Safe
Dki>king .
Watch H4tlii>(c
July 2002
Monthly Report
Water Lines
SDW Hotline Report
In This Issue
Monthly Trends 1
CCR Inquiry Analysis 1
Frequently Asked Qs & As 3
Useful CCR Web Sites 4
Hotline Stats 5
Did You Know? 5
Appendix A 7
Top Ten Topics
Topic
Questions
(phone &
email)
Percent of
Total*
Questions
Local Drinking Water
707
12
Quality
Consumer
681
12
Confidence Report
Tap Water Testing
508**
9
Home Water
389
7
Treatment Units
Cryptosporidium
308
5
Lead
258
4
Household Wells
247
4
Other Drinking Water
215
4
Background
Other EPA
207
4
(programs)
Coliforms
201
4
*A total of 5,705 questions were answered by
the Hotline (via telephone and email) in July
2002. These top 10 topics represent 65% of
the total.
**Citizens who obtain their drinking water from
private household wells asked 28% of the tap
water testing questions
Calls
E-mails
Total***
3,800
273
4,073
Published Monthly
See past reports at
http://intranet.epa.gov/ow/hotline
Safe Drinking Water Hotline: National
Toll-free No.: (800) 426-4791 or
(877) EPAWATER
For More Information Contact:
Harriet Hubbard, EPA Project Officer
(202) 564-4621
Operated by Booz Allen Hamilton
Under Contract #GS-10F-0090J
The Hotline Monthly Report for July 2002 focuses on the Consumer
Confidence Report (CCR) and questions directed to the Hotline from both
the regulated community and consumers. The deadline for CCR delivery to
the consumer was July 1, 2002. The volume of inquiries related to the CCR
is reflected in our statistics both for June and July 2002.
Monthly Trends
Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) related questions totaled 681 during the month of
July making it the second most asked about topic area. As illustrated in the chart, the call
volume from
1,400
1,200
1,000
October 2000
through July
2002 reveals a
predictable
surge of CCR
related
questions
beginning in
the spring
months,
peaking in
June, then
tapering off
through July
and August.
June 2002
generated 841
CCR related
questions, ^ /-
representing °
16 percent of
the total questions answered. In July 2002,
total questions answered by the Hotline.
Consumer Confidence Report Questions
at
3
a
>4—
o
-------
July 2002
Common Questions / Comments
Analysis
Suggestion
• "Is my water safe?"
Over 50% of callers ask if the water is safe.
Callers frequently mistake it for a health
advisory or notification warning them of unsafe
water conditions.
Provide clearly stated language
at beginning of report detailing
the purpose of the report
• "I have a PhD and I cannot decipher
this thing!"
• "Can't they just tell us in plain
English?"
Callers seem confused when reading the report.
They complain about the complexity of the
report or the lack of explanation needed to
understand the report.
• Provide overview paragraph
of general water quality that
callers can review before
reading the table of detected
contaminants
• Water system personnel
should be prepared to
explain the report including
the contaminant table
• "Why is your number in the report if
you can't tell me about the quality of
my water?"
Callers often frustrated that the Hotline number
is the only number on the report or that the
water system number is not prominently
displayed.
Provide prominently displayed
contact numbers with a detailed
descriptions of services provided
by each
• "Why are we wasting the taxpayers
money on this?"
• "They wasted thousands of dollars on
this slick report and my water still
smells and looks awful!"
Many callers express frustration and anger
believing they incur the cost of producing a
document that they consider to be
undecipherable.
Provide general language on the
usefulness of the report and
increase readability
• "I live in an apartment. How can I
obtain a CCR?"
Citizens living in apartments or condominiums
feel they are kept in the dark about water quality
because they are not directly receiving the CCR
Provide more explicit instruction
to building managers or
associations for posting the CCR
report
In responding to these inquiries, Hotline Information Specialists provide clarification by detailing the purpose of the report, explaining
the elements in the report, and offering fact sheets and local contact recommendations. Most often, however, callers just want
someone to be empathetic and to listen to their concerns.
Geographic Distribution of CCR Questions
Based on the individuals who indicated the states from which they were calling, the following graph and table depict the number of CCR
questions the Hotline received from each EPA Region and the top 10 most frequently called from states.
