minimum number of samples per month for population served over 90,000.	Distribution system monitoring	high
#P019	chemical	treatment	guidance	free chlorine CT for E. coli inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	0.034-0.05 mg·min/L	CT values for 99% inactivation at 5°C using Free chlorine.	pH 6-7	high
#P020	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose for E. coli inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	4.1-14 mJ/cm2	UV light dose required for inactivation of E. coli.	3-log (99.9%) inactivation	high
#P021	operational	operational	recommended	Well retest (long term)	drinking water	requirement	3-4 months	An additional test should be taken after three to four months to ensure that the contamination has not reoccurred.	Post-corrective actions for residential-scale wells	high
#P022	operational	operational	recommended	Sample holding time (remote)	drinking water	requirement	<= 48 hours	In remote areas, up to 48 hours may be an acceptable time interval; however, the implications of the extended holding time should be discussed with the responsible authorities.	When travel to lab exceeds standard limits	high
#P023	operational	operational	recommended	Treatment plant monitoring frequency	drinking water	requirement	>= 1 per day	As a minimum, water leaving a treatment plant should be tested daily for disinfectant residual and turbidity	Water leaving treatment plant	high
#P024	chemical	treatment	guidance	Chloramines CT for E. coli inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	95-180 mg·min/L	CT values for 99% inactivation at 5°C using chloramines	pH 8-9	high
#P025	chemical	treatment	guidance	Chlorine dioxide CT for E. coli inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	0.4-0.75 mg·min/L	CT values for 99% inactivation at 5°C using chlorine dioxide	pH 6-7	high
#P026	chemical	treatment	guidance	Ozone CT for E. coli inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	0.02 mg·min/L	CT values for 99% inactivation at 5°C using ozone	pH 6-7	high
#P027	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose for Cryptosporidium inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	12 mJ/cm2	UV light dose required for inactivation of Cryptosporidium	3-log inactivation	high
#P028	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose for Adenovirus inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	129-167 mJ/cm2	UV light dose required for inactivation of Adenovirus	3-log inactivation	high
#P029	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose for Rotavirus inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	23-29 mJ/cm2	UV light dose required for inactivation of Rotavirus	3-log inactivation	high
#P030	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose for Giardia inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	11 mJ/cm2	UV light dose required for inactivation of Giardia	3-log inactivation	high
#P031	design	treatment	mandatory	Standard Jurisdictional UV Dose	drinking water	requirement	>= 40 mJ/cm2	Many jurisdictions require a minimum UV dose of 40 mJ/cm2 on the basis that 4 log inactivation can be achieved for most pathogens	General requirement across multiple Canadian jurisdictions	high
#P032	design	treatment	guidance	Ultrafiltration membrane pore size	drinking water	requirement	< 0.1 µm	For semi-public systems requiring higher capacity, membranes with this pore size should be effective for bacterial reduction.	Semi-public systems not certified for bacterial reduction	high
#P033	operational	operational	recommended	Optimal sample analysis window	drinking water	requirement	6-8 hours	Where on-site facilities are available or when an accredited laboratory is within an acceptable travel distance, analysis within this time is suggested.	Proximity to accredited lab or on-site facility	high
#P034	chemical	treatment	guidance	Free chlorine CT for Giardia lamblia inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	65-93 mg·min/L	CT values required for 99% (2-log) inactivation at 5°C	pH 6-7	high
#P035	chemical	treatment	guidance	Free chlorine CT for Viruses inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	4.0 mg·min/L	CT values required for 99% (2-log) inactivation at 5°C	pH 6.0-9.0	high
#P036	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose for 4-log E. coli inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	5.0-18 mJ/cm2	UV light dose required for 99.99% inactivation	Based on U.S. EPA (2003) data	high
#P037	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose for 4-log Protozoa inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	22 mJ/cm2	UV light dose required for 4-log inactivation of Cryptosporidium and Giardia	Standard treatment targets for protozoa	high
#P038	operational	operational	recommended	groundwater repeat sampling count	drinking water	requirement	>= 10 samples	groundwater sources should be sampled multiple times (i.e., 10 or more) to determine their sanitary status	determination of sanitary status	high
#P039	operational	operational	recommended	MTF test series primary volume	drinking water	requirement	50 mL	For the MTF method, a test series consisting of one 50-mL volume and five 10-mL volumes is suggested by the WHO	MTF method testing	high
#P040	design	treatment	guidance	conventional filtration bacterial removal	drinking water	treatment_goal	2.1 log (mean)	Range of log removals from filtration studies		high
#P041	design	treatment	guidance	slow sand filtration bacterial removal	drinking water	treatment_goal	2.7 log (mean)	Range of log removals from filtration studies		high
#P042	design	treatment	guidance	ultrafiltration bacterial removal	drinking water	treatment_goal	> 7 log (mean)	Range of log removals from filtration studies	pore size 0.01-0.1 µm	high
