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Contents
 What is a Consumer Confidence Report?
What are the major elements of a CCR?
What are the key dates concerning CCRs?
How does the CCR get distributed?
Who will make sure that utilites comply?
Are there any samples I can look at?
Who produces CCRs?
What's the cost of creating a CCR?
Who gets copies of CCRs?
Must a system give out its CCR on request?
What about people who don't get individual water bills?
What about new systems?
How will compliance be certified?
What if utilities don't meet the regulatory requirements?
What is a Consumer Confidence Report?
The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments require that, beginning in October 1999, all community water systems provide customers with an annual report on the quality of their drinking water. The law calls this report a Consumer Confidence Report.
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What are the major elements of a CCR?
CCRs must contain -- at a minimum -- the following elements:
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Information on the type and source
of the water (i.e., ground water, surface water, a combination of the two,
or water obtained from another system) and the commonly used name(s) and
location of the body or bodies of water
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Specific definitions of the following
terms: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG), Maximum Contaminant Level
(MCL), variances, exemptions, and, if applicable, treatment technique and
action level
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If any regulated substance
subject to an MCL (except turbidity and total coliforms) is detected in
the water: a statement setting forth the MCLG, the MCL, the highest level
used to determine compliance, and the range of detected levels. If there
has been a violation of the MCL: a brief statement regarding the health
concerns of that substance. If there is no MCL for a detected substance:
information about treatment techniques or the action level
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If a source water assessment (SWA)
has been completed, information on the availability of the SWA and how
to obtain a copy. If a system has received an SWA from its primacy agency,
the CCR must also include a brief summary of the system's susceptibility
to potential sources of contamination
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Health effects language if a
violation has occurred and a system's actions to restore safe water
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Information on compliance with
national primary drinking water standards
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A notice if the system is operating
under a variance or exemption and the basis on which the variance or exemption
was granted
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Information on levels of unregulated
substances for which monitoring is required, including levels of radon
and Cryptosporidium, where states determine they may be found
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Educational information regarding
the risk posed by nitrates, arsenic and lead when detection of these substances
exceeds half of their respective MCL or action level
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A specific statement regarding
the vulnerability of certain subpopulations to drinking water substances
and where these people can obtain additional information
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Additional information as required
by the EPA Administrator, such as reporting on the health effects of total
trihalomethanes if a system exceeds the tougher 80 micrograms/L standard. EPA can also require
such information for two other new or revised regulations in the future
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Notice for non-English-speaking
residents in their native language on the importance of the information
and the need to get it translated
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A brief and plainly worded explanation
regarding substances that may reasonably be expected to be present in
drinking water, including bottled water
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A specific statement that the
presence of substances in drinking water does not necessarily indicate
that the drinking water poses a health risk
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Notice of opportunities for the
public to participate, such as water board meeting times or public forums
to discuss water issues
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Any additional information required
by state primacy agencies
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The EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline:
(800) 426-4791
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What are the key dates concerning CCRs?
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The final CCR Rule was effective
September 18, 1998.
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The first CCR, containing 1998
calendar year data, must be produced by October 19, 1999.
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Wholesale water distributors
must provide information about their water to their wholesale customers
by April 19, 1999.
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The second report is due by July
1, 2000, and subsequent reports will be due by July 1 of each year
thereafter.
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Certification of the first CCRs
to state primacy agencies must be completed by January 19, 2000, and certification
of each subsequent CCR must occur within three months of distribution each
year thereafter.
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Each state primacy agency must adopt its own CCR Rule by August 21, 2000.
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How does the CCR get distributed?
One
copy of the report must be mailed to each customer, unless the governor
of a state has waived the mailing requirement for community water systems
serving fewer than 10,000 persons.
Systems for which the mailing
requirement has been waived must:
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Inform their customers that the
report will not be mailed;
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Publish the report in one or
more local newspapers serving the area in which the system is located;
and
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Make the reports available to
the public upon request.
A further exception may
apply to systems serving 500 or fewer persons, which may forego publication
of the report in a local newspaper if they provide notice by mail, door-to-door
delivery, or posting in an appropriate location that the report is available.
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Who will make sure that utilites comply?
State
primacy agencies will be responsible for enforcing the CCR Rule. After
utilities complete their CCR, they must send a copy to the state at the
same time the CCRs are distributed to customers, and within three months
follow the CCR with a certification to the state that they have met the
requirements of the rule. States must keep the certification letter for
five years, and a copy of the CCR for one year. The state must also provide
copies of the CCRs to the public upon request.
If there is a question about
a utility's compliance, any customer or public health interest group may
file a complaint or make a request for a copy of the report from either
EPA or the State Drinking Water Administrator.
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Are there any samples I can look at?
Yes. You can view a simplified sample report on this web site.
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Who produces CCRs?
The CCR regulation applies to new and existing community water systems that have 15 or more service connections, or supply at least 25 of the same
people year-round. Water wholesalers are included under the regulation,
but their responsibility may be only to supply data and information
to retailers if they have no end-use customers of their own.
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What's the cost of creating a CCR?
The cost of producing a CCR will have to be decided by each utility and will depend on a number of factors, such as the number of customers to whom it will be mailed, how the long the report is, whether it will be produced in black and white or color, whether it contains graphics, photos, or other artwork, and whether it is done in-house or by a consultant. Some larger utilities may even spend thousands of dollars for editorial and graphic design assistance.
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Who gets copies of CCRs?
All water systems that
serve more than 10,000 persons must deliver one copy of the CCR
to each of their customers. Customers are defined as the listed
accounts that are billed for water service. Systems serving fewer
than 10,000 customers, but more than 500 customers, may receive
waivers allowing them to publish the report in at least one local
newspaper (instead of mailing to each customer). In this case
they will have to notify all customers of the availability of the
report (in their bill, newspaper ads, etc.). Systems serving 500 or fewer
people may receive waivers allowing them to use alternate
means of notifying customers about the availability of a CCR. They must
do so at least once a year. In all cases, systems must supply copies
of their report on request.
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Must a system give out its CCR on request?
Yes. Contact your water utility for information.
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How will utilities accommodate people living in apartments and condominiums who don't get individual water bills?
Water systems are asked
to make a "good faith effort" to reach consumers who do not receive
water bills. This group of consumers might be notified by:
- Posting the CCR
on the Internet through Waterdata.com or a different site
- Press releases
that the CCR is available
- Radio or TV public
service announcements
- Paid advertising
or legal notices of CCR availability
- Publication of
the CCR, or parts of it, in general circulation newspapers
- Posting of the
CCR in prominent locations
- Circulation of
the CCR to libraries and community centers, or Postal
patron mailings
- Sending extra reports
to multi-family building managers for posting
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What about new systems?
New community water systems must deliver their first report by July 1 following their first full calendar year in operation.
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How will compliance be certified?
In states with primary enforcement authority, utilities must mail a copy of the completed CCR to the state along with certification of its accuracy, distribution, and compliance.
States must keep the certification letter for five years, and a copy of the CCR for one year. States may
set up clearinghouses for the reports, either as a state function or through a designated third
party. Interested persons can obtain copies of reports from these clearinghouses
directly.
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What if my utility doesn't produce a CCR or distributes one that doesn't meet the regulatory requirements?
Water systems that do not implement a CCR program that meets the new EPA regulation will be in violation. The state primacy agency will then be expected to take enforcement action against these systems to require compliance.
If there is a question about a utility's compliance, any customer or public health interest group can file a complaint with either EPA or the State Drinking Water Administrator.
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