COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
WATER QUALITY CONTROL COMMISSION 
REGULATION NO. 41 
THE BASIC STANDARDS FOR GROUND WATER  
(5 CCR 1002-41)
. . . .
41.5	GROUND WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
The water quality standards specified in subsection B below are deemed necessary and appropriate to protect ground water uses as specified in section 41.4, and shall be adopted to protect such classified uses. The standards specified in subsections A and C apply to all State ground waters, unless alternative site-specific standards have been adopted for a specified area pursuant to subsection D below.
A.	Narrative Standards
1.	Ground Water shall be free from pollutants not listed in the tables referred to in section 41.5(B), which alone or in combination with other substances, are in concentrations shown to be:
a.	Carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, or toxic to human beings, and/or,
b.	A danger to the public health, safety, or welfare.
2.	Determinations made pursuant to section 41.7 of specific numerical limitations under this subsection shall be based upon the best scientific information currently available.
B.	Numeric Standards
. . . 
C. 	Statewide Standards
. . .
3.	Interim Organic Pollutant Standards:
Note that all standards in table A are being adopted as “interim standards.” These interim standards will remain in effect until alternative permanent standards are adopted by the Commission in revisions to this regulation or site-specific standards determinations. Although fully effective with respect to current regulatory applications, these interim standards shall not be considered final or permanent standards subject to restrictions such as antibacksliding or downgrading.

TABLE A
GROUND WATER ORGANIC CHEMICAL STANDARDS
(in micrograms per liter)	
Parameter	CAS No.	STANDARD1	
Acenaphthene	83-32-9	420	
Acetochlor	34256-82-1	140	
Acrolein	107-02-8	3.5	
AcrylamideC	79-06-1	0.0078	
AcrylonitrileC	107-13-1	0.065	
Alachlor	15972-60-8	2.0M	
Aldicarb	116-06-3	7.0M	
Aldicarb Sulfone	1646-88-4	7.0M	
Aldicarb Sulfoxide	1646-87-3	7.0M	
AldrinC	309-00-2	0.0021	
AnilineC	62-53-3	6.1	
Anthracene (PAH)	120-12-7	2100	
AramiteC	140-57-8	1.4	
Atrazine	1912-24-9	3.0M	
AzobenzeneC 	103-33-3	0.32	
BenzeneC,2	71-43-2	5.0M	
BenzidineC	92-87-5	0.00015	
Benzo(a)anthracene (PAH)C	56-55-3	0.0048	
Benzo(a)pyrene (PAH)C, 6	50-32-8	0.0048 to 0.2M	
Benzo(b)fluoranthene (PAH)C	205-99-2	0.0048	
Benzo(k)fluoranthene (PAH)C	207-08-9	0.0048	
BenzotrichlorideC	98-07-7	0.0027	
Benzyl chlorideC	100-44-7	0.21	
Bis(chloromethyl)ether (BCME)C	542-88-1	0.00016	
BromateC	15541-45-4	0.05	
Bromodichloromethane (THM)C, 7	75-27-4	0.56 	
Bromoform (THM)C, 7 	75-25-2	4	
Butyl benzyl phthalate	85-68-7	1,400	
Carbofuran6	1563-66-2	35 to 40M  	
Carbon tetrachlorideC, 6	56-23-5	0.27 to 5M	
ChlordaneC, 6 	57-74-9	0.10 to 2M	
Chlorethyl ether (BIS-2)C	111-44-4	0.032	
4-Chloro-3-methylphenol	59-50-7	210	
Chlorobenzene	108-90-7	100M	
Chloroform (THM)C, 7	67-66-3	3.5	
Chloroisopropyl ether (BIS-2)	108-60-1	280	
Chloronapthalene	91-58-7	560	
Chlorophenol, 2-	95-57-8	35	
