IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Tests Showed Presence of Coliform Bacteria

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this incident was not an

emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to

correct this situation.

The Jonesville Mobile Home Park routinely monitors for drinking water contaminants. In July,

we took a total of 20 samples to test for the presence of coliform bacteria. Three (3) of our

samples tested positive. The standard is that no more than one (1) sample per month may test

positive.

What should I do?

•You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. However, if you have

specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at

increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care

providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available

from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.

What does this mean?

This is not an emergency. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. Coliform

bacteria are generally not harmful themselves. Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally

present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful,

bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a

warning of potential problems.

Usually, coliforms are a sign that there could be a problem with our treatment or distribution

system (pipes). Whenever we detect coliform bacteria in any sample, we do follow-up testing to

see if other bacteria of greater concern, such as fecal coliform or E. coli, are present. We did not

find any of these bacteria in our subsequent testing, and further testing shows that this

problem has been resolved.

What happened? What was done?

We took additional samples for coliform bacteria which all came back negative. As an added

precaution, we chlorinated and flushed the pipes in the distribution system to make sure bacteria

were eliminated. This situation is now resolved.

For more information, please contact John Jones of the Jonesville Mobile Home Park at 555-

1212 or the manager’s office or write to 1200 Jonesville Rd., Jonesville, ST 12345.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those

who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing

homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or

distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by the Jonesville Mobile Home Park.

State Water System ID# 12345. Sent: 8/8/99.

1) Description of

the violation or

situation

2) When the

violation or

situation

occurred

3) Potential

health effects

6) Actions

consumers

should take

7) What is being

done to correct

the violation or

situation

10) Standard

distribution

language

5) Whether

alternate water

supplies

should be

used

4) The population

at risk

8) When the

system expects to

return to

compliance

9) Name, number,

and business

address for more

information

Sample Public Notice

 United States Office of Water EPA 816-R-00-010

Environmental Protection (4606) June 2000

Agency

_____________________________________________________________________________

Public Notification

Handbook

 

June, 2000

To Interested Parties:

We are pleased to publish this Public Notification Handbook. The Handbook will assist water

systems in implementing the revised public notification regulation published in the Federal Register on

May 4, 2000 (65 FR 25981), under the authority of the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

amendments. We strongly encourage you to use the new regulation and the Handbook together as a

useful complement to helping water systems meet the new role and requirements.

The Public Notification Handbook is intended to make public water system owners’ and

operators’ jobs easier and public notices more effective. EPA and ASDWA developed the Handbook

using a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from the American Water Works Association

(AWWA), Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), National Association of Water

Companies (NAWC), National Rural Water Association (NRWA), and the League of Women Voters

(LWV). We held several well attended public meetings and workshops in 1998 and 1999 to review and

test the effectiveness of early drafts of the Handbook. This Handbook is the result of that collaboration.

We intend to update the Handbook periodically as EPA publishes new and revised drinking

water standards that have a public notification component. We also plan to provide additional notice

templates and use EPA’s safewater website as a forum for show-casing good public notification

practices. If you have suggestions that may improve the usefulness and effectiveness of the Handbook,

please let us know. Up-to-date information and training materials on the public notification program can

be requested from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or by visiting EPA’s website

(http://www.epa.gov/safewater/pn.html).

For general questions on this Handbook, please contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline. 

Technical queries can be directed to Carl B. Reeverts at (202) 260-7273 (or via e-mail at

reeverts.carl@epa.gov). 

Sincerely, 

William Diamond, Director Vanessa Leiby, Executive Director

Drinking Water Protection Division Association of State Drinking 

EPA Office of Ground Water and Water Administrators (ASDWA)

Drinking Water (OGWDW)

Public Notification Handbook

June 2000

 This handbook provides guidance to the States, public water systems, and the general

public concerning how EPA interprets its revised public notification regulations. This

document does not, however, substitute for the public notification regulations, nor is it a

regulation itself. Thus, it cannot impose legally-binding requirements on EPA, States, or water

suppliers and may not apply to a particular situation. This document is not intended, nor can it be

relied upon, to create any rights enforceable by any party in litigation with the United States. EPA

may decide to follow the guidance provided in this document, or to act at variance with the

guidance based on its analysis of the specific facts present. This guidance may be revised

without public notice to reflect changes in EPA’s approach to implementing public notice, or to

clarify and update text. 

