AEPA COMPLIANCE ADVISORY
OFFICE OF ENFORCEMENT
AND COMPLIANCE ASSURANCE
Reducing Noncompliance with Drinking Water Standards at Community Water Systems
EPA Document #310F21002	April 2021
Increasing Attention to
Community Water System Compliance
>	To improve drinking water quality and reduce potential impacts to the public's health, EPA and its partners in
states, tribes, and territories are focusing increased attention on public water systems that serve the same
people year-round, which are referred to as community water systems (CWSs).
>	EPA and its co-regulators are undertaking a National Initiative to improve compliance at Safe Drinking Water
Act - regulated systems, regardless of system size, through increased compliance assurance and enforcement
attention.
>	This advisory is designed to infonn owners and operators of CWSs about this effort and to identify their role
in ensuring compliance.
About the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
States, territories, tribes, and the federal government share
responsibility for protecting human health and the environment;
community water systems are one aspect of this responsibility.
Originally passed by Congress in 1974, the SDWA and its
amendments protect public health by regulating the nation's public
drinking water supply. To protect public health, EPA has established
protective drinking water standards for more than 90 contaminants.
Figure 1 Sedimentation basin
If you own or operate a CWS you have an obligation to comply with the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
(NPDWRs) including health-based standards (e.g., maximum contaminant levels, treatment techniques), and other
important requirements such as public notice, reporting, and sampling. Non-compliance may subject you to enforcement
actions, including financial penalties.
What is the Purpose of this Initiative?
There are approximately 50,000 regulated CWSs currently operating within the United States. In FY 2020, approximately
17,000 of them violated at least one drinking water standard. More than 16,000 CWSs failed to submit at least one
required sampling report or submitted the required information late or incomplete. Roughly 3,400 CWSs reported a
health-based violation which could be the presence of contaminants in their water in excess of allowable levels or a failure
to meet required treatment standards.

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This initiative will evaluate half of the nation's large CWSs (serving 10,000 or more people) and support EPA
efforts to reduce the number of CWSs still out of compliance with health-based standards since the end of FY 2017
to ensure that all CWSs are complying with the SDWA and NPDWRs. CWSs, regardless of water source type,
location, or size, will see an increase in efforts by EPA and its state, tribal, and territory partners to identify and address
SDWA violations and related public health risks. Regulators will use compliance and technical assistance, on-site visits,
off-site reviews, and enforcement actions, where appropriate.
How can I prepare?
CWS owners and operators are encouraged to assess
their compliance status in one of the following ways:
o Be sure to review your most recent sanitary
survey report for any identified significant
deficiencies and contact your primacy
agency (state, tribal, territory, or EPA) for
compliance assistance information.
Additionally, review any inspection reports
or other evaluations that have been issued by
EPA or its co-regulators,
o Review your operational reports, sampling
analyses, etc.
o Use EPA's Enforcement and Compliance
History Online (ECHO) Tool to look up your
facility (see "About ECHO" box).
If your CWS has violations, take immediate action
to correct them. Under this initiative, more attention
will be given to systems approaching or already in
violation of one or more NPDWRs - no matter their
size. Systems in violation of any health-based
violations can expect increased attention.
EPA and its co-regulators/partners will work to respond to SDWA violations and public health risks in a timely and
appropriate manner. It is important to remember that noncompliance may be subject to enforcement by either the primacy
agency (usually a state, tribe, or territory) or EPA. Potential federal actions may be taken under SDWA, including Section
1431 (emergency powers) or Section 1414 (for regulatory noncompliance). The goal of enforcement is to return systems
to compliance and protect public health. These actions may also seek penalties for past violations in order to deter future
noncompliance. A prompt return to compliance is critical to reduce the risk of harm to public health and the potential for
an enforcement action.
Ensuring Timely and Accurate Compliance Data
Under the SDWA, CWSs are required to report their own compliance data. EPA and its co-regulators/partners rely on
timely, accurate and complete self-reporting by CWSs to evaluate compliance. Compliance data is essential to protect
public health as it allows the public the opportunity to review the compliance status of their local CWS and the quality of
their water and also helps to identify potential public health risks that may be hidden without accurate reporting. Failure to
report compliance data in a timely and accurate way is a violation of the SDWA and the NPDWRs. EPA screens self-
reported compliance data for signs of misreporting. It may refer systems for further review, including potential
information requests and inspections under SDWA Section 1445. There may be criminal and civil enforcement where
fraud or violations are identified.
About ECHO
ECHO (https://echo .epa. gov/) allows CWSs to check their
compliance status. A Detailed Facility Report in ECHO
indicates whether a CWS has violations.
ECHO provides a quarterly breakdown of compliance history
that describes instances of noncompliance. These can include
a health-based violation, a monitoring and reporting violation,
or a public notice violation along with any associated
enforcement actions. (Note: In some cases, there may be a data
lag between the most current compliance status and the most
recent available quarterly information in ECHO. For more
information see: https://echo.epa.gov/help/sdwa-faqs)
To view a Detailed Facility Report in ECHO, select the
"Facility Name/ID" tab in the "Quick Search" box and search
for the facility with facility-specific information.
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More Information
The resources below can help you identify and proactively correct violations and achieve sustained compliance.
Overview of this Initiative
o https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiative-reducing-noncompliance-drinking-water-
standards-community
Technical Resources, Assistance and Training
o EPA's SDWA main webpage: https://www.epa.gov/sdwa
o EPA's Drinking Water training page: https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/drinking-water-training
o EPA's Quick reference guides to Drinking Water rules: https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/drinking-water-rule-
quick-reference-guides
o Rural Community Assistance Partnership: Provides resources and training for small, rural drinking water and
wastewater systems: https://www.reap.org/
o Association of State Drinking Water Administrators webinar page: https://www.asdwa.org/past-events-webinar-
recordings/
o The Water Environment Federation is a nonprofit association that provides technical education and training for
water quality professionals: https://www.wef.org
o The National Rural Water Association and their State Associations: Provides training and on-site technical
assistance to small and rural water and wastewater systems: https://www.nrwa.org
o American Water Works Association: offers trainings, webinars and other resources for water utilities:
https://www.awwa.org/
Financial Assistance and Funding Structures
o EPA's Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center lists technical assistance partners that work with small
and rural systems to increase financial capabilities: https://www.epa.gov/waterfinancecenter/financial-technical-
assistance-and-tools-water-infrastructure#partners
o EPA's Water Finance Clearinghouse is a database of financial assistance sources available to fund water
infrastructure needs: https://www.epa.gov/waterdata/water-finance-clearinghouse
o USDA Rural Development Water and Environment Programs: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-
programs/water-environmental-programs
Disclaimer
This Compliance Advisory addresses select provisions of EPA regulatory requirements using plain language. Nothing in this
Compliance Advisory is meant to replace or revise any EPA regulatory provisions or any other part of the Code of Federal
Regulations, the Federal Register, or SDWA. This advisory shall not be relied upon by any regulated entity in defense of or in
response to any enforcement actions brought against the entity by the EPA or any local regulating agency.
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