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How useful is the current Total Coliform Rule (TCR) in assessingwater systems' - especially small systems' - vulnerabilityto a waterborne outbreak?The authors determined that the current TCR is not sufficientfor predicting a system's vulnerability to an outbreak from protozoaand viruses. Depending on the frequency of sampling, thecurrent TCR may be adequate for predicting a system's vulnerabilityto bacterial pathogens.The authors concluded that additional microbial indicators areneeded to guard against outbreaks from protozoa and viruses. Inparticular, greater frequency of sampling is needed for smallercommunities. Further, routine monitoring should be supplementedwith sanitary surveys and other measures to monitor conditionsthat may indicate potential contamination.Because of these inadequacies, additional revisions may beneeded for the TCR. It is worth noting that provisions withinthe proposed Ground Water Rule may help preventoutbreaks.Water managers should not be complacent with regard to negativefindings obtained during routine coliform monitoring and shouldcontinually assess potential sources of contamination, becauseoutbreaks can occur even when the TCR has not been exceeded. Includes 12 references, tables.

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Edition: Vol. 94 - No. 9 Published: 09/01/2002 Number of Pages: 9 File Size: 1 file , 89 KB