 You should read the regulations thoroughly to ensure that you are in compliance. The public

notice (PN) regulations are in the Code of Federal Regulations under Chapter 40, Part 141,

Subpart Q, beginning at section 141.201. A copy of Subpart Q of the Federal Register notice for 

the Final PN rule is in Appendix E.
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Public Notification Handbook i June 2000

Contents

Acronyms ..................................................................... v

1. Introduction ............................................................. 1

2. How to Use This Handbook ................................................. 3

Appropriate Use of the Templates .............................................. 4

3. Summary of Requirements ................................................. 5

When and how do I need to notify my consumers? .................................. 5

Who must I inform when a violation or situation occurs? .............................. 6

Does every notice need to be sent to everyone in the distribution system? ................. 6

What if I sell water to other systems? ........................................... 6

What kinds of violations and situations require public notice? .......................... 7

What information do I need to include in each notice for a violation or situation? ............. 9

What standard language do I have to include in my notices? .......................... 11

What information do I need to include for special notices for fluoride SMCL exceedances? ..... 11

What do I need to include for special notices for unregulated contaminant monitoring? ........ 12

What information do I need to include if I’ve been issued a variance or exemption? .......... 12

Are there formatting requirements for public notices? ............................... 12

Will I have to provide notices in languages other than English? ........................ 12

What information must I provide my primacy agency? ............................... 13

4. Making Public Notification Work ............................................ 15

How can I prepare for public notification before a violation or situation occurs? .............. 15

How can I make a notice more easily readable? ................................... 17

How can I ensure that the media distributes an accurate notice? ....................... 17

What other steps should I take after issuing a notice? .............................. 19

How can I prevent overreaction to a public notice? ................................. 19

5. Tier 1 Notice Requirements and Suggestions .................................. 21

What is the deadline for issuing a Tier 1 notice? ................................... 22

Which methods of delivery must I use? ......................................... 22

Suggestions for Effective Public Notification Delivery ................................ 23

Suggestions for Layout of the Notice ........................................... 25

TIER 1 TEMPLATES .......................................... 27

Nitrate Notice–Template 1-1 ..................................... 29

Spanish Nitrate Notice–Template 1-1A ............................. 31

Fecal Coliform or E. Coli Notice–Template 1-2 ........................ 33

Spanish Fecal Coliform or E. Coli Notice–Template 1-2A ................. 35

Waterborne Disease Outbreak Notice–Template 1-3 .................... 37

Notice for Turbidity Single Exceedance as Tier 1–Template 1-4 ............ 39

Chlorine Dioxide MRDL (Tier 1) Notice–Template 1-5 ................... 41

Tier 1 “Problem Corrected” Notice–Template 1-6 ....................... 43
Public Notification Handbook ii June 2000

6. Tier 2 Notice Requirements and Suggestions .................................. 45

What is the deadline for issuing a Tier 2 notice? ................................... 45

When might a Tier 2 violation be elevated to Tier 1? ................................ 46

Which methods of delivery must I use? ......................................... 47

Suggestions for Effective Public Notification Delivery ................................ 48

Suggestions for Layout of the Notice ........................................... 49

TIER 2 TEMPLATES .......................................... 51

Unresolved Total Coliform Notice–Template 2-1 ....................... 53

Resolved Total Coliform Notice--Template 2-2 ......................... 55

Chemical or Radiological MCLs Notice–Template 2-3 ................... 57

Fluoride MCL Notice–Template 2-4 ................................ 59

SWTR Failure to Filter Notice--Template 2-5 ......................... 61

SWTR Turbidity Exceedance Notice--Template 2-6 ..................... 63

SWTR Disinfection Treatment Notices--Template 2-7 ................... 65

LCR Failure to Install Corrosion Control--Template 2-8 ................... 67

7. Tier 3 Notice Requirements and Suggestions .................................. 69

What is the deadline for issuing a Tier 3 notice? ................................... 69

Which methods of delivery must I use? ......................................... 70

Suggestions for Effective Public Notification Delivery ................................ 71

May I combine notices for multiple Tier 3 violations or situations? ...................... 71

Suggestions for the Layout of the Notice ........................................ 72

TIER 3 TEMPLATES .......................................... 75

Monitoring Violations Annual Notice--Template 3-1 ..................... 77

Fluoride SMCL Notice--Template 3-2 ............................... 79

8. Special Needs of Non-Community Systems .................................... 81

Summary of Public Notification Requirements .................................... 82

Suggestions for the Layout of the Notice ........................................ 84

