Clean Water Act Analytical Methods

Water: CWA Methods

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Analytical Methods & Laboratories

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EPA publishes laboratory analytical methods, or test procedures that are used by industries and municipalities to analyze the chemical, physical and biological components of wastewater and other environmental samples that are required by regulations under the authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Most of these methods are published as regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at Title 40 Part 136. EPA's legal authority to establish test procedures to measure pollutants in Clean Water Act programs.

EPA's Office of Science and Technology manages the CWA methods program, working with EPA Regions, states, and stakeholders.

Approved Methods	Approved general-purpose methods Approved industry-specific methods Whole Effluent Toxicity Methods Questions and answers
Alternate Test Procedures and Method Flexibility	Alternate Test Procedure Program Part 136.6 Flexibility to Modify Methods Questions and answers
Other EPA Methods	CWA methods not contained in EPA regulations Other Agency Methods
Special Topics	Analytic Methods for the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category (PDF) (121 pp, 1.1MB QA/QC Requirements in Methods Not Published by EPA Oil & Grease Measurements Cyanide Measurements Hexavalent Chromium ('Chromium 6') Measurements Mercury Measurements PPCPs Analytical Methods Microbiological Measurements Detection and Quantitation Federal Advisory Committee Effluent Guidelines Toxic and Priority Pollutants Whole Effluent Toxicity
Matrix Effects	Solutions to Analytical Chemistry Problems with Clean Water Act Methods (PDF) (62 pp, 458K) is a revision of the 'Pumpkin Book'.
FEM	The Forum on Environmental Measurements (FEM) is a standing committee of senior EPA managers that promotes consistency and consensus on measurement issues.
Current Activities	Updating CWA Methods: Final Amendments to 40 CFR Part 136 Updating CWA Methods: Proposed Amendments to 40 CFR Part 136 Holding Time Study for Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products, Sterols and Hormones (PDF) (43 pp, 362K) Draft Procedure for Analysis of Perfluorinated Carboxylic Acids and Sulfonic Acids in Sewage Sludge and Biosolids by HPLC/MS/MS (PDF) (55 pp, 770K) Preparing a protocol with which to validate rapid methods for pathogens using qPCR technology

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