Chlorphrifos	2921-88-2	21	
Chrysene (PAH)C	218-01-9	0.0048	
Dalapon	75-99-0	200M	
DDDC	72-54-8	0.15	
DDEC	72-55-9	0.1	
DDTC	50-29-3	0.1	
Di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate	103-23-1	400M	
Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene (PAH)C	53-70-3	0.0048	
1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP)	96-12-8	0.2M	
Dibromochloromethane (THM)3, 7	124-48-1	14	
Dicamba	1918-00-9	210	
Dichloroacetic acidC	79-43-6	0.7	
Dichlorobenzene 1,2	95-50-1	600M	
Dichlorobenzene 1,3	541-73-1	94	
Dichlorobenzene 1,4	106-46-7	75M	
Dichloroethane 1,2C, 6	107-06-2	0.38 to 5M	
Dichloroethylene 1,1	75-35-4	7M	
Dichloroethylene 1,2-cis	156-59-2	70M	
Dichloroethylene 1,2-trans	156-60-5	100M	
Dichlorophenol 2,4	120-83-2	21	
Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)	94-75-7	70M	
Dichloropropane 1,2C, 6	78-87-5	0.52 to 5M	
DichlorvosC	62-73-7	0.12	
DiclorobenzidineC	91-94-1	0.078	
DieldrinC	60-57-1	0.002	
Diethyl phthalate	84-66-2	5,600	
Diisopropylmethylphosphonate (DIMP)4	1445-75-6	8	
Dimethylphenol 2,4	105-67-9	140	
Di-n-butyl phthalate	84-74-2	700	
Dinitro-o-cresol 4,6	534-52-1	0.27	
Dinitrophenol 2,4	51-28-5	14	
Dinitrotoluene 2,4C	121-14-2	0.11	
Dinoseb	88-85-7	7M	
Dioxane 1,4-C	123-91-1	6.1(effective through 3/21/2010)	
Dioxane 1,4-C	123-91-1	3.2(effective 3/22/2010)	
Dioxin (2,3,7,8 TCDD)C, 6		1746-01-6	2.2x10-7 to 3.0x10-5, M	
Diphenylhydrazine 1,2C	122-66-7	0.044	
Diquat6	85-00-7	15 to 20M 	
Endosulfan	115-29-7	42	
Endosulfan sulfate	1031-07-8	42	
Endosulfan, alpha	959-98-8	42	
Endosulfan, beta	33213-65-9	42	
Endothall	145-73-3	100M	
Endrin	72-20-8	2M	
Endrin aldehyde	7421-93-4	2.1	
EpichlorohydrinC	106-89-8 	3.5	
Ethylbenzene	100-41-4	700M	
Ethylene DibromideC, 6
(1,2-dibromoehtane)	106-93-4	0.02 to 0.05M	
Ethylhexyl phthalate (BIS-2)C, 6(DEHP)	117-81-7	2.5 to 6M	
Fluoranthene (PAH)	206-44-0	280	
Fluorene (PAH)	86-73-7	280	
FolpetC	133-07-3	10	
FurmecycloxC	60568-05-0	1.2	
Glyphosate	1071-83-6	700M	
HeptachlorC, 6	76-44-8	0.008 to 0.4M	
Heptachlor epoxideC, 6	1024-57-3	0.004 to 0.2M	
HexachlorobenzeneC, 6	118-74-1	0.022 to 1.0M 	
Hexachlorobutadiene	87-68-3	0.45	
Hexachlorocyclohexane, AlphaC	319-84-6	0.0056	
Hexachlorocyclohexane, Gamma (Lindane)	58-89-9	0.2M	
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene6 50M	77-47-4	42 to 50M	
Hexachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (1,2,3,7,8,9-hcdd)C	19408-74-3	5.60E-06	
Hexachloroethane3	67-72-1	0.7	
Hydrazine/Hydrazine sulfateC	302-01-2	0.012	
Indeno (1,2,3-cd) pyrene (PAH)C	193-39-5	0.0048	
Isophorone3	78-59-1	140	
Malathion	121-75-5	140	
Methoxychlor6	72-43-5	35 to 40M	
Methylene bis(N,N'-dimethyl)aniline 4,4'C	101-61-1	0.76	
Methylene chlorideC, 6	75-09-2	4.7 to 5M	
Metribuzin	21087-64-9	180	
Mirex	2385-85-5	1.4	
Naphthalene (PAH)	91-20-3	140	
Nitrobenzene	98-95-3	3.5	
Nitrophenol 4	100-02-7	56	
Nitrosodimethylamine NC(NDMA)	62-75-9	0.00069	
Nitrosodiphenylamine NC	86-30-6	7.1	
N-NitrosodiethanolamineC	1116-54-7	0.013	
N-Nitrosodi-n-propylamineC	621-64-7	0.005	
N-Nitroso-N-MethylethylamineC	10595-95-6	0.0016	
Oxamyl (vydate)6	23135-22-0	175 to 200M	
