v-xEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Lead and Copper Rule: Public Education & Consumer Notification Requirements for Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems Public Education Requirements Utilities must ensure that water from the customer's tap does not exceed the action level for lead in drinking water (15 ppb) in at least 90 percent of the taps sampled. If you have a lead action level exceedance you must complete the following steps to comply with the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) public education (PE) requirements. Section 141.85 of the LCR regulations contains specific requirements regarding the content and delivery of your public education program. To learn more about the revisions to the public education requirements, refer to Implementing the Lead Public Education Provision of the Lead and Copper Rule: A Guide for Non- Transient Non-Community Water Systems., Section 1, page 5. Step 1: Develop the content of your written public education materials. The following information must be included in your PE materials. Text in italics is mandatory and must be included as written. Headings in bold must be addressed, but can be customized. Fill-in-the-blank templates (in English and Spanish) are available at www.epa.gov/safewater/lcrmr/coinplisuicehelp.html. More information can be found in Implementing the Lead Public Education Provision of the Lead and Copper Rule: A Guide for Non- Transient Non-Community Water Systems; Section 1, page 7: Required Content of Public Education Materials and Appendix B: Public Education Templates. Table 1. Required Content and Language for Public Education Materials Section Language Informational Statement * Mandatory language Important Information about Lead in Your Drinking Water ^-^ [Insert name of water system] found elevated levels of lead in drinking water in some homes/ buildings. Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Please read this information closely to see what you can do to reduce lead in your drinking water. Health Effects of Lead * Mandatory language Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones and it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child receives lead from the mother's bones, which may affect brain development. Sources of Lead * Can be customized; Example language Lead is a common metal found in the environment. The main sources of lead exposure are lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust or soil. Drinking water is also a possible source of lead exposure. Most sources of drinking water have no lead or very low levels of lead. Most lead gets into drinking water after the water leaves the local well or treatment plant and comes into contact with plumbing materials containing lead. These include lead pipes, lead solder (commonly used until 1986), as well as faucets, valves, and other components made of brass. Office of Water (4606M) EPA816-F-08-020 June 2008 www.epa.gov/safewater/ ------- oEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Table 1. Required Content and Language for Public Education Materials (continued) Section Steps you can take to reduce your exposure to lead in your water * Can be customized; Example language What happened? What is being done? * Can be customized; Example language For More Information * Mandatory language Language 1 . Run your water to flush out lead. If water hasn't been used for several hours, run water for 1 5 - 30 seconds [or insert a different flushing time if your system has representative data indicating a different flushing time would better reduce lead exposure in your facility and if the Primacy Agency approves the wording] or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature before using it for drinking or cooking. 2. Use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula. Lead dissolves more easily into hot water. 3. Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead. 4. Look for alternative sources or treatment of water. You may want to consider purchasing a water filter or bottled water. 5. Test your water for lead. If you think you may have elevated lead levels in your home drinking water, have it tested. Call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) for more information. 6. Get your child's blood tested. Contact your local health department or health care provider to find out how you can get your child tested for lead, if you concerned about exposure. [Insert information about how and when the exceedance was discovered in your facility and provide information on the source(s) of lead in the drinking water, if known.] [Insert information about what your system is doing to reduce lead levels in your facility] Call us at [Insert Number] or (if applicable) visit our Web site at [insert Web site Here]. For more information on reducing lead exposure around your home/building and the health effects of lead, visit EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/lead, or contact your health care provider. [We recommend you include the name of your system and the date that the information is being distributed, along with the state water system ID, somewhere on the notice.] Different Language Facilities. If significant proportions of the population in your facility speak languages other than English, The PE materials must contain information in the appropriate language(s) regarding the importance of the notice or a contact where persons can obtain a translation or assistance. Step 2: Get State approval. You must submit all written public education materials to your Primacy Agency prior to delivery. The Primacy Agency may require the system to obtain approval of PE materials prior to delivery. Office of Water (4606M) EPA816-F-08-020 June 2008 www.epa.gov/safewater/ ------- United States Environmental Protection Agency Step 3: Deliver your public education materials. Timing: PE delivery requirements must be conducted within 60 days after the end of the monitoring period in which the lead exceedance occurred and repeated once every 12 months. For systems that are required to conduct monitoring annually or less frequently, the end of the monitoring period is September 30 of the calendar year in which the sampling occurs, or, if the Primacy Agency has established an alternate monitoring period, the last day of that period. You may discontinue delivery of PE materials if you have met the lead action level during the most recent six month monitoring period. You must recommence PE if testing subsequently exceeds the lead action level during any monitoring period. For more information go to Implementing the Lead Public Education Provision of the Lead and Copper Rule: A Guide for Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems; Section 1, page 8: Required Methods of Delivery for Non-Transient Non- Community Water Systems. Table 2. Required Methods of Delivery for Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems for PE Materials Following a Lead Action Level Exceedance1 Requirement Post informational posters on lead in drinking water in a public place or common area in each of the buildings served by the NTNCWS. Distribute informational pamphlets and/or brochures on lead in drinking water to each person served by the NTNCWS. Examples Church or school bulletin board Lunchroom or cafeteria Employee lounge > Church or school bulletin board > School letter to parents > Paycheck stuffer > Interoffice memo/mail 'Public Education Materials templates and Consumer Notification of Results templates can be found in Appendix B of Implementing the Lead Public Education Provision of the Lead and Copper Rule: A Guide for Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems. Tip: The Primacy Agency may allow the NTNCWS to utilize electronic transmission in lieu of or combined with printed materials as long as it achieves at least the same coverage. Office of Water (4606M) EPA816-F-08-020 June 2008 www.epa.gov/safewater/ ------- United States Environmental Protection Agency Notification of Results - Reporting Requirements The following must be completed whether or not you have a lead action level exceedance: V Must provide a consumer notice of lead tap water monitoring results to all persons served at the tap from which the sample was taken. V Must provide consumer notice as soon as practical, but no later than 30 days after system learns of tap monitoring results. Must include the following information: results of lead tap water monitoring, an explanation of the health effects of lead (you may use the health effects language in Table 1), list steps consumers can take to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water, and facility contact information. The notice must contain the maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) and the action level (AL) for lead and the following definitions: The MCLG for lead is zero and the action level is 15ppb. The MCLG is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. The action level is the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. V Must be provided to all persons served at the site by mail or other methods, such as posting (subject to approval by the Primacy Agency). For Additional Information: ^ Implementing the Lead Public Education Provision of the Lead and Copper Rule: A Guide for Non-Transient Non- Community Water Systems; (EPA 816-R-08-008, June 2008) ^ EPA's Website on Lead in Drinking Water — Lead and Copper Rule: www.epa.gov/safewater/lcrmr > EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline: (800) 426-4791 ^ Your Primacy Agency Disclaimer: This document is designed for NTNCWS; the guidance contained in this document does not substitute for provisions or regulations, nor is it a regulation itself. Thus, it does not impose legally-binding requirements on EPA, States, or the regulated community, and may not apply to a particular situation based upon the circumstances. Office of Water (4606M) EPA 816-F-08-020 June 2008 www.epa.gov/safewater/ ------- |