(a) The requirements of this subpart P constitute national primary drinking water regulations. These regulations establish requirements for filtration and disinfection that are in addition to criteria under which filtration and disinfection are required under subpart H of this part. The requirements of this subpart are applicable to subpart H systems serving at least 10,000 people, beginning January 1, 2002 unless otherwise specified in this subpart. The regulations in this subpart establish or extend treatment technique requirements in lieu of maximum contaminant levels for the following contaminants: Giardia lamblia, viruses, heterotrophic plate count bacteria, Legionella, Cryptosporidium, and turbidity. Each subpart H system serving at least 10,000 people must provide treatment of its source water that complies with these treatment technique requirements and are in addition to those identified in § 141.70. The treatment technique requirements consist of installing and properly operating water treatment processes which reliably achieve:

(1) At least 99 percent (2-log) removal of Cryptosporidium between a point where the raw water is not subject to recontamination by surface water runoff and a point downstream before or at the first customer for filtered systems, or Cryptosporidium control under the watershed control plan for unfiltered systems.

(2) Compliance with the profiling and benchmark requirements under the provisions of § 141.172.

(b) A public water system subject to the requirements of this subpart is considered to be in compliance with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section if:

(1) It meets the requirements for avoiding filtration in §§ 141.71 and 141.171 and the disinfection requirements in §§ 141.72 and 141.172; or

(2) It meets the applicable filtration requirements in either § 141.73 or § 141.173 and the disinfection requirements in §§ 141.72 and 141.172.

(c) Systems are not permitted to begin construction of uncovered finished water storage facilities beginning February 16, 1999.

(d) Subpart H systems that did not conduct optional monitoring under § 141.172 because they served fewer than 10,000 persons when such monitoring was required, but serve more than 10,000 persons prior to January 1, 2005 must comply with §§ 141.170, 141.171, 141.173, 141.174, and 141.175. These systems must also consult with the State to establish a disinfection benchmark. A system that decides to make a significant change to its disinfection practice, as described in § 141.172(c)(1)(i) through (iv) must consult with the State prior to making such change.