PCBsC, 5, 6	1336-36-3	0.0175 to 0.5M	
Pentachlorobenzene	608-93-5	5.6	
PentachlorophenolC, 6	87-86-5	0.29 to 1.0M	
Phenol	108-95-2	2,100	
Picloram	1918-02-1	490	
Prometon	1610-18-0	100	
Propylene oxideC	75-56-9	0.15	
Pyrene (PAH)	129-00-0	210	
QuinolineC	91-22-5	0.012	
Simazine	122-34-9	4M	
Styrene	100-42-5	100M	
Tetrachlorobenzene 1,2,4,5	95-94-3	2.1	
Tetrachloroethane 1,1,2,2	79-34-5	0.18	
Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)	127-18-4	5M	
Toluene6	108-88-3	560 to 1,000M	
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)7	N/A	80M	
ToxapheneC, 6	8001-35-2	0.032 to 3M	
Trichlorobenzene 1,2,4	120-82-1	70M	
Trichloroethane 1,1,1 (1,1,1-TCA)	71-55-6	200M	
Trichloroethane 1,1,23, 6
(1,1,2-TCA)	79-00-5	2.8 to 5M	
Trichloroethylene (TCE)	79-01-6	5M	
Trichlorophenol 2,4,5	95-95-4	700	
Trichlorophenol 2,4,6C	88-06-2	3.2	
Trichlorophenoxyproprionic acid (2,4,5-tp) (Silvex)	93-72-1	50M 	
Vinyl ChlorideC, 6	75-01-4	0.023 to2M 	
Xylenes (total)6	1330-20-7	1,400 to 10,000M	
Notes and Abbreviations:
1	All standards are chronic or 30-day standards.  They are based on information contained in EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) and/or EPA lifetime health advisories for drinking water using a 10-6 incremental risk factor unless otherwise noted.
2	The standard for Benzene has been established at the MCL (q.v. 41.17)
3	Standards for Group C compounds that have both published toxicity and carcinogenic risk data are calculated based on toxicity data and then adjusted downward using an uncertainty factor of 10.  
4	The Diisopropylmethylphosphonate (DIMP) standard was adopted in 1993 (q.v. 41.16)
5	PCBs are a class of chemicals that include aroclors, 1242, 1254, 1221, 1232, 1248, 1260, and 1016, CAS numbers 53469-21-9, 11097-69-1, 11104-28-2, 11141-16-5, 12672-29-6, 11096-82-5, and 12674-11-2 respectively.  The human-health criteria apply to total PCBs, i.e. the sum of all congener or all isomer analyses.
6	Whenever a range of standards is listed and referenced to this footnote, the first number in the range is a strictly health-based value, based on the Commission’s established methodology for human health-based standards.  The second number in the range is a maximum contaminant level, established under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act has been determined to be an acceptable level of this chemical in public water supplies, taking treatability and laboratory detection limits into account.  The Commission intends that control requirements for this chemical be implemented to attain a level of ambient water quality that is at least equal to the first number in the range except as follows:
		Where ground water quality exceeds the first number in the range due to a release of contaminants that occurred prior to September 14, 2004, (regardless of the date of discovery or subsequent migration of such contaminants) clean-up levels for the entire contaminant plume shall be no more restrictive than the second number in the range or the ground water quality resulting from such release, whichever is more protective.
