Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Microbial Rules (Renewal)

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), Microbial Rules (EPA ICR Number 1895.12, OMB Control Number 2040-0205) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through October 31, 2026. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on June 22, 2026, during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 208 (Thursday, October 29, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 208 (Thursday, October 29, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68136-68137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-22056]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2011-0442-0002; FRL-13682-OFA]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Microbial Rules (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Microbial Rules (EPA ICR Number 
1895.12, OMB Control Number 2040-0205) to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is 
currently approved through October 31, 2026. Public comments were 
previously requested via the Federal Register on June 22, 2026, during 
a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days 
for public comments.

DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before November 30, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OW-2011-0442-0002, to EPA online using <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> (our 
preferred method), by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6e2139432a010d050b1a2e0b1e0f40090118"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="48071f650c272b232d3c082d3829662f273e">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>, or by mail to: EPA 
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
    Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brooke Holmes, Capacity and Compliance 
Assistance Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, 4606M, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 
DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-2508; fax number: 202-564-3754; 
email address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ff979093929a8cd19d8d9090949abf9a8f9ed1989089"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="20484f4c4d45530e42524f4f4b45604550410e474f56">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through October 31, 2026. An agency may not 
conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a 
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.
    Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register 
on June 22, 2026 during a 60-day comment period (91 FR 37109). This 
notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. Supporting 
documents, which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be 
collecting, are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket 
can be viewed online at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> or in person at the EPA 
Docket Center, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-
1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit 
<a href="http://www.epa.gov/dockets">http://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>.
    Abstract: The Microbial Rules ICR examines public water system and 
primacy agency burden and costs for recordkeeping and reporting 
requirements in support of the microbial drinking water regulations. 
These recordkeeping and reporting requirements are mandatory for 
compliance with 40 CFR parts 141 and 142.
    The following microbial regulations are included under the ICR: the 
Surface

[[Page 68137]]

Water Treatment Rule, the Total Coliform Rule, the Revised Total 
Coliform Rule, the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, the 
Filter Backwash Recycling Rule, the Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water 
Treatment Rule, the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, 
the Ground Water Rule, and the Aircraft Drinking Water Rule. Future 
microbial-related rulemakings will be added to this consolidated ICR 
after the regulations are promulgated as part of the extension of 
initial, rule-specific, ICRs.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are public water systems and primacy agencies.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory for compliance with 
40 CFR parts 141 and 142.
    Estimated number of respondents: 144,491 (total).
    Frequency of response: Varies by requirement (i.e., on occasion, 
monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually.
    Total estimated burden: 14,873,334 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $988,370,000 (per year), which includes 
$219,520,000 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the estimates: There is a net decrease of 147,377 hours 
in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR 
currently approved by OMB. This reflects a decrease of 187,587 hours 
for public drinking water system (PWS) activities largely related to 
Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) initial implementation. This also 
reflects an increase of 4,129 hours for air carrier activities due to 
updated aircraft and 36,081 for primacy agencies.
    There has been a substantial decrease in the estimated labor costs, 
which reflect the correction of typographical errors in the currently 
approved ICR (see section 15 ``Change in Burden'' of the associated 
Supporting Statement) for more information.

Courtney Kerwin,
Deputy Director, Data & Enterprise Programs Division.
[FR Doc. 2026-22056 Filed 10-28-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


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