TCEQ Plans Review Well Completion Checklist
In order for you to receive interim approval, you must complete
each item on the Plans
Review Well Completion Checklist (PDF file; help with PDF), including specified
chemical testing. For certain counties, you must also conduct
radionuclide testing.
Counties for which Radionuclide Testing is Required for Well
Completion
Several areas of Texas have elevated radionuclide levels. If you
are drilling a well in one of the counties listed in Table 1, you
must conduct radionuclide testing for interim approval. This list
was prepared from compliance data for existing water systems.
Counties listed here have had samples exceeding the maximum
contaminant levels for gross alpha and/or combined radium 226 and
radium 228.
Counties where Radionuclide Testing is Required
| County Name |
State Code * |
| Atascosa |
007 |
| Bexar |
015 |
| Bosque |
018 |
| Brazoria |
020 |
| Brewster |
022 |
| Burnet |
027 |
| Concho |
048 |
| Dallam |
056 |
| Erath |
072 |
| Fort Bend |
079 |
| Frio |
082 |
| Gillespie |
086 |
| Gray |
090 |
| Grayson |
091 |
| Harris |
101 |
| Irion |
118 |
| Kendall |
130 |
| Kerr |
133 |
| Liberty |
146 |
| Llano |
150 |
| Lubbock |
152 |
| McCulloch |
154 |
| Mason |
160 |
| Matagorda |
161 |
| Medina |
163 |
| Montgomery |
170 |
| Moore |
171 |
| Parker |
184 |
| Pecos |
186 |
| Polk |
187 |
| Refugio |
196 |
| San Jacinto |
204 |
| San Saba |
206 |
| Tarrant |
220 |
| Tyler |
229 |
| Upton |
231 |
| Val Verde |
233 |
| Victoria |
235 |
| Walker |
236 |
| Washington |
239 |
| Williamson |
246 |
| Zavala |
254 |
* The state county code is the first three digits of the PWS ID
number
Compliance-Related Information to Consider
Before you consider methods and laboratories you must consider
the information listed in Table 2. The laboratory you use must be
able to conduct analyses for gross alpha, gross beta and
radium-228. For gross alpha and radium-228, if the levels of these
contaminants exceed the "trigger" conditions below, the laboratory
must be able to perform the additional testing listed for
radium-226, combined uranium and the uranium isotopes 234, 235,
238. For gross beta, if the levels exceed the "trigger" conditions
below (not common), the laboratory must perform tritium,
radioactive strontium and gamma emitters. In other words, when you
review your radiological data and the report has gross alpha over
15 pCi/L and uraniums are not reported, you will have to resample
or reanalyze and resubmit complete results. If you see gross alpha
plus radium-228 over 5 pCi/L, and don't have radium-226, you will
have to resample or reanalyze and resubmit complete results.
| Contaminant (pCi/Liter except *) |
Trigger |
| Gross Alpha |
Performed on all samples |
| Gross Beta |
Performed on all samples |
| Radium-228 |
Performed on all samples |
| Radium-226 |
If gross alpha + Ra-228 >5.0 pCi/Liter |
| Combined Uranium* |
If gross alpha >15 pCi/Liter; reported in ( g/Liter) |
| Uranium-234 |
If gross alpha >15 pCi/Liter |
| Uranium-235 |
If gross alpha >15 pCi/Liter |
| Uranium-238 |
If gross alpha >15 pCi/Liter |
| Tritium |
If gross beta >50 and the system is designated by TCEQ as
vulnerable. |
| Radioactive Strontium |
If gross beta >50 and the system is designated by TCEQ as
vulnerable. |
| Gamma-Emitting Radionuclides |
If gross beta >50 and the system is designated by TCEQ as
vulnerable. |
You must calculate radionuclide compliance for gross alpha and
Combined radium-226 and radium-228 from analytical results if the
laboratory does not. Nondetections are calculated as a zero ("<"
sign in front of a result or error margin). See below:
Compliance Calculations from Radionuclide Analytical
Results
- Gross alpha (pCi/L): gross alpha result - uranium-234 result -
uranium-238 result - uranium-235 result - gross alpha error margin
- uranium -234 error margin - uranium-238 error margin -
uranium-235 error margin = compliance level (Maximum Contaminant
Level is 15 pCi/L)
- Combined radium (pCi/L): radium-226 result + radium-228 result
- radium-226 error margin - radium-228 error margin = compliance
level (MCL is 5 pCi/L)
- Combined Uranium (MCL is 30 µg/L): no calculation
Acceptable Methods for Radionuclide Testing
Our Compliance Support Division maintains a
list of acceptable methods for analyzing for radionuclides in
public drinking water. Also be aware that radionuclide analyses
take longer to complete, so plan ahead.
Laboratory Information for Radionuclides Only
At this time, public water systems are not required to use a
laboratory certified by the TCEQ for public drinking water for the
well completion interim approval. This is subject to change.
Before using any lab, you must verify that the laboratory
can conduct the analyses as required above. Consider these
two lists of available labs:
