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Bureau of Water

Public Water Supply Section

Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs)

The Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) rule is a part of the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) which gives consumers more information on their drinking water and opportunities to get involved in protecting their source of water. The CCR final rule was published in the Federal Register on August 19, 1998 and became effective September 18,1998. Under the CCR rule all community water systems (CWSs) are required to provide their customers with an annual water quality report or CCR. A community water system is defined as a system that serves at least 25 residents year round or has at least ten service connections used by year- round residents.

CWSs must deliver the CCR to their customers and a copy to the state annually (by July 1) and will include information from the previous calendar year.

Annually, by April 1st, CWSs that sell water to other community water systems must provide the purchasing systems with source water information and inorganic (IOC), volatile organic (VOC), and synthetic organic (SOC) chemical monitoring results and any other required water quality, compliance and violation information that will enable the purchasing systems to produce their own CCRs.

While water systems are free to enhance their reports in any useful way, each report must provide consumers with the following basic information about their drinking water:

  • The lake, river, aquifer, or other source of the drinking water;
  • The level (or range of levels) of any contaminant found in local drinking water, as well as EPA's health-based standard (maximum contaminant level) for comparison;
  • The likely source of that contaminant in the local drinking water supply;
  • The potential health effects of any contaminant detected in violation of an EPA health standard, and an accounting of the system's actions to restore safe drinking water;
  • The water system's compliance with other drinking water-related rules;
  • An educational statement for vulnerable populations about avoiding Cryptosporidium;
  • Educational information on nitrate, arsenic, or lead in areas where these contaminants are detected above 50% of EPA's standard; and
  • Phone numbers of additional sources of information, including the water system's and EPA's Safe Drinking Water hotline (800-426-4791).
  • Brief explanation regarding contaminants which may reasonably be expected to be found in drinking water including bottled water;
  • Once water systems complete their own source water assessments, information about how consumers can obtain a copy of the water system's complete source water assessment must also be included in the CCR.
  • Additional required health information.

CWSs are required to mail or otherwise deliver a copy of the CCR to each of their customers. Though water systems are only required to deliver CCRs to bill addressees, systems are expected to make serious and "good faith" efforts to reach non-bill paying consumers.

A "good faith" effort includes such activities as:

  • Posting the report on the Internet,
  • Mailing the report to all postal patrons,
  • Publishing the report in a subdivision newsletter, or
  • Asking landlords or apartment managers to post the report.
  • Systems serving a population of 100,000 or more are required to post their report on the internet.

A number of organizations, like American Water Works Association (AWWA) and Kansas Rural Water Association (KRWA), businesses, other states and the EPA will have electronic CCR templates available to aid communities in their efforts to produce a readable and informative report.

Please contact Darrel Plummer at (785) 296-5523 or email dplummer@kdhe.state.ks.us if you have any questions or concerns about the CCR process.