Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants; Analytical Methods for Biological Pollutants in Wastewater and Sewage Sludge: Final Rule

This rule modifies the EPA's Guidelines that establish approved bacterial testing procedures for analysis and sampling under the Clean Water Act. EPA proposed these changes for public comment on August 16, 2005 and April 10, 2006. These changes include approval for new methods for monitoring microbial pollutants in wastewater and sewage sludge, including EPA methods, vendor-developed methods and methods developed by voluntary consensus bodies (VCSB) as well as updated versions of currently approved methods. The addition of new and updated methods to the wastewater regulations provides increased flexibility to the regulated community and laboratories in the selection of analytical methods. In addition, EPA has made a technical, non-substantive correction.