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Radionuclide Rule - Revisions for 2016

Environmental Health

The Florida Administrative Code, Chapter 62-550.310, 62-550.519 and 62-550 Tables 7 and 8 were revised and became effective June 24, 2014.  The revisions require non-transient non-community water systems to begin monitoring for Gross Alpha, Radium 226, Radium 228 and Uranium in 2016.  Initial monitoring will be for four quarters beginning January 1, 2016.

Chapter 62-550.519 allows non-transient non-community systems to use historical data taken between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2015 to satisfy the initial quarterly monitoring in 2016:

  • You must have one sample from each point of entry for gross alpha and radium 228
  • The Gross Alpha must be below 15 pCi/L
  • You must either have sampled for radium 226 or substitute gross alpha if it is less than 5 pCi/L.
  • The combined value for radium 226 and radium 228 must be below 5 pCi/L

You will be notified in your 2016 Reminder letter of the sampling requirements for Radionuclides. 

The monitoring for non-transient non-community water systems will be either:

  • No samples for Gross Alpha and/or Radium 228 – Quarterly monitoring in 2016
  • Historical data for Gross Alpha and Radium 228 is below the detection limited- system is waived from any future monitoring.
  • Historical data for Gross Alpha and Uranium is at or above the detection limit and at or below the MCL (7.5 pCi/L) monitoring will be once every nine years.
  • Historical data for Combined Radium 226 and 228 is at or above the 1 pCi/L and at or below the MCL (2.5 pCi/L) monitoring will be once every nine years.
  • Historical data for Gross Alpha and Uranium is above half of the MCL (7.5 pCi/L) and at or below the MCL (15 pCi/L) monitoring will be once every six years.
  • Historical data for Combined Radium 226 and 228 is above half of the MCL (2.5 pCi/L) and at or below the MCL (5.0 pCi/L) monitoring will be once every six years.

Community water systems will continue monitoring for radiologicals based on their monitoring waiver and sample results.  Community water systems are either on 3 year, 6 year or 9 year monitoring based on their sample results.