		Wherever the Commission has adopted alternative, site-specific standards for the chemical, the site-specific standards shall apply instead of these statewide standards.
The Commission does not intend the adoption of this range of standards to result in changes to clean-up requirements previously established by an implementing agency, unless such change is mandated by the implementing agency pursuant to its independent statutory authority.
7	For aquifer storage and recovery facilities, if the source of this chemical in ground water is potable water provided by a drinking water system with a Colorado PWSID that meets all applicable federal Safe Drinking Water Act and corresponding State requirements at the time that it is utilized for aquifer storage and recovery or artificial recharge, then the separate total trihalomethane standard will apply to the ground water in question, rather than the individual standards for bromodichloromethane, bromoform, chloroform, and/or dibromochloromethane.  For any parameter for which there is a Maximum Containment Level (MCL) established by the Safe Drinking Water Act, as identified in Table A with Footnote “M”, the MCL shall apply as the standard for groundwater when potable water is used for ASR or artificial recharge. 
N/A – not applicable
C	Carcinogens classified by the EPA as A, B1, or B2.
M	Drinking water MCL.
CAS No. - Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number
THM - Halomethanes
4.	Whenever the practical quantitation limit, or PQL, for a pollutant is higher (less stringent) than a standard listed in subsection 2 or 3 above, the PQL shall be used in regulating specific activities.  These PQL's shall be approved by the Water Quality Control Division unless an alternate PQL has been established by the applicable implementing agency.
. . . 
41.6 POINT OF COMPLIANCE
. . .
B.	For the purposes of this subsection, the following agencies are referred to as “implementing agencies”:
The Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety; the State Engineer; the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission; and the state agencies responsible for activities related to the federal “Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976”, as amended, and related state programs.
Per the provisions of section 25-8-202 C.R.S., implementing agencies shall establish the point of compliance for those activities under their control. The points of compliance established in section 41.6 (C) and (D) of this regulation shall not apply to activities regulated by an implementing agency, unless the Commission has determined after rulemaking that the point of compliance established by the implementing agency is not adequate to satisfy the requirements of section 25-8-202(7). The Commission may then establish, through rulemaking, a site-specific point of compliance which shall supersede any point of compliance established by the implementing agencies.
. . .

TABLE 1
Domestic Water Supply – Human Health Standards	
Parameter	Standard1	
Biological	 	 	 	
 	Total Coliforms 
(30 day average)	2.2 a	org/100 ml	
	Total Coliforms
(max in 30 days)	23	org/100 ml	
Inorganic	 	 	 	
Antimony	(Sb)d, M	0.006	mg/l	
Asbestos	M	7,000,000	fibers/Liter	
Arsenic	(As)d, M	0.01	mg/l	
Barium	(Ba)d, M	2.0	mg/l	
Beryllium	(Be)d, M	0.004	mg/l	
Cadmium	(Cd)d, M	0.005	mg/l	
Chromium	(Cr)c, d, M	0.1	mg/l	
Cyanide [Free]	(CN)M	0.2	mg/l	
Fluoride	(F)d, M	4.0	mg/l	
Lead	(Pb)d	0.05	mg/l	
Mercury (inorganic)	(Hg)d,M	0.002	mg/l	
Molybdenum	(Mo) d	0.035	mg/l	
Nickel	(Ni)d	0.1	mg/l	
Nitrate	(NO3)d, M	10.0	mg/l as N	
Nitrite	(NO2)d, M	1.0	mg/l as N	
Total Nitrate+Nitrite	(NO2+NO3-N)d, f	10.0	mg/l as N	
Selenium	(Se)d, M	0.05	mg/l	
Silver	(Ag)d	0.05	mg/l	
Thallium	(Tl)d, M	0.002	mg/l	
