What is the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule?
The 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) require that once every five years, the USEPA issue a list of no more than 30 unregulated contaminants to be monitored by public water systems (PWSs). The Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) provides EPA and other interested parties with scientifically valid data on the occurrence of contaminants in drinking water. This data serves as a primary source of occurrence and exposure information that the agency uses to develop regulatory decisions.
More information about the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Program is available at: www.epa.gov/dwucmr
What does this information mean to me?
Contaminant monitoring is part of a larger process that USEPA, states, tribes, water systems, and other partners use to protect drinking water. Health information is necessary to know whether these contaminants pose a health risk, but it is often incomplete for unregulated contaminants. Some contaminants may be harmful at low levels; others may be harmful only at much higher levels. UCMR examines what is in the drinking water, but additional health information is needed to know whether these contaminants pose a health risk. We are required to collect samples from the finished drinking water and report the substances detected along with the average and range of results.
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 3 (UCMR3) Sampling Results
The following unregulated substances were detected during UCMR3 sampling in 2015:
Substance Name |
Minimum Reporting Level* |
Range of Results |
Average of Results |
1,4-dioxane |
0.07 PPB |
<0.07 to 0.19 PPB |
<0.07 PPB |
Chlorate |
20 PPB |
<20 to 169 PPB |
88 PPB |
Chromium, total |
0.2 PPB |
<0.2 to 9 PPB |
0.96 PPB |
Chromium-6 |
0.03 PPB |
<0.03 to 7.3 PPB |
0.97 PPB |
Molybdenum |
1 PPB |
<1.1 to 7.5 PPB |
3.1 PPB |
Strontium |
0.3 PPB |
144 to 631 PPB |
379 PPB |
Vanadium |
0.2 PPB |
<0.2 to 14 PPB |
3.4 PPB |
* Laboratory Minimum Reporting Level (MRL) is the lowest concentration that can be detected by laboratory equipment.
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 4 (UCMR4) Sampling Results
The following unregulated substances were detected during UCMR4 sampling in 2018 and 2019:
Substance |
Minimum Reporting Level* |
Range of Results |
Average of Results |
Total HAA5 |
0.2 PPB |
1.6 – 17.0 PPB |
7.8 PPB |
Total HAA6Br |
0.2 PPB |
2.4 – 17.0 PPB |
9.1 PPB |
Total HAA9 |
0.2 PPB |
3.1 – 27.0 PPB |
14.9 PPB |
Source Water TOC |
0.2-0.3 PPM |
2.2 – 3.7 PPM |
2.9 PPM |
Source Water Bromide |
5 PPB |
26.0 – 45.5 PPB |
35.0 PPB |
1-Butanol | 2 PPB | Zero -2.50 PPB | Zero PPB |
Germanium | 0.3 PPB | Zero – 0.38 PPB | Zero PPB |
Manganese | 0.4 PPB | Zero – 65.0 PPB | 4.0 PPB |
O-Toluidine | 0.007 PPB | Zero – 0.007 PPB | Zero PPB |
* Laboratory Minimum Reporting Level (MRL) is the lowest concentration that can be detected by laboratory equipment.
Additional information on UCRM4 sampling is available on the EPA’s website at the following location:
https://www.epa.gov/dwucmr/fact-sheets-about-fourth-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule-ucmr-4
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR5) Sampling Results
The following unregulated substances were detected during UCMR5 sampling in 2024 and 2025:
Substance |
Minimum Reporting Level |
Range of Results |
Average Detected Results |
Chloroeicosafluorooxaundecanesulfonic |
10 PPB |
12 PPT – 71 PPB |
34 PPB |
Chlorohexadecafluorooxanonanesulfonic |
1.70 PPT |
Zero PPT |
Zero PPT |
Dioxaperfluorononanoic Acid (ADONA) |
1.70 PPT |
Zero PPT |
Zero PPT |
Ethyl Perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic |
1.80 PPT |
Zero PPT |
Zero PPT |
Hexafluoropropylene Oxide Acid (GenX) |
1.80 PPT |
Zero PPT |
Zero PPT |
Methyl Perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic Acid |
1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic Acid (NFDHA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluoro(2-ethoxyethane)sulfonic Acid | 1.60 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic Acid (PFMPA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic Acid (PFMBA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorobutanesulfonic Acid (PFBS) | 1.60 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorodecane Sulfonic Acid (8:2 FTS) | 1.70 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorodecanoic Acid (PFDA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorododecanoic Acid (PFDoA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluoroheptanesulfonic Acid (PFHpS) | 1.70 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluoroheptanoic Acid (PFHpA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorohexane Sulfonic Acid (4:2 FTS) | 1.70 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorohexanesulfonic Acid (PFHxS) | 1.70 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (6:2 FTS) | 1.70 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) | 1.70 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluoropentanesulfonic Acid (PFPeS) | 1.70 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorotetradecanoic Acid (PFTA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluorotridecanoic Acid (PFTrDA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
Perfluoroundecanoic Acid (PFUnA) | 1.80 PPT | Zero PPT | Zero PPT |
* Laboratory Minimum Reporting Level (MRL) is the lowest concentration that can be detected by laboratory equipment.
Additional information on UCRM5 sampling is available on the EPA’s website at the following location:
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-08/ucmr5-data-summary_0.pdf