The first rule to be proposed and promulgated as a result of regulatory negotiation (reg neg) is the disinfection-disinfection byproducts rule is designed to fill the gaps in existing data. The reg-neg advisory committee agreed that this rule was necessary to ensure that the future rules could be based on actual data. This article focuses on the content of the Information Collection Rule. Unlike any previous rule, its monitoring requirements are very extensive. Some readers may find it mystifying or liken it to a bad dream. Includes tables, figures.