82TRANSIENT, NON-COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM: TNCWS A water system which provides
water in a place such as a gas station or campground where people do not remain for long periods
of time. These systems do not have to test or treat their water for contaminants which pose long-
term health risks because fewer than 25 people drink the water over a long period. They still must
test their water for microbes and several chemicals. A Transient Non-Community Water System:
Is not required to sample for VOC’s.
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: In the United States, this agency responsible
for setting drinking water standards and for ensuring their enforcement. This agency sets federal
regulations which all state and local agencies must enforce.
VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCs): Solvents used as degreasers or cleaning agents.
Improper disposal of VOCs can lead to contamination of natural waters. VOCs tend to evaporate
very easily. This characteristic gives VOCs very distinct chemical odors like gasoline, kerosene,
lighter fluid, or dry cleaning fluid. Some VOCs are suspected cancer-causing agents. Volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor
pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere. A wide range
of carbon-based molecules, such as aldehydes, ketones, and other light hydrocarbons are VOCs.
The term often is used in a legal or regulatory context and in such cases the precise definition is a
matter of law.
These definitions can be contradictory and may contain "loopholes"; e.g. exceptions, exemptions,
and exclusions. The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines a VOC as any organic
compound that participates in a photoreaction; others believe this definition is very broad and vague
as organics that are not volatile in the sense that they vaporize under normal conditions can be
considered volatile by this EPA definition. The term may refer both to well characterized organic
compounds and to mixtures of variable composition.