United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water (4606) EPA816-F-00-021 May 2000 &EPA Drinking Water Public Notification Public notification helps to ensure that consumers will always know if there is a problem with their drinking water. These notices immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water (e.g., a boil water emergency). For less serious problems (e.g., a missed water test), water suppliers must notify consumers in a timely manner. Public notice requirements have always been apart of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA); EPA recently changed these requirements to make them even more effective. Water suppliers across the United States consistently deliver drinking water that meets EPA and state standards. Systems also test regularly for approximately 90 contaminants to make sure that no contaminant is present at levels which may pose a risk to human health. Water suppliers serving the same customers year-round summarize this information in an annual report which provides consumers with a snapshot of their everyday water quality. Unfortunately, water quality can sometimes change. Despite the efforts of water suppliers, problems with drinking water can and do occur. When a problem with drinking water happens, the people who drink the water have a right to know what happened and what they need to do. The public notice requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act require water suppliers to provide this notice. As water suppliers test their water, they may discover that levels of certain contaminants are higher than the standards set by EPA or states. This might happen due to a change in local water conditions, heavy rainstorms, or an accidental spill of a hazardous substance. Water suppliers may also fail to take one or a series of their required samples. Any time a water supplier fails to meet all EPA and state standards for drinking water (including missing Public notification changes EPA published revised public notification regulations on May 4, 2000 (65 FR 25981), as required by the 1996 SDWA Amendments. These changes make notification easier and more effective for: Consumers — Faster notice in emergencies, fewer notices overall, notices that are easier to understand and better targeted to health risks. The new public notice requirements direct water suppliers to let people know within 24 hours of any situation that may immediately pose a health risk. Formerly, water systems had up to 72 hours to provide this notice. This change will make it easier for consumers to avoid drinking contaminated water. Water suppliers can now also combine notices for less serious problems, and make notices shorter and easier to read. States & water systems - concise standard language and notices. The new public notification requirements make the standard health effects language more concise. The new rule also gives water systems a standard set of procedures to follow, to make notices easier for water systems to issue, while providing better information for consumers. 1 ------- •IBB Illlll , sampies or taking'them late), the water supplier must inform the people who drink the uickly do water systems have to send notices? Depjenaing on the S£yerity_ of the n, water suppliers nave from 24 hours to one year to nptily their customers after a i.'^A s^eciSes tEree categories, or tiers, of public noffication. Depending on tier a vio ation situation falls into, water systems have different amounts of time to ..... IP ill ipriimiBiii™^^^ ...... :nii ....... I ..... iipiiiki IP i:!:!llll istribute the notice and different ways to deliver the notice: 3 ill;:! iny time a situation occurs where there is the potential for luman health tort>e^jmmediatefy. impacted, water suppliers have 24 hours to notify people > may drink the water of the situation. Water suppliers must use media outlets such as lljevisipn. radio, and newspapers, post their notice in public places, °£ Pers°n?!ly deliver loiice "to their customers m'^e'se situaSons! J! i,1" IBK'STPP'IpPilPlilllifPIPlP"!! "Si 'BE' IKllH BBB1PBB1PIPIR!1 W TIITilllNIIIIBHI!! iBBBIBSBIBfBBBEEEBBBB'B 91 PIMWffX fill »»»E«BP»«»»B,B]ppi PBEpPBBIlBBIBiBBIB n I, 'EEEEPBEBP ]B| KPP'" i1'•"'' IJ:, '"ii ilPPPP iMiiffl I,1 "i"l iy time a water system provides water with levels v. """ ' s"5 * " ^w; J ""I )tice as soon as possible (Tier. [a contaminant mat exceed EPA or state standards or that hasn't been treated properly, IT pose an immediate risk to human health, the water system must notify its lerS.^^'soSjS^^o'^ii.EIej But within 30 3ays oJtEe violation. Notice may be ^'vm me media, pos&ng, or tlirougli the mail. yanual J>otice (Tier 3): When water systems violate a drinking water standard that does iirect impact on human health (for example, failing to take a required sample ie) me water sup plieTnas ™~ |o" "yearTo proviSealiotice'oTmis situation to' its ' "" ^, f " < """** • • !""!» , ' "' "" ' ' """"! '" • '"" —"" ,. 7 "- , <'! """ """"' tpmers.The extra time gives water suppliers the opportunity to consolidate these ices arid send mem with annual water quality reports (consumer confidence reports) : I! lation^must be included in a notice? Al^notices ^must include: lescriptiori of the violation that occurred, including the potential hea je'popuKion ^'™|^^ •ater system is 3oing to correct 1R1f!IIH^ iiiiiiiii«iiiii|iiiiit»yiiiHiii:^ lumers can take . IH^ ;en the vwlalion.occurrei to',contact'trie water system for more lilllillllfil'lfSlIllilfllllilliJill Jll.i/fP IIEEiESIiilElPJISlE.!]!!!!'!!!.)!^!!!!!!!!]!.)!'!!!!!!.^!!!!;^!! anguage encouragmg broader distribution o . , ie^system expects it to be resolyed brmation e notice ^^^^^^^^^ I';'Hid if* often do violations occur that require a public notice? Serious water quality problems HSffffSffK^f^f^fff1 HI»MB«l»iJ»ljWS i tmf »• £ i!.— jn-iii. 111111.1 m^f ii.iiiiiinii.iii «. ,» iiijii.il 1 111114 "|««™ -""' j ""« « " '"" " .. . 0 , . , , ,. , . . ' »pn5Ximately 25 percent of the nation s 170,000 public water suppliers violate at ,,— ™,™,-j™. »| everv year Q^ ^Q require3 to provide puElic notice. In fiscal year IIIIIIIIIIV^ ..... PliBJiiyihit'HIIIIK^^^^^^ ..... iilfc1' :liBIIIBIi«l!MWi.TP;fiHiy;!,,'!T:i ..... ."": ere were more than 124,000 of these violations. Ninety percent of these violations are wafeLsystems^ U ,ilinihHPl!:!!!!il!l!ii!,i|illl!,ll!:Kill!!!,l,:!P,J«llB JIB ..... '^out'one sent of the time, water systems incur a vio DC™ i>|^!g^:^"^|Lr'ia1^^ous situation wnere notificat ) lore infoifflalion on drinking water, please ca> •l!!!Hi|ilR!l!!ilillft ••• « i i ]f imiihr p lini mx or« ," Hi i^ ™ M-iiii ..IIIB^ - jr visit www.eva.sov/safeMvater, ~" IP. /"'"B11"1™- »' ml. Safe Drinking Water Hotline at ------- |