Regional Distribution of CCR Questions
Region 10
Region 9
Region 8
Region 7
Region 6
Region 5
Region 4
Region 3
Region 2
Region 1
~ 26
~ 16
] 21
~ 53
~ 94
~ 99
Top Ten States with Highest Number of CCR Questions
~ 127
State
Number of CCR
Questions
Texas
100
California
63
Florida
47
Pennsylvania
42
New Jersey
41
Illinois
31
Massachusetts
22
Ohio
21
Virginia
16
Georgia
16
Number of Questions
-2-
-------
July 2002
Top 10 Frequently Asked
Qs & As About the CCR
The CCR related questions received by the Hotline
in July 2002 are grouped together into seven broad
categories. To illustrate the variety of questions
fielded by Hotline Information Specialists, ten of the
most frequently asked CCR questions, grouped by
category, are reproduced below:
Percentage Breakdown of CCR Question Categories
CCR/Water Safety
58% I
Cryptosporidum/
Immuno-
compromised
Language
16%
Water j '
Testing / Monitoring
2% I Waiver
Obtaining CCR
Report
9%
Additional Reporting
Information 7%
3%
Consumer Confidence Report and Water
Quality - 58% of total CCR inquiries
Q: I received a water quality report from my water
system. Does this report indicate there is
something wrong with the water, or that it's unsafe?
A: Every Community Water System (CWS) is
required by law to provide its customers with a
water quality report also known as a Consumer
Confidence Report (CCR). The CCR is a general
overview of the water quality. This report lists the
regulated contaminants the CWS detected in
treated water and the level at which they were
found for the preceding calendar year. For each
detected contaminant, the report must contain the
following pieces of information in tabular form;
maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG),
maximum contaminant level (MCL), level of
contaminant detected, likely contaminant source,
and notation of any violation. Additional information
is available online at
www.epa.qov/safewater/ccr/ccrfact.html. The
Hotline can provide general information concerning
the required content for the CCR. Contact your
local water system for specific information about
local water quality.
Q: Why is the Safe Drinking Water Hotline's 800
number listed in the report if the Hotline cannot
provide local water quality information?
A: Systems are required to provide a name and
telephone contact at the water system who can
answer questions about the report. In addition, a
toll free number for EPA's Safe Drinking Water
Hotline is provided to offer another source of
information at no cost to the customer. The Hotline
provides general information about CCRs and other
safe drinking water issues. Hotline staff can also
direct callers to sources for additional information,
and can assist people in understanding the purpose
and language of the CCRs.
Cryptosporidium/Immunocompromised
Language - 16% of total CCR inquiries
Q: What does the section on Cryptosporidium
mean? Do we have it in our water? Does this
mean I am immunocompromised? What should I
do?
A: Cryptosporidium is a microorganism that can
cause gastrointestinal illness. The language
concerning Cryptosporidium and other microbial
contaminants is required in all CCRs to provide
information for immunocompromised persons such
as individuals with cancer undergoing
chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ
transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune
system disorders, some elderly, and infants. This
language does not indicate the presence of
Cryptosporidium in drinking water. A guidance
document developed jointly by EPA and CDC for
people who may be immunocompromised is
available online at
www.epa.gov/safewater/crvpto.html. You can order
hard copies of this guidance through the SDW
Hotline.
Q: Does my public water system treat the water for
Cryptosporidium?
A: You should contact your water system to inquire
about its Cryptosporidium removal practices.
Q: What are the health effects associated with
Cryptosporidium?
A: Cryptosporidium can cause gastrointestinal
illness (e.g., diarrhea, vomiting, cramps). Other
health effects information concerning
Cryptosporidium is available online at
www.epa.gov/safewater/crvpto.html.
-3-
-------
July 2002
Obtaining CCR Reports - 9% of total CCR
inquiries
Q: We live in an apartment building and did not
receive the CCR. How can we obtain one?
A: The water system is required to make a good
faith effort to reach consumers who do not receive a
water bill, such as renters, by sending building
management a copy of the report for distribution.
Contact your building manager or local water
system to obtain a copy of the annual water quality
report.
PWS CCR Reporting - 7% of total CCR inquiries
Q: We detected some unregulated contaminants
that we want to include in the CCR but we cannot
find the health effects language in Appendix A of 40
CFR Subpart O. Are we required to list health
effects language for unregulated detected
contaminants?
A: There is no federal requirement for health effect
information for unregulated contaminants. 40 CFR
141.153(d)(7) requires a CWS to list the average
and range at which an unregulated contaminant
was detected, and suggests the inclusion of a brief
explanation of the reasons for monitoring for
unregulated contaminants.
Q: What regulatory agency receives a copy of the
CCR certification letter?
A: Send the CCR certification letter to the State
Drinking Water Office or other primacy agency.
Q: We purchase all of our water; do we have to
produce a CCR?
A: Yes. A water wholesaler that sells water to a
water system must provide the retailer with
monitoring and other information by April of each
calendar year to give the water system enough time
to produce the report.