How should the notice be formatted to get people’s attention? ......................... 84

How should I tailor the notices to my situation? ................................... 85

Suggestions for Effective Public Notice Delivery ................................... 85

How can I make posting effective? ............................................ 85

What other methods are available for non-community systems to reach all consumers? ...... 86

TEMPLATES FOR NON-COMMUNITY SYSTEMS ..................... 87

Nitrate Notice–Template NC-1 .................................... 89

Instructions for Fecal Coliform or E. coli Notice--Template NC-2 ............ 91

Instructions for Unresolved Total Coliform Notice--Template NC-3 ........... 93

Monitoring Violation Notice–Template NC-4 .......................... 95

Appendix A

NPDWR Violations and Other Situations Requiring Public Notice ...................... 99

Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification .......................... 105
Public Notification Handbook iii June 2000

Appendix C

Translated Phrases ........................................................... 117

Appendix D

Summary of the Major Differences Between the 1987 and 2000 PN Rules .............. 119

Appendix E

The Public Notification Rule 

(40 CFR Part 141, Subpart Q) ................................................. 125
iv

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Public Notification Handbook v June 2000

Acronyms

CCR Consumer Confidence Report

CWS Community Water System

DBP Disinfection Byproduct

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

HPC Heterotrophic Plate Count

IESWTR Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule

IOC Inorganic Chemical

LCR Lead and Copper Rule

MCL Maximum Contaminant Level

MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal

MRDL Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level

MRDLG Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal

NCWS Non-Community Water System

NPDWR National Primary Drinking Water Regulation

NTNCWS Non-Transient Non-Community Water System

NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Unit

OGWDW Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water

OW Office of Water

PN Public Notification

PWS Public Water System

SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act

SMCL Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level

SOC Synthetic Organic Chemical

SWTR Surface Water Treatment Rule

TCR Total Coliform Rule

TT Treatment Technique

TWS Transient Non-Community Water System

VOC Volatile Organic Chemical
vi

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Public Notification Handbook 1 June 2000

1. Introduction

T

he purpose of this handbook is to explain EPA’s revised public notification

rule and provide specific examples of public notices. In addition to

increasing the effectiveness of public notices, this handbook should make

public water system owners’ and operators’ jobs easier and help them comply

with Federal and State requirements. State and Tribal primacy agencies should

find this handbook useful as well. 

Public notification of drinking water violations and other situations provides a

means to protect public health, build trust with consumers through open and

honest sharing of information, and establish an ongoing, positive relationship

with the community. Public notice can also help consumers understand rate

increases and support increased funding for drinking water treatment and

protection.

The handbook is designed to meet the needs of public water systems of all

sizes. Throughout the handbook there are suggestions and instructions targeted

to very small community systems (systems that serve 500 people or less).

These suggestions, along with other useful hints for creating effective notices,

are set aside in shaded boxes throughout the handbook. Some of these

instructions may also be applicable to small systems serving more than 500

people. In addition, Chapter 8 specifically addresses the requirements for noncommunity systems.

The revised public notification rule makes several changes from the previous

rule; a side-by-side summary comparison is presented in Appendix D. The

changes include new deadlines (most significantly, a change from 72 to 24

hours for the most serious violations, from 14 to 30 days for other serious

violations, and from 3 months to 12 months for non-serious violations); modified

delivery requirements that give water systems flexibility in choosing a delivery

method that will reach their customers best; simplified mandatory health effects

language; new standard language for monitoring violations; and a new

certification requirement.

This handbook will be updated as EPA develops new regulations that could

affect water systems’ public notification responsibilities. For example, new

templates may be developed to explain violations or situations under new rules. 

The loose-leaf format will be useful for adding or replacing pages in the

handbook.
1. Introduction

Public Notification Handbook 2 June 2000

The revised rule also provides additional flexibility to primacy agencies, allowing

them to set different requirements on both a case-by-case and a rule-by-rule

basis. Systems should keep this in mind when using the handbook.

Finally, as you read, you will notice references in parentheses throughout the

document. These are references to the appropriate federal regulatory

requirement found in the Federal Public Notification Rule (see Appendix E) and

are included to help you understand the particular requirement being discussed.
Public Notification Handbook 3 June 2000

2. How to Use This Handbook

T

his handbook contains information to help you prepare and issue a public

notice. Before you are faced with a violation or situation requiring

public notification, you should read this handbook. Listed below are

the steps to take to respond to a drinking water violation or other situation

requiring notice:

1. Determine what tier your violation or situation falls into. Use Table 2

on page 8 for a summary of major violations and situations requiring notice

and your deadline for providing public notice. You can also refer to Appendix

A for a listing by contaminant (141.201(a)). 