Uranium	(U) d, M	0.03	mg/l	
Radiologicalb, d	 	 	 	

 Gross Alpha Particle Activityi, M
	15	pCi/l	
 Beta and Photon Emitterse	4	mrem/year	

TABLE 2
Domestic Water Supply – Drinking Water Standards	
Parameter	Standard	
Chlorophenol	 	0.0002	mg/l	
Chloride 	(Cl)d	250	mg/l	
Color	 	15	color units	
Copper	(Cu)d	1	mg/l	
Corrosivity	 	Noncorrosive	
Foaming Agents	 	0.5	mg/l	
Iron	(Fe)d	0.3	mg/l	
Manganese 	(Mn)d	0.05	mg/l	
Odor	 	3	threshold odor numbers	
pH	 	   6.5 - 8.5	
Phenol	 	0.3	mg/l	
Sulfate	(SO4)d	250	mg/l	
Zinc	(Zn)d	5	mg/l	

Table 3
Agricultural Standards	
Parameter 	Standard	
Aluminum	(Al)d, f	5	mg/l	
Arsenic	(As)d	0.1	mg/l	
Beryllium	(Be)d	0.1	mg/l	
Boron	(B)d, g	0.75	mg/l	
Cadmium	(Cd)d	0.01	mg/l	
Chromium	(Cr)d	0.1	mg/l	
Cobalt	(Co)d	0.05	mg/l	
Copper	(Cu)d	0.2	mg/l	
Fluoride	(F)d	2	mg/l	
Iron	(Fe)d	5	mg/l	
Lead	(Pb)d, f	0.1	mg/l	
Lithium	(Li)d, h	2.5	mg/l	
Manganese	(Mn)d, j	0.2	mg/l	
Mercury	(Hg)d, f	0.01	mg/l	
Nickel	(Ni)d	0.2	mg/l	
Nitrite	(NO2-N)d, f	10	mg/l as N	
Nitrite & Nitrate(NO2	+NO3-N)d, f	100	mg/l as N	
Selenium	(Se)d	0.02	mg/l	
Vanadium	(V)d	0.1	mg/l	
Zinc	(Zn)d	2	mg/l	
pH	 	 6.5 - 8.5	

TABLE 4
TDS Water Quality Standards	
Background TDS Value (mg/l)	Maximum Allowable TDS Concentrations	
0     - 500	400 mg/l or 1.25 times the background level, whichever is least restrictive	
501  - 10,000	1.25 times the background value	
10,001 or greater	No limit	
1 	Chronic or 30-day standard based on information contained in EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) using a 10-6 incremental risk factor.
a 	.  When the Membrane Filter Technique is used for analysis, the average of all samples taken within thirty days must be less than 1 organism per 100 milliliters of sample.  When the Multiple Tube Fermentation Method is used for analysis, the limit is less than 2.2 org/100 ml.
b	If the identity and concentration of each radionuclide in a mixture are known, the limiting value would be derived as follows:  Determine, for each radionuclide in the mixture, the ratio between the quantity present in the mixture and the limit specified.  The sum of such ratios for all radionuclides in the mixture shall not exceed "1" (i.e. unity).  A radionuclide may be considered as not present in a mixture if the ratio of the concentration to the limit does not exceed 1/10 and the sum of such ratios for all radionuclides considered as not present in the mixture does not exceed 1/4. 
c	The chromium standard is based on the total concentration of both trivalent and hexavalent forms of dissolved chromium.
d	Measured as dissolved concentration.  The sample water shall be filtered through a 0.45 micron membrane filter prior to preservation.  The total concentration (not filtered) may be required on a case-by-case basis if deemed necessary to characterize the pollution caused by the activity.
e	If two or more radionuclides are present, the sum of their annual dose equivalent to the total body or to any organ shall not exceed 4 mrem per year.  Except for Tritium and Strontium 90 the concentration of man-made radionuclides causing 4 mrem total body or organ dose equivalents shall be calculated on the basis of a 2 liter per day drinking water intake using the 168-hour data listed in "Maximum Permissible Body Burden and Maximum Permissible Concentration of Radionuclides in Air or Water for Occupational Exposure," NBS Handbook 69, as amended, August 1963, US Department of Commerce.
f	These more stringent levels are necessary to protect livestock watering.  Levels for parameters without this footnote are set to protect irrigated crops at the same level.  Where a party can demonstrate that a livestock watering use of ground water is not reasonably expected, the applicable standard for lead is 5.0 mg/l.