Monitoring Waiver - 5% of total CCR inquiries
Q: Why does the current CCR contain results from
previous calendar years?
A: Federal regulations require that if a system is
allowed to monitor for regulated contaminants less
often than once a year, the table must include the
date and results of the most recent sampling. Thus,
the report may reflect the date and result of the last
samples taken.
Useful CCR Web Sites for Community Water Systems
The Consumer Confidence Report Final Rule (63 FR 44511) and subsequent amendments can be found at the Office of
Ground Water Drinking Water (OGWDW) Consumer Confidence Report Web site at www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr1 .html
Preparing Your Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report: Revised Guidance for Water Suppliers, EPA816-R-01-003,
is available at www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr1 .html
CCRWriter (v2) is a software program developed to help water suppliers create their consumer confidence reports. The
software can be downloaded from the OGWDW Web site at www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr1 .html
EPA offers the ability for public water systems to link their online CCR to the OGWDW Web site. PWSs can submit the
required information at www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr1 .html
EPA has created radio and print advertisements that PWSs can use to encourage citizens to take full advantage of their
consumer confidence reports. These ads can be accessed from www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr1 .html
-4-
-------
July 2002
Hotline Statistics
Monthly Summary of
Hotline Service
Customer
Calls
Emails
Analytical Laboratories
30
2
Total number of calls answered
3,800
Citizen - Private Well
399
31
Total number of emails received
273
Citizen - PWS
2,812
115
Average wait time (in seconds)
0:18
Consultants/lndustry/Trade (DW)
113
22
Percent of calls satisfied immediately
99.9%
Consultants/lndustry/Trade (Other)
75
19
Percent of all calls answered in < 1 min
92.8%
Environmental Groups
8
2
Percent of callbacks answered in 5 days
100%
EPA
32
1
Percent of emails answered in 5 days
100%
Other Federal Agency
17
7
Number of times callers listened to recorded
Government, Local
8
9
message about local DW quality
2,973
Government, State
35
8
Number of times callers listened to recorded
138
Government, Tribal
0
0
message about arsenic rule
Spanish Speaking
26
0
International
4
18
Media
13
0
Comparison to Previous Years
Medical Professional
10
1
Public Water System
125
11
Calls
Emails
Schools/University
28
27
July 2002 3,800
273
Other
65
0
July 2001 2,908
337
TOTALS
3,800
273
Top Ten Referrals
Inquiry Referred to:
Number of
Referrals
Percent of
Total*
Referrals
1. Local Water System
572
16
2. State Lab Certification
531
15
3. EPA Internet
436
12
4. NSF/WQA/UL
428
12
5. State PWSS
404
11
6. Local Public Health
176
5
7. AGWT/WSC
136
4
8. FDA/I BWA
131
4
9. Non-EPA Internet
124
3
10. Other State
84
2
*3,543 total referrals to other resources, agencies, and
organizations were provided by the Hotline in July 2002.
Did You Know?
Recycling one pound of paper saves approximately two
pounds of virgin wood, one pint of fuel oil and seven
gallons of water.
Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority,
Crescent City, CA
Customer Profiles
Daily Call Data
Total Calls
Average Wait Time
Answered
mm:sec
1-July
362
00:19
2-July
290
00:20
3-July
256
00:24
5-July
165
00:13
8-July
250
00:13
9-July
204
00:13
10-July
205
00:16
11-July
178
00:11
12-July
123
00:11
15-July
151
00:41
16-July
142
00:15
17-July
156
00:15
18-July
140
00:16
19-July
129
00:14
22-July
136
00:23
23-July
119
00:13
24-July
142
00:17
25-July
124
00:17
26-July
110
00:19
29-July
151
00:22
30-July
129
00:21
31-July
138
00:23
TOTALS
3,718
00:18
-5-
-------
July 2002
Topic Categories
Category
Calls
Emails
Microbials/Disinfection Byproducts
Chlorine
65
7
Coliforms
187
14
Cryptosporidium
308
0
Disinfection/Disinfection
Byproducts (Other)
32
10
Disinfection - Home Water
108
6
Other Microbials
32
4
Surface Water Treatment (SWTR,
ESWTR, LT1FBR)
42
4
Trihalomethane (THM)
24
0
Inorganic Chemicals (IOC)/Synthetic
Organic Chemicals (SOC)
Arsenic
77
4
Fluoride
35
2
Methyl-ferf/a/y-butyl-ether (MTBE)
11
2
Perchlorate
12
2
Phase I, II & V
75
4
Sodium Monitoring
24
0
Sulfate
7
2
Lead and Copper
Copper
64
2
Lead
243
15
Lead Contamination Control Act
(LCCA)/Lead Ban
1
0
Radionuclides
Radionuclides (Other)
59
2
Radionuclides (Radon)
119
4
Secondary DW Regulations
Secondary DW Regulations
87
13
SDWA Background/Overview
Definitions & Applicability
45
5
MCL List
54
7
Other Background
190
25
SDWA
21
1
Hotline Statistics
Category
Calls
Emails
Water on Tap
73
1
Other DW Regulations
Analytical Methods (DW)
32
11
Contaminant Candidate List/
Drinking Water Priority List
7
0
Consumer Confidence Report (DW)
670
11
DW Primacy (PWS)
1
0
Operator (PWS) Certification
6
0
Other Drinking Water Security
18
7
Public Notification (PWS)
19
1
Security Planning Grants
54
6
State Revolving Fund (DW)
2
3
Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Rule (UCMR)
34
2
Other Drinking Water
Additives Program
4
1
Bottled Water
173
5
Complaints about PWS
127
11
Compliance & Enforcement
(PWS)
27
5
Home Water Treatment Units
379
11
Infrastructure/Cap. Development
1
4
Local DW Quality
671
36
Tap Water Testing
491
17
Treatment/BATs (DW)
17
2
Drinking Water Source Protection
Ground Water Rule
4
0
Sole Source Aquifer
1
0
Source Water/Wellhead Protect.