2. Consult your primacy agency if required.

For Tier 1 violations and situations, immediately consult with your

primacy agency when you learn of the violation or situation

(141.202(b)). You must issue the notice within 24 hours, even if you are

unable to contact the primacy agency.

For single exceedances of turbidity limits or for a two-day turbidity

MCL violation, immediately consult with your primacy agency when

you learn of the violation. Your primacy agency will determine whether

the violation needs to be elevated to Tier 1 (141.203(b)).

3. Review the requirements for public notices. Read the “Summary of

Requirements” chapter starting on page 5, which describes content,

mandatory language, formatting, and distribution requirements that are

applicable to all notices. Chapter 4 provides guidance on working with the

media and planning ahead.

4. Determine the appropriate method(s) of delivery. Chapters 5, 6, and 7

describe the method of delivery requirements for Tier 1, 2, and 3 notices,

respectively, as well as ideas for creating the most effective notice possible.

Required methods vary based on system type. If you operate a noncommunity water system, go to Chapter 8, which begins on page 81,

for assistance on delivery methods.

5. Develop a notice, modifying the templates to fit your situation. A

complete list of templates is provided in the table of contents. At the ends of

Chapters 5, 6, and 7 are templates for commonly occurring violations 
2. How to Use This Handbook

Public Notification Handbook 4 June 2000

and situations, along with violation-specific instructions for modifying each

template. Chapter 8 contains templates tailored to non-community

systems. The instructions for each template are on the front of the page; the

corresponding template is on the back. If there is no template for your

violation or situation, write your own notice using the list of required

elements on page 9 or other applicable requirements provided in Chapter 3,

and follow the suggestions on layout in Chapters 5 through 7. Some

situations and all violations, including monitoring violations, have required

language regarding health effects (141.205(d)). This language is discussed

on page 11 and is found in Appendix B and in the templates.

6. Translate the notice if a large proportion of the population you serve does

not speak English (141.205(c)). See page 12 for more on how to determine

if translations are necessary and how to get help translating notices.

7. Provide your notice to persons served as soon as practical but within

the allowed time frame. Use the method of delivery chosen in step 4 above.

8. Send a copy of each type of notice issued (including repeat notices)

to your primacy agency within ten days after you distribute the notice,

along with a statement certifying that all public notification requirements

have been met (141.31(d)). See the sample certification statement on page

14.

Appropriate Use

of the Templates

The templates in this handbook are designed to help operators create public

notices for a variety of violations. However, it is important to note that the

templates included here are not inclusive and may not be appropriate for

all violations and situations. Depending on the severity of your violation or

situation, it may be necessary to modify the instructions you give to consumers

or to change the timing of the notice. For instance, if trichloroethylene levels are

ten times the standard (rather than a slight exceedance), you should not tell

your customers that they can continue to drink the water. In these cases, you

should issue a notice immediately, rather than wait up to 30 days. It is

important to consult your local health department or primacy agency in such

situations. In some cases, your primacy agency may instruct you to make

these changes.

Note that the public notice requirements described in this handbook are based

on Federal regulations. States or Tribes may have alternate public notice

requirements or more stringent drinking water standards. You should check

with your primacy agency to make sure you meet its specific

requirements.
Public Notification Handbook 5 June 2000

3. Summary of Requirements

This chapter summarizes the PN rule requirements. Except where noted, all requirements in

this chapter can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q,

beginning at Section 141.201. See Appendix E.

When and how do I

need to notify my

consumers?

EPA has assigned each violation and situation requiring notice to one of three

categories, or tiers, based on the risk of adverse health effects (see Appendix

A). After you learn of a violation or situation, public notice must be provided

following the requirements summarized in Table 1 below. Delivery requirements

for community water systems (CWSs) and non-community water systems

(NCWSs) differ, as indicated below.

Table 1

Requirements for Issuing Public Notice

Tier Deadline for

Notice

Delivery Methods to Use * Go to. . .

1 24 hours** 1) Broadcast media (radio or television) or hand delivery

or posting

2) Another method as needed to reach others

Chapter 5

2 30 days *** CWS: 1) Mail or hand delivery 

2) Another method as needed to reach others

Chapter 6

NCWS: 1) Posting, hand delivery, or mail 

2) Another method as needed to reach others

Chapter 8

3 1 year**** CWS: 1) Mail or hand delivery 

2) Another method as needed to reach others

Chapter 7

NCWS: 1) Posting, hand delivery, or mail 

2) Another method as needed to reach others

Chapter 8

* Primacy agencies may approve other methods.

