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We've all become acutely aware of what's in our food and drink lately, thanks in part to recall after recall. From tainted peanut butter to potentially fatal pet foods, we've heard plenty lately on the bad things that have turned up in food and drink. But being aware of what's in our food and drink in the first place can help us keep an eye out for potential dangers, from allergens to e.coli.

Do you really need to know what's in your food and drink that badly? Admittedly, I'm a huge hot dog fan, but I don't know what's in them (and from what I hear, I don't want to know). But there are important factors to consider before deciding to remain ignorant of what you're ingesting. What if you're allergic to peanuts? Sure, you avoid those Reese's Cups and trail mixes, but what if your favorite chips are fried in peanut oil? You could be snacking away on a few kettle crispers and WHAMMO! You swell up like a hot air balloon.

The same applies to our water. How much chlorine is added? Is fluoridation used in our water system? What causes that earthy smell? The Safe Drinking Water Amendments passed in 1996 were designed to help consumers answer these questions. This legislation led to the beginning of the Consumer Confidence Reports, the keystone of the amendments' right-to-know provisions.

In this issue of the Safe Drinking Water Trust eBulletin we'll review the five W's of the Consumer Confidence Report, better known as the CCR. We'll give a brief explanation of each W: Water source, Water definitions, Water contaminants, Water regulation and Water education. We'll give you hints and tips on enlightening your customers while keeping the state and federal regulators from glaring over your shoulders and shaking their heads disapprovingly.

This is your opportunity to let your customers know just what you've been doing, and how you've been working to improve their lives and their water supply. It's also a great opportunity to assure them that there is something safe out there to consume!

Additional Resources

CCRs, from top to bottom:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr/index.html

CCR: The Basics

The Consumer Confidence Rule, finalized in 1998 and spawned from the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, requires public water suppliers serving at least 15 service connections or 25 customers year-round to provide consumers with a Consumer Confidence Report. The CCR provides customers with data on water sources, any detected contaminants, water quality compliance and educational information.

The CCR must be completed and distributed to customers by July 1 each year. The reports don't need to be all doled up with fancy paper and colorful images. However, they must contain certain information to meet both state and federal regulations.

Common regulations can be divided into five categories. They include:
Water Education
 

• Name and phone number of contact person for the water system
• Information on public participation opportunities, such as meeting times and locations
• Information for non-English speakers, if applicable

Water Sources

• Type, name and location of water sources used by the system (exact locations of wells and intakes should be left off for security reasons)
• Where and how to get a copy of the source water's latest assessment

Water Definitions

• Maximum Contaminant Level, or MCL, the most contaminant allowed by the EPA in drinking water
• Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, or MCLG, the contaminant level below which there is no known or expected health risk
• Treatment techniques used to reduce or eliminate any contaminants found
• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level, or MRDL, which represents the level of disinfectant added that cannot be exceeded at the customer's tap without an unacceptable possibility of risk to health

   

Water Contaminants

• Summary of regulated and unregulated contaminants detected during the last round of sampling


• The known or likely source of each such contaminant


• Descriptions of possible effects on health for each contaminant


• Information on Cryptosporidium, Radon and other contaminants as required by each state

Water Compliance

• Explanation of any violations, their length of time and potential health effects, and how they were corrected
• Explanation of any variances or exemptions allowed in the system

Also, as part of the Water Education category, the CCR requires certain education material, including:

• An explanation of contaminants and their presence in drinking water, including bottled water
• A warning for vulnerable consumers about Cryptosporidium
• Informational statements on arsenic, nitrate, lead and TTHM, as required by state
• The EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline number, 1-800-426-4791

While this list should get you started, keep in mind the information varies from state to state. Remember to check with your state agency to learn what additional requirements it might have.

Additional Sources

A graphic providing these tips can be found here: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr/pdfs/qrg_ccr_2004.pdf

You can read the actual Consumer Confidence Report Rule here:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr/regulations.html

Spreading the Word

Once the CCR is prepared, it's time to pass the report along to consumers and agencies alike. Most water systems are required to make a good-faith effort to reach each consumer by mailing or delivering a copy of the CCR. Yes, folks, this includes those in places like apartments and condominiums who don't pay water bills directly, but have the water paid by the leasing agent.

In addition, each water system must provide a copy of the CCR to the director of the state drinking water regulatory agency. Plus, you have 90 days after distribution or by Oct. 1, whichever comes first, to submit proof to the state or local agencies that you distributed the CCRs according to regulation.

There are several ways to make "good-faith" efforts:

• Post the report online
• Mail the report to all postal patrons
• Advertise the CCR's availability in newspapers and on television and radio
• Publish the CCR in the newspaper
• Post the CCR in public buildings, including libraries, churches and schools
• Deliver copies of the CCR for distribution to apartment complexes or large businesses
• Deliver the report to community organizations

Large water systems, those with 100,000 customers or more, are required to post their CCRs on the Internet. Smaller systems, however, can get a few breaks with the EPA.

Systems with fewer than 10,000 customers can publish their CCR in the local newspaper in lieu of mailing them out, provided they get permission to do so by the governor or tribal leader. Those with 500 or fewer customers can simply provide notice that the report is available upon request.

While this may reduce time, effort and cost, it also eliminates the opportunity to let customers truly know about your hard work. We encourage you to mail your CCRs, so customers know what a great job you're doing!

Help Is on the Way!

Thinking about all these regulations, requirements and requests can make your head hurt, and maybe even bring on a panic attack or two. No worries, mate. The EPA is there for you.

The federal agency offers software applications to help systems create exceptional CCRs efficiently and painlessly. The CCRiWriter is an online, interactive application that takes systems through each section of the CCR, converts lab results into "CCR units" and allows the writer to insert and edit the EPA's recommended text.

The best part about this application may be how much you pay for it -- nada. It's free. For those who prefer to work offline, the EPA offers the CCRWriter, a desktop application that runs in Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000 or NT4. (Sorry, Mac users, if there are any.) The desktop application comes on CD and can be ordered by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

Additional Resources

Get the skinny on this and other EPA tools at:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr/tools.html

Time to Show Off

CCR compilation and distribution could lead to head-banging (against walls), teeth-grinding and heightened risks of aspirin overdoses. But why dwell on the negative? The fact is, the CCR gives you the opportunity to let your consumers know just what you're doing to keep them safe, to protect their lives and those of their loved ones and to improve the quality of the water they drink. You work so hard year after year to help your customers -- let the CCR speak to your efforts. Let consumers know just what they're drinking, why they're drinking it and how hard you've worked to ensure that it's good for them. It also gives you an opportunity to address the most common questions from your customers.

At the very least, they'll know their drinking water isn't dangerous or subject to recall.