23
9
UIC Program
10
3
Out of Purview
Household Wells
231
16
Non-Environmental
66
12
Non-EPA Environmental
90
36
Other EPA (Programs)
187
20
TOTALS
5,340
365
-6-
-------
SAFE DRINKING WATER HOTLINE MONTHLY REPORT
July 2002
Appendix A: Federal Register Summaries
NOTICES
"Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request;
Performance Evaluation Studies of Water and Wastewater Laboratories"
July 8, 2002 (67 FR 45112)
EPA announced that it is planning to submit the following continuing Information Collection
Request (ICR), "Performance Evaluation Studies of Water and Wastewater Laboratories," EPA
ICR No. 0234.08, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal. This ICR,
OMB Control No. 2080-0021, currently expires on October 31, 2002. Before submitting the ICR
to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed
information collection.
"Underground Injection Control Program Hazardous Waste Injection Restrictions;
Petition for Exemption—Class I Hazardous Waste Injection Cytec Industries, Inc."
July 10, 2002 (67 FR 45719)
EPA announced that an exemption to the land disposal restrictions under the 1984 Hazardous
and Solid Waste Amendments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act has been granted
to Cytec Industries, Inc. for five Class I injection wells. As required by 40 CFR Part 148, the
company has adequately demonstrated to the satisfaction of EPA by the petition and supporting
documentation that, to a reasonable degree of certainty, there will be no migration of hazardous
constituents from the injection zone for as long as the waste remains hazardous.
"EPA Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee Teleconference
Meeting Summary"
July 15, 2002 (67 FR 46506)
EPA announced that the Environmental Economics Advisory Committee (EEAC) of the EPA
Science Advisory Board, a chartered Federal advisory committee, will meet in a public
teleconference on August 12, 2002, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Time. At the planned
teleconference, the EEAC will continue their discussions on the EPA affordability criteria under
the Safe Drinking Water Act as amended in 1996.
-7-
-------
"EPA Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request;
2003 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey"
July 16, 2002 (67 FR 46664)
EPA announced that it is planning to submit the following proposed ICR, "2003 Drinking Water
Infrastructure Needs Survey," EPA ICR 2085.01, to OMB. Before submitting the ICR to OMB
for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed
information collection.
"Announcement of Preliminary Regulatory Determinations for Priority Contaminants on
the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List; Correction"
July 17, 2002 (67 FR 46949)
EPA published a document in the Federal Register on June 3, 2002, announcing the preliminary
regulatory determinations for priority contaminants on the Drinking Water Contaminant
Candidate List. EPA inadvertently included the incorrect docket number in the ADDRESSES
section. The correct docket number is W-01-03.
"Underground Injection Control Program Revision; Aquifer Exemption Determination for
Portions of the Lance Formation Aquifer in Wyoming"
July 22, 2002 (67 FR 47721)
EPA approved the State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality's revision to the
State Underground Injection Control Program. Specifically, EPA approved an aquifer
exemption from classification as an underground source of drinking water for portions of the
Lance Formation within the Powder River Basin in Johnson County, Wyoming. EPA's approval
of this new aquifer exemption will allow COGEMA Minerals to use the newly permitted Class I
injection wells to inject ground water restoration waste fluids from the Wasatch Formation into
the Lance Formation.
-8-
------- |