** For Tier 1, systems must also initiate consultation with the primacy agency within 24 hours.

*** Systems with turbidity MCL violations based on the average of samples over two days or

with turbidity single exceedance treatment technique violations must consult with the

primacy agency within 24 hours after learning of the violation.

**** EPA recommends consolidating all Tier 3 violations and situations occurring within a given

year into an annual notice.
3. Summary of Requirements

Public Notification Handbook 6 June 2000

Who must I inform

when a violation or

situation occurs? 

If you are faced with a violation or situation requiring public notification, you must

provide the notice to persons served by your system. This means you must

take all steps reasonably calculated to inform people if they would not be

reached by the most commonly used methods of notification. This does not

mean that every person in the area served by the system must be notified (this

may be impossible), but you must identify different types of consumers and

make an effort to reach each. Additionally, every new billing customer or unit

must be notified of any ongoing violations or situations for which notice has

previously been issued (at non-community systems notices must be posted for

as long as a violation or situation lasts).

For example, if a community water system mails a notice to its billing

customers only, people who do not receive water bills, such as tenants whose

utilities are included in their rent or people who work in the area served by the

system but live elsewhere, would not receive a notice. Publishing a notice in the

newspaper and providing copies of the notice to landlords to distribute to their

tenants would help reach those people. At a non-community system, hand

delivery of notices would reach only those consumers who are present when the

notices are distributed. Posting would reach visitors or newcomers. 

The requirement to include standard language to encourage distribution of the

notice (where applicable) described on page 11 is intended to increase public

awareness of the situation. Use of this language does not relieve you of your

obligation to notify persons served, however.

Does every notice

need to be sent to 

everyone in the

distribution

system?

In general, notices must be provided to persons served throughout the

distribution system. In some very limited cases, however, if you can show that

a violation affects a portion of the distribution system that is physically or

hydraulically isolated from the rest of the distribution system, your primacy

agency may allow you to notify only those in the portion of the system that is

out of compliance. You must receive written permission from your primacy

agency to limit distribution of a notice.

What if I sell water

to other systems?

The obligation to notify persons served includes notifying owners or operators of

other systems that buy or otherwise obtain water from you. The owners or

operators of such systems are responsible for notifying their customers within

the appropriate deadline, with the “clock” starting when the purchasing systems

learn of the violation or situation from you. Sometimes, however, it may be

easier and less confusing for consumers if one system notifies all the

customers in consecutive systems (e.g., if the notice is broadcast over

television or radio). You should send copies of your notice to purchasing

systems prior to notifying the media if time permits. You should incorporate

procedures and chains of communication for such situations into your

emergency management or communications plan. In addition, any memoranda

of understanding you sign with other water systems should spell out each

system’s public notification responsibilities. 
3. Summary of Requirements

Public Notification Handbook 7 June 2000

What kinds of

violations and

situations require

public notice? 

In general, public notice is required for any of the following violations: 

C Exceedances of maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) or maximum

residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs);

C Violation of treatment techniques;

C Monitoring and testing procedure violations; and

C Failure to comply with the schedule of a variance or exemption. 

Other situations (not violations) which require notice include: 

C Operation under a variance or exemption;

C Occurrence of a waterborne disease outbreak or other waterborne

emergency;

C Exceedance of the secondary maximum contaminant level for fluoride;

C Availability of unregulated contaminant monitoring results; and

C Exceedance of the nitrate MCL in non-community systems that have

been granted permission by the primacy agency to continue to exceed

the nitrate MCL of 10 mg/l (although they must not exceed 20 mg/l). 

See Chapter 8. 

Primacy agencies may also require notice for other violations and situations. 