#P043	operational	operational	recommended	adjacent site sampling count	drinking water	requirement	>= 1 sample(s)	At a minimum, one sample upstream and one sample downstream from the original sample site(s) plus the finished water from the treatment plant should be tested.	Response to positive sample at original site	high
#P044	operational	operational	recommended	MTF test series secondary volumes	drinking water	requirement	5 10-mL volumes	For the MTF method, a test series consisting of one 50-mL volume and five 10-mL volumes is suggested by the World Health Organization	Water expected to be of good quality	high
#P045	design	treatment	guidance	direct filtration bacterial removal	drinking water	treatment_goal	1.4 log (mean)	Range of log removals from filtration studies		high
#P046	design	treatment	guidance	microfiltration pore size	drinking water	requirement	0.1-1 µm	Physical removal characteristics of filtration technologies	Standard microfiltration definition	high
#P047	microbiological	operational	guideline	total coliform incubation temperature	drinking water	requirement	35 °C	Standard Methods characterization of coliform bacteria	During 24-48 hour fermentation or colony development	high
#P048	microbiological	operational	guideline	thermotolerant coliform incubation temperature	drinking water	requirement	44.5 °C	Portion of the total coliform group capable of forming gas within 24 hours at this temperature	Previously referred to as fecal coliforms	high
#P049	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose for 1-log E. coli inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	1.5-5 mJ/cm2	UV light dose required for specific log inactivation	90% (1-log) inactivation	high
#P050	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose for 2-log E. coli inactivation	drinking water	treatment_goal	2.8-9 mJ/cm2	UV light dose required for specific log inactivation	99% (2-log) inactivation	high

D Definitions (49)

Req ID	Name	Context	Confidence
#D001	thermotolerant coliforms	the portion of the total coliform group capable of forming gas within 24 hours at 44.5°C or that produce a blue colony on m-FC broth within 24 hours at 44.5°C	high
#D002	microbiome	the combined genetic material of these microorganisms	high
#D003	inactivation	the pathogen is no longer able to multiply within its host and is therefore non-infectious, although it may still be present.	high
#D004	AGI	acute gastrointestinal illness	high
#D005	ANSI	American National Standards Institute	high
#D006	AOC	assimilable organic carbon	high
#D007	ATP	adenosine triphosphate	high
#D008	BDOC	biodegradable organic carbon	high
#D009	BGLB	brilliant green lactose bile broth	high
#D010	BOM	biodegradable organic matter	high
#D011	CT	concentration of disinfectant × contact time	high
#D012	DBP	disinfection by-product	high
#D013	E. coli	Escherichia coli	high
#D014	EU	European Union	high
#D015	GUDI	groundwater under the direct influence of surface water	high
#D016	HCGI	highly credible gastrointestinal illness	high
#D017	ISO	International Organization for Standardization	high
#D018	IT	intensity of UV light × contact time	high
#D019	MAC	maximum acceptable concentration	high
#D020	MF	membranefiltration	high
#D021	MTF	multiple tubefiltration	high
#D022	NSF	NSFInternational	high
#D023	OPPP	opportunistic premise plumbing pathogen	high
#D024	P-A	presence-absence	high
#D025	PCR	polymerase chain reaction	high
#D026	PE	Polyethylene	high
#D027	PVC	Polyvinyl chloride	high
#D028	QA	quality assurance	high
#D029	QC	quality control	high
#D030	RO	reverse osmosis	high
#D031	RT-PCR	reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction	high
#D032	SCC	Standards Council of Canada	high
#D033	U.S.	United States	high
#D034	U.S. EPA	United States Environmental Protection Agency	high
#D035	UV	ultraviolet	high
#D036	WHO	World Health Organization	high
#D037	Total coliforms	All facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria that ferment lactose with gas and acid formation within 48 hours at 35°C; or many facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria that develop red colonies with a metallic (golden) sheen within 24 hours at 35°C on an Endo- type medium containing lactose; or all bacteria possessing the enzyme β-galactosidase	high
#D038	anaerogenic	producing little or no gas	high
#D039	ONPG	ortho-Nitrophenyl-ß-d-galactopyranoside	high
#D040	T10 value	the time such that 90% of the water meets or exceeds the required contact time	high
#D041	fluence	computed dose in mJ/cm2 for a specific microorganism	high
#D042	photoreactivation	photo repair	high
#D043	point-of-entry devices	treat all water entering the system	high
#D044	point-of-use devices	treat water at only a single location-for example, at the kitchen tap	high
#D045	CT concept	where CT is the product of 'C' (the residual concentration of disinfectant, measured in mg/L) and 'T' (the disinfectant contact time, measured in minutes)	high
#D046	IT concept	the product of light intensity 'I' (measured in mW/cm2 or W/m2) and time 'T' (measured in seconds) results in a computed dose (fluence) in mJ/cm2 for a specific microorganism	high
#D047	Total coliforms	Traditionally defined based on phenotypic characteristics, such as the ability to ferment lactose, producing gas and acid; specifically characterized as: all facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria that ferment lactose with gas and acid formation within 48 hours at 35°C; many facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria that develop red colonies with a metallic (golden) sheen within 24 hours at 35°C on an Endo-type medium containing lactose; or all bacteria possessing the enzyme β-galactosidase, which cleaves a chromogenic substrate resulting in the release of a chromogen.	high
#D048	fecal coliforms	Coliforms that have the ability to ferment lactose at 44 to 45ºC; now more commonly referred to as thermotolerant coliforms.	high
#D049	BOM	Biodegradable organic matter; nutrients that contribute to bacterial regrowth and biofilm development, including assimilable and biodegradable organic carbon.	high