Consumer Confidence Reports are Coming!

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  by: Jane Ceraso and Maria Osorio DEP/Drinking Water Program
  
  During the past decade, there has been a new focus on consumer right-to-know as a component of many environmental programs and regulations. Increasingly, the public is being provided with information on which to base their own decisions about what they eat, the air they breathe, and yes, the water they drink! The 1996 SDWA Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act include several consumer right-to-know provisions. The provision with the most impact on community public water supplies is the Consumer Confidence Rule.
  The Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule was promulgated on August 19, 1998. The CCR requires all community public water suppliers to produce for their customers an annual report on local drinking water quality. This report will allow consumers to become more educated about their water supply and make practical decisions about their health and water consumption.
  
  Although water suppliers will have flexibility in designing their CCRs, each report must provide customers with at least the following information about their drinking water:
  
  
• Source(s) of the drinking water
  
• Levels of any contaminant found, as well as EPA’s health based standard (maximum contamination level (MCL)) for comparison
  
• Definitions for MCL, MCLG, treatment technique and action level
  
• Potential health effects of any contaminant detected in violation of an EPA health standard, the length of the violation, the likely sources of that contaminant in the water supply, and corrective measures taken to address the violation
  
• The water supply’s compliance with other drinking water regulations, such as monitoring and reporting for compliance data, record keeping, filtration and disinfection, and lead and copper control requirements
  
• How to get a copy of the water supply’s source water assessment, if completed
  
• A statement that the presence of contaminants in drinking water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk
  
• An educational statement for vulnerable populations about avoiding Cryptosporidium
  
• Educational information on nitrate and arsenic in areas where these contaminants are detected above 50% of EPA’s standards
  
• Educational information on lead in areas where these contaminants are detected above the action level in more than 5 percent, but fewer than 10 percent of the homes sampled
  
• Phone numbers for additional sources of infor mation, including the water supplier and EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

• Community water suppliers (CWS) will all be required to make their CCRs widely available to the public, and the method for distribution will be linked to the population that system serves:
  
• CWS serving 100,000 or more must make the report available on an Internet site
  
• CWS serving fewer than 10,000 but more than 500 persons must publish the report in at least one local newspaper
  
• CWS serving 500 or fewer persons must, on an annual basis, provide a notice that the report is available upon request.

The first CCRs will be delivered to the public by October 19, 1999. The Drinking Water Program recognizes that this may generate questions to local boards of health on the quality of drinking water both in public and private water supplies. We plan to compile a directory of information and resources on health effects of drinking water contaminants, useful Internet resources, recommended templates for producing CCRs, and a guide book to conducting consumer outreach and responding to consumer questions. We will also encourage community water suppliers to send a copy of their annual CCR to the local board of health. For general information on the CCR please call or write:
DEP Drinking Water Program
One Winter Street
Boston, MA 02110
Jane Ceraso (617) 574-6855 or Maria Osorio (617) 556-1042 or call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.