g	This level is set to protect the following plants in ascending order of sensitivity:  Pecan, Black Walnut, Persian (English) Walnut, Jerusalem Artichoke, Navy Bean, American Elm, Plum, Pear, Apple, Grape (Sultanina and Malaga), Kadota Fig, Persimmon, Cherry, Peach, Apricot, Thornless Blackberry, Orange, Avocado, Grapefruit, Lemon.  Where a party can demonstrate that a crop watering use of ground water is not reasonably expected, the applicable standard for boron is 5.0 mg/l.
h	This level protects all crops, except citrus which do not grow in Colorado and therefore a more stringent level of protection is not required.
i	The Gross Alpha Activity standard excludes alpha activity due to Radon and Uranium.
j This standard is only appropriate where irrigation water is applied to soils with pH values lower than 6.0.
M	Drinking water MCL.
41.25	STATEMENT OF BASIS, SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE; DECEMBER 10, 2007 RULEMAKING; EFFECTIVE MAY 31, 2008
The provisions of sections 25-8-202(1)(b); 25-8-204; 25-8-402, C.R.S., provide the specific statutory authority for adoption.  The Commission also adopted, in compliance with section 24-4-103(4) C.R.S., the following statement of basis and purpose.
BASIS AND PURPOSE:
1.	Statewide Standards - Interim Organic Pollutant Standards
In this rulemaking, the Commission adopted revised and new organic chemical standards in section 41.5(C)(3).  In an effort to keep ground water and surface water organic chemical standards consistent, the changes to section 41.5(C)(3) were considered during the same hearing that addressed changes to the statewide surface water organic chemical standards in Regulation No. 31 (Basic Standards and Methodologies for Surface Water).  
In adopting these new and revised organic chemical standards, the Commission continued to rely on its past policy decisions and precedence documented in Commission Policy 96-2.  Additionally, as per Departmental policy the Commission has relied on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) as its first tier source of toxicological data.  Review of the IRIS data that had been updated since the last revisions to 41.5(C)(3) indicated that the water quality standards for two organic chemicals, toluene and 1,2-dibromoethane, needed to be revised.  
At the last hearing addressing section 41.5(C)(3), in September 2004, during which the Commission adopted water quality standards for several carcinogenic compounds, EPA had requested that a future rulemaking consider water quality standards for non-carcinogenic compounds.  For this hearing the Commission reviewed several non-carcinogenic compounds that lacked water quality standards.  This review identified four pesticides that the Commission elected to adopt water quality standards for: acetochlor, dicamba, metribuzin, and prometon.  The Commission also corrected several typographical errors and added common synonyms for some of the organic chemicals.  
2.	Table Value Criteria – Tables 1 through 4
The Commission elected to adopt EPA’s maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic and uranium as Domestic Water Supply – Human Health Standards (Table 1).  EPA promulgated a MCL of 30 μg/l for uranium in December of 2003, and a MCL of 10 μg/l for arsenic in January of 2006.  The Commission has previously adopted these MCLs as surface water-water supply standards, and in an effort to keep the surface and ground water standards consistent, now adopts them as ground water standards. 
The Commission received testimony regarding the association of molybdenum as a ground water contaminant in several uranium and vanadium processing and mining sites throughout the Colorado.   During the 1990 hearing (q.v. section 41.14), the Commission had elected to delete the molybdenum standard until additional scientific data was available.  In August of 1993, IRIS published additional findings and finalized an RfD for molybdenum.  During this hearing the Commission elected to adopt a Domestic Water Supply – Human Health Standards (Table 1) for molybdenum based on this updated toxicological data, as well as testimony regarding both existing and planned uranium and vanadium mining and milling activities throughout the State.  
The Water Quality Control Division submitted testimony regarding its efforts to update and issue new general ground water discharge permits, and during that process requested additional clarification regarding the existing fecal coliform standard.  The Commission updated the fecal coliform standard to clarify both the averaging period and the allowable maximum over that same averaging period.  In determining the appropriate maximum and averaging period the Commission relied on EPA’s water reuse guidance (EPA/625/R-04/108) for unrestricted urban reuse.  
