1. Simplify—Keep in mind that the average consumer is not as familiar with water quality data as you are, so keep it simple
2. Upfront and Online—Highlight the most important information upfront. Remember, customers care about the bottom line. Are you doing a good job and is there anything they need to know about their water quality?
3. Ask for Help—Ask for help from another supplier, state office, or waterworks professional organization. Check our waterworks’ websites.
4. Do not:
• Use a type smaller than 10 points.
• List contaminants that are not detected.
• Forget to include your Public Water System identification number and contact information.
• Use the same format every year.
5. Do:
Highlight the language required for vulnerable populations.
6. Involve the Health Department—Take time to meet with your local health department before you release your CCR. Tell them about specific detected contaminants and how you worked to resolve the problems. Chances are that if someone has a problem with your drinking water, they are more likely to ask the health department or someone other than the water department.
7. Give the Consumer Something—Offer your consumers something to help them lower their water cost, such as tips on water conservation, or how to reduce the chlorine taste of their water.
8. Involve Consumers—Ask for their help in protecting the watershed or for support at a town meeting. Give them an opportunity to help.
9. Network—Use your local health department, senior citizens organizations, conservation or environmental committee, watershed and civic associations, or any large community non-profit group to promote your message. Convene a meeting to discuss your CCR early in the process. Build a coalition of people and get their opinion on your past report and how to make the next one better. At the same time, you can educate them about your water quality and build readership and confidence.
10. Wrap it Up—Use color in your report and use a good quality graphic, especially on the cover, so that it will be picked-up and read. Remember, you provide your consumers with a safe supply of drinking water and want them to read all about it.
Spring 2003 Issue of On Tap Magazine
Major provisions to be included in the CCR
1. Water System Information:
•Name/phone number of contact person.
•Information on public participation opportunities (time and place for meetings or hearings).
•Information for non-English speaking populations (if applicable).
2. Source of Water:
•Type (ex. groundwater or surface water), commonly used names, and location of water sources (ex. Potomac River, Snake River Plain Aquifer, etc.) (Exact locations/coordinates of wells and intakes should not be included for security reasons)
•Availability of source water assessment.
•Brief summary of potential sources of contamination (If available).
3. Definitions:
•Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL).
•Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG).
•Treatment Technique (TT).
•Maximum Residual Disinfection Level (MRDL).
•Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG).
•Action Level (AL).
•Variances and Exemptions.
4. Detected Contaminants:
•Table summarizing data on detected regulated and unregulated contaminants that were detected during the last round of sampling.
•Known or likely source of each detected contaminant.
•Health effects language for any violation, exceedances or when Arsenic levels are >0.001 mg/L or ≤ 0.005 mg/L.
•Information on Cryptosporidium, Radon, and other contaminants.
5. Compliance with Drinking Water Regulations:
•Explanations of variance/exemption.
•Explanation of violations, length of violations, potential health effects, and steps taken to correct the violations.
6. Required Educational Information:
•Explanation of contaminants and their presence in drinking water including bottled water.
•Warning for vulnerable or immunocompromised populations about Cryptosporidium.
•EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline Number of (1-800-426-4691).
•Informational statements on arsenic, nitrate, lead and TTHM.
Environmental Protection Agency
10 most-common mistakes to avoid when writing your CCR
- Be sure to include the name and contact number of the person designated to answer questions from the public.
- Include a sentence that tells the status of Source Water Assessments that are being undertaken or planned.
- Be sure that lab results are presented in the same units as the MCL.
- Include only detected contaminants.
- Systems that take 20 or more lead and copper samples must include the educational statement on lead if their 95th percentile exceeds the AL for lead.
- Systems must show the number of sites that have exceeded the AL for lead and copper.
- Don’t forget to include sample date if it is for a year other than the report year.
- Violations must be acknowledged and explained. What, when, where, why and how the problem was or is being corrected. Mandatory health effects language should be included.
- Public Water System name and ID number should be included in the CCR title.
- The CCR must be both written and distributed to those that use the water. One copy of the CCR needs to be sent to the state primacy agency along with a Certification of Completion. Once the work is done don’t wait until the due date. Mail it in and don’t risk being out of compliance.
Adapted from Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality