Consumer Confidence Report Rule
What this EPA rule requires, what a violation means for you, and what to do about it.
📜 What This Rule Is
The Consumer Confidence Report Rule, issued by the EPA in 1998, is the centerpiece of the Safe Drinking Water Act’s public right-to-know provisions. It requires every community water system to send its customers an annual water-quality report — the Consumer Confidence Report, sometimes called the CCR or annual water quality report — summarizing where the water comes from and what was found in it.
⚙️ What It Requires of Your Water System
Community water systems must deliver a report to all customers by July 1 each year, and must certify to the state that they did so by October 1. The report has to identify the source of the water, list the monitoring results for every contaminant that was detected, describe any violations that occurred, and include the EPA’s required health-information language. Reports may be delivered on paper or, in many cases, electronically.
⚠️ What a Violation Means for You
A Consumer Confidence Report violation almost always means the system failed to prepare, deliver, or certify its annual report properly or on time. It is a right-to-know failure, not a sign that the water itself was contaminated. It does mean, though, that customers may not have received the yearly summary they are entitled to. If your system has a CCR violation, you can still request the report directly from the utility.
🩺 Health Context
The rule has no direct health effect; it exists so that you can see, once a year, what is in your water and make informed decisions. The annual report is often the first place people learn about detected contaminants that are below violation thresholds but that they may still wish to filter.
🕑 Rule History
The EPA published the final Consumer Confidence Report Rule on August 19, 1998. A 2011–2012 retrospective review identified ways to make reports clearer, and on May 15, 2024 the EPA announced revisions — effective in 2027 — that make the reports easier to read, add translations, require twice-yearly delivery for large systems, and strengthen the lead information they contain.
✅ What You Can Do
Read your annual Consumer Confidence Report when it arrives, usually by July 1; it lists what was detected and at what levels. If you did not receive one, ask your water utility for a copy — they are required to provide it — or look for it on the utility’s website. Use it alongside the violation history on this site to decide whether you want to test or filter your water.
Consumer Confidence Report Rule: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Consumer Confidence Report Rule?
The Consumer Confidence Report Rule, issued by the EPA in 1998, is the centerpiece of the Safe Drinking Water Act’s public right-to-know provisions. It requires every community water system to send its customers an annual water-quality report — the Consumer Confidence Report, sometimes called the CCR or annual water quality report — summarizing where the water comes from and what was found in it.
What does a Consumer Confidence Rule violation mean for my drinking water?
A Consumer Confidence Report violation almost always means the system failed to prepare, deliver, or certify its annual report properly or on time. It is a right-to-know failure, not a sign that the water itself was contaminated. It does mean, though, that customers may not have received the yearly summary they are entitled to. If your system has a CCR violation, you can still request the report directly from the utility.
What should I do about a Consumer Confidence Rule violation?
Read your annual Consumer Confidence Report when it arrives, usually by July 1; it lists what was detected and at what levels. If you did not receive one, ask your water utility for a copy — they are required to provide it — or look for it on the utility’s website. Use it alongside the violation history on this site to decide whether you want to test or filter your water.
🔗 Related Rules
Check your water system's violation history
Search your ZIP code to see whether your water system has any Consumer Confidence Rule violations on record, plus an overall safety grade and lead testing results.
Search your ZIP code →Rule descriptions are drawn from the EPA's drinking water regulation pages. Violation records come from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).