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MOST AMERICANS RECEIVE ANNUAL DRINKING WATER REPORTS; SECOND REPORTS DUE JULY 1
Release Date: 06/29/2000
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THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2000
MOST AMERICANS RECEIVE ANNUAL DRINKING
WATER REPORTS; SECOND REPORTS DUE JULY 1
Under a new and important drinking water public-right-to-know requirement, most Americans are expected to receive an annual report, called “Consumer Confidence Report,” on the quality of their local drinking water by July 1. EPA said approximately 253 million Americans received their first annual drinking water report by Oct. 19, 1999, the first federal deadline for the annual reports. Consumer Confidence Reports are the centerpiece of the Clinton-Gore Administration=s public right-to-know requirements under the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act. Water systems are now providing consumers with their first-ever snapshot of their local drinking water quality, including the source of their drinking water, contaminants detected and actions taken when necessary. According to new EPA data, 92 percent of the 54,000 community water systems across the country have now reported to their customers. Nearly 12 percent of drinking water systems did not make the Oct. 19 deadline. One-third or four percent of the non-reporting systems have since returned to compliance after receiving a reminder letter or notice of violation from their respective state or EPA Regional Office. Approximately eight percent of the systems still have not sent their customers the report as required by law and EPA is taking administrative actions to assure that these noncomplying systems provide the reports to the public. So far, EPA has issued more than 1,500 Administrative Orders to noncompliant systems. EPA, in collaboration with states, associations and local water boards, also has distributed public service announcements and ad campaigns to alert Americans that they should receive reports about their drinking water quality every year. More information on the Consumer Confidence Report Rule can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/ccr1.html.
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