During the Issues Formulation and Informational Hearing the Commission received testimony regarding the Agricultural Standards (Table 3) and the implementation of the manganese standard.  The original agricultural manganese standard was derived from EPA’s 1972 Water Quality Criteria (“Blue Book”), and addressed crop toxicity in acidic soils.  In order to remain consistent with the 1972 criteria, as well as with Regulation No. 31, the Commission elected to add a footnote to specify that the agricultural manganese standard is only applicable in those areas where acidic soils exist.  
3.	Other Changes to the Regulation
During the Issues Formulation and Informational Hearing an issue was raised regarding activities that increase naturally occurring contamination, with the intent at that time being that revisions to section 41.5(A), the narrative standards, would address this issue.  Additional investigation into the issue discovered that the narrative standards, as currently adopted in Regulation No. 41, are only implemented during a ground water classification hearing.  The Commission believes that this poses two problems.  First, as written, the narrative standards did not apply to all State waters which conflicts with the intention of the Colorado Water Quality Control Act (CWQCA).  Second, the narrative standards have not been specifically adopted for all of the current ground water classifications.    
One purpose of narrative standards is to provide general qualitative guidance for situations that lack quantifiable, or scientifically predicted, outcomes.  Narrative standards define broad guidelines that are intended to meet general water quality goals.  For these reasons, narrative standards are applicable when numeric criteria cannot be established, or applied, to a specific discharge or release.  Additionally, narrative standards are critical for addressing emergency circumstances when the dynamics of the situation prevent timely scientific review or the normal Commission procedure.  
For these reasons the Commission believes that applying the narrative standards to all ground water is appropriate and effectively solves the issues before them.  By making the narrative standards statewide standards the Commission fulfills the intent of the CWQCA, implements the narrative standards for all existing ground water classifications, and addresses the issue of anthropogenic increases to naturally occurring ground water contamination.  
The Commission revised the paragraph regarding “implementing agencies” to recognize the recent reorganization of the Division of Minerals and Geology into the Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety.  The Commission also changed the reference to the agency responsible for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to recognize that both the Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division and the Department of Labor and Employment implement different aspects of this statute. 
In the 2004 hearing the Commission adopted footnote 7which included a total trihalomethane (TTHM) standard applicable to existing aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) facilities that use potable finished water.  The Commission’s intention in doing so was to assure that the ground water organic chemical standards did not limit continued ASR at existing facilities.  ASR has been identified by the Colorado General Assembly and the Colorado Water Conservation Board as a potential way to maximize use of aquifers through conjunctive use of surface and ground water resources.  ASR has also been identified by the South Platte River Task Force as a potential tool to address water issues in the South Platte River Basin.
In order to assure that the ground water quality standards do not limit future use of ASR, the Commission adopted changes to footnote 7 deleting the reference to facilities that existed as of September 14, 2004, thereby applying the TTHM standard to all ASR facilities using finished potable water that meets all applicable federal and state drinking water requirements.  In addition, the Commission adopted a new provision that applies the maximum containment level (MCL) as the standard for ground water that must be met by ASR facilities using finished potable water. 
PARTIES TO THE RULEMAKING
1.	Centennial Water and Sanitation District, Town of Castle Rock, Castle Pines Metropolitan District, Consolidated Mutual Water Company, Rangeview Metropolitan District
2.	Metro Wastewater Reclamation District
3.	Colorado Wastewater Utility Council
4.	City of Boulder
5.	City of Colorado Springs and Colorado Springs Utilities
6.	City and County of Denver Department of Environmental Health
7.	Climax Molybdenum Company
8.	Information Network for Responsible Mining (INFORM), High Country Citizens’ Alliance (HCCA), and Coloradoans Against Resource Destruction (CARD)
9.	United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8
10.	U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management
11.	Upper Black Squirrel Creek Ground Water Management District