Originally published Oct. 12, 2005
Years ago our nation’s leaders decided that the American public—being an inquisitive bunch—needed just a little more information about the food they ate and the beverages they drank.
Somewhere between the Beatles invasion and the great love-fest at that little farm outside of Woodstock, our government decreed that all food and beverage products were to be labeled with a list of ingredients so that savvy consumers would have a better understanding of what they were consuming.
However, despite a great effort, even the craftiest of politicians failed to figure out how to stick a label on the water coming out of your faucet.
Despite many attempts (and many clogged sink drains!), it wasn’t until the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments were passed back in 1996 that our lawmakers finally discovered a realistic way to let consumers know what, if any, contaminants were found in their drinking water.
The decision signaled the beginning of the Consumer Confidence Reports—the centerpiece of the right-to-know provisions of the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act.
In this issue of the Safe Drinking Water Trust eBulletin we’ll look at the five W’s of the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR): Water source, Water definitions, Water contaminants, Water regulations, and of course, Water Education—and the best ways to get this information into the hands of your customers while satisfying state and federal requirements.
Remember, this may be your one chance each year to let your customers know about all the hard work that you are doing to keep their drinking water safe—so make the most of this great opportunity!
Additional Resources
www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr/pdfs/quickrefguide_ccr.pdf [1]
What is a Consumer Confidence Report?
Under the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments all community water systems serving at least 25 year-round customers were directed to create an annual report on the quality of the drinking water they produce.
These reports (commonly known as CCRs) must be completed and distributed to the public by July 1 each year.
“The public has a right to make informed decisions regarding the water they consume,” said Steve Mahfood, director of the Missouri of Natural Resources recently. “This report provides information much like what we’ve come to expect on our food labels.”
While CCR’s don’t have to be fancy, both state and federal guidelines require that they contain key information including:
Water System Information: (Water Education)
- Name/Phone Number of System Contact Person (person who can answer customers questions about the report)
- Information on Public Participation Opportunities (times, dates and locations of board meetings etc.)
- Information for non-English speaking customers (if necessary)
Sources of Water (Water Source)
- Type, Name and location of water sources used by the system
- Information about where and how to obtain a copy of the most recent source water assessments completed by the system.
- Information about significant sources of contamination that could potentially impact the system’s water source
Definitions (Water Definitions)
- Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that EPA allows in drinking water
- Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.
- Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): A level of disinfectant added for water treatment that may not be exceeded at the consumer’s tap without an unacceptable possibility of adverse health effects.
- Others as required by state
Detected Contaminants (Water Contaminants)
- A summary of data on all detected-regulated and unregulated-contaminants
- Known or likely source of each detected contaminant with an MCL/MRDL
- Description of potential health effects related to the contaminant
- Information on Cryptosporidium, radon, and other contaminants as required by each state
Statement Showing Compliance with other Drinking Water Regulations (Water Regulations)
- Explanation of any violations, potential health effects, and steps taken to correct the violations
- Explanation of any variances/exemptions that apply to the water system
Required Educational Material (Water Education)
- Explanation of contaminants and their presence in drinking water
- Warning for vulnerable populations about Cryptosporidium
- Informational statements on arsenic, nitrate, and lead, as required by state
*Remember, this is not a comprehensive list of required CCR information—be sure to check with your state primacy agency to learn what specific information is required in your neck of the woods.
Additional Resources
www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr/ccrfact.html [2]
Getting the Word Out
Once your system has put together all the information needed to complete a CCR and arranged it in an easy to understand format, the next step is to mail or deliver a copy of your CCR to each of your customers.
In addition, you’re responsible for seeing that a copy is sent to the director of your state’s primacy (drinking water regulatory) agency, and making a “good faith” effort to reach all non-bill paying consumers (such as those living in apartments or condominiums who do not receive a monthly billing statement) living in the region you serve.
A “good faith” effort to reach non-bill paying consumers may include:
Posting the report on the Internet.
Mailing the report to all postal patrons.
Advertising the availability of the report in newspapers, TV, and radio outlets.
Publishing the report in a local newspaper.
Posting the report in public places such as cafeterias or public buildings, libraries, churches, and schools.
Delivering multiple reports for distribution to customers such as apartment buildings or large private employers.
Delivering the report to community organizations.
If you stop and think about it, this is no small task, even when you consider that the CCR can be mailed out with your regular water bills.
For systems serving fewer than 500 customers, your EPA Regional Administrator, Tribal leader, and Governor have the authority to waive the mailing requirement.
However, at least once a year you will still be required to issue a mailed, delivered, or posted notice stating that the report is available from your water system on request, even if you request for a waiver is approved.
(While these options are available, it is important that water systems make the most this opportunity to communicate with their customers and we recommend that all water systems take advantage of this opportunity to showcase their hard work and mail a copy of their CCR to each and every customer!)
Another good way to ensure that your customers clearly understand the wealth of information found in your CCR is to contact the local media and arrange a time to meet with reporters to go over the information. By ensuring that the reporters have a clear understanding of the information found in your CCR, you have a better chance of getting accurate information out to your customers.
Additional Resources
www.epa.gov/safewater/publicoutreach/pdfs/mcl_poster-2003.pdf [3]
A Little Help From the EPA
While the thought of producing a CCR might seem daunting—it’s important to remember that you aren’t alone.
To ease the process, the EPA has designed convenient software applications to help water suppliers quickly and effectively create a comprehensive CCR.
The CCRWriter and CCRiWriter programs take users through all the sections of a CCR, convert lab results into "CCR units" and allow users to insert and edit EPA's recommended text at a price every system can afford—for free over the Internet.
The on-line application enables you to produce a regulation compliant Consumer Confidence Report by simply filling in the blanks with your system specific information.
Additional Resources
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr/ccrwriter.html [4]
Security Concerns and the CCR
In this modern era of heightened security matters, some water systems have expressed concern about releasing detailed water source locations to the public.
Have no fear—while systems are required to include source specific information in their CCR, the Environmental Protection Agency has allowed for some flexibility in this matter.
While a system is encouraged to include as much information as possible, the minimum source location information to be provided is:
For Surface Waters—Listing only the water body where the intake is located is considered appropriate.
For Ground Waters—Listing the name of the principal aquifer is considered appropriate.
While the exact latitude/longitude data will still be required by the EPA, the information is not required to be included in your CCR.
CCR Spells Education
Each year when it comes time to compile your water system’s CCR, instead of dreading the annual event, think of it as a prime opportunity to shine a little light on the hard work that you do each and every day.
“One of the simplest, most effective tools in protecting our environment is public information,” said Chuck Fox, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water. “Consumer confidence reports will help generate communication between water suppliers and consumers. The reports provide information that Americans need to make decisions for themselves and for their communities.”
Depending on how much space you have available after listing any violations that occurred during the previous year (and we all hope that you have plenty of space left) take some time and space to discuss any projects that you are currently working on or success that you have had over the past year.
Remember, a CCR is an educational tool and many water systems have found that it is a good way to answer those common questions asked by their customers.