Table 2 on the next page shows the organization of violations and situations into

tiers, based on the seriousness of any potential adverse health effects. For a

complete list of contaminants and their appropriate tiers, refer to Appendix A.
3. Summary of Requirements

Public Notification Handbook 8 June 2000

Table 2

Violations and Situations Requiring Public Notice

Tier 1 Violations and Other Situations Requiring Notice Within 24 Hours*

1. Violation of the MCL for total coliform, when fecal coliform or E. coli are present in the water distribution system,

or failure to test for fecal coliform or E. coli when any repeat sample tests positive for coliform;

2. Violation of the MCL for nitrate, nitrite, or total nitrate and nitrite; or when a confirmation sample is not taken

within 24 hours of the system’s receipt of the first sample showing exceedance of the nitrate or nitrite MCL;

3. Exceedance of the nitrate MCL (10 mg/l) by non-community water systems, where permitted to exceed the MCL

(up to 20 mg/l) by the primacy agency;

4. Violations of the MRDL for chlorine dioxide when one or more of the samples taken in the distribution system on

the day after exceeding the MRDL at the entrance of the distribution system or when required samples are not

taken in the distribution system;

5. Violation of the turbidity MCL of 5 NTU, where the primacy agency determines after consultation that a Tier 1

notice is required or where consultation does not occur in 24 hours after the system learns of violation;

6. Violation of the treatment technique requirement resulting from a single exceedance of the maximum allowable

turbidity limit, where the primacy agency determines after consultation that a Tier 1 notice is required or where

consultation does not take place in 24 hours after the system learns of violation;

7. Occurrence of a waterborne disease outbreak, as defined in 40 CFR 141.2, or other waterborne emergency;

and

8. Other violations or situations with significant potential to have serious adverse effects on human health as a

result of short term exposure, as determined by the primacy agency either in its regulations or on a case-bycase basis. 

* If your system has any of these violations or situations, in addition to issuing public notice, you must initiate

consultation with your primacy agency as soon as practical but within 24 hours after you learn of the violation

or situation. See Chapter 5 for more details. 

Tier 2 Violations Requiring Notice Within 30 Days**

1. All violations of the MCL, MRDL, and treatment technique requirements except where Tier 1 notice is required;

2. Violations of the monitoring requirements where the primacy agency determines that a Tier 2 public notice is

required, taking into account potential health impacts and persistence of the violation; and

3. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of any variance or exemption in place.

** If you exceed the maximum allowable turbidity level, as identified in Appendix A, you must consult with your

primacy agency as soon as practical but no later than 24 hours after learning of the violation. See Chapter 6 for

more details. 

Tier 3 Violations and Other Situations Requiring Notice Within 1 Year

1. Monitoring violations, except where Tier 1 notice is required or the primacy agency determines that the violation

requires a Tier 2 notice;

2. Failure to comply with an established testing procedure, except where Tier 1 notice is required or the primacy

agency determines that the violation requires a Tier 2 notice;

3. Operation under variance granted under §1415 or exemption granted under §1416 of the Safe Drinking Water

Act;

4. Availability of unregulated contaminant monitoring results; and

5. Exceedance of the secondary maximum contaminant level for fluoride.
3. Summary of Requirements

Public Notification Handbook 9 June 2000

What information

do I need to include

in each notice for a

violation or

situation?

Your public notice must include specific information in order to be considered

complete. For each violation and situation requiring notice (except for fluoride

SMCL exceedances, availability of unregulated contaminant monitoring data,

and operation under a variance or exemption), you must provide a clear and

readily understandable explanation of the following:

1. The violation or situation, including the contaminant(s) of concern, and

(as applicable) the contaminant level(s);

2. When the violation or situation occurred; 

3. Any potential adverse health effects from drinking the water, using

mandatory language described on page 11;

4. The population at risk, including subpopulations particularly vulnerable if

exposed to the contaminant in their drinking water;

5. Whether alternative water supplies should be used;

6. What actions consumers should take, including when they should seek

medical help, if known;

7. What you are doing to correct the violation or situation;

8. When you expect to return to compliance or resolve the situation;

9. Your name, business address, and phone number or those of a

designee of the public water system as a source of additional

information concerning the notice; and

 10. A statement encouraging notice recipients to distribute the notice to

others, where applicable, using the standard language given on

page 11.

Some required elements may not be applicable to every violation or situation.

However, you must still address these elements in your notice. For example, if

it is unnecessary for consumers to boil their water or drink bottled water, you

should tell them they do not need to do so. This is especially important for Tier

2 notices, where a violation may have been resolved by the time the notice is

issued or may not be an immediate health risk. You should consult with your

primacy agency or a local health department for the appropriate information for

some elements of the notice, such as the actions consumers should take. The

local health department also can help you identify other system-specific

information, such as the population at risk (e.g., children, dialysis patients). 

If you do not know when your system will return to compliance, give your

consumers an idea of how long it will take–for example, a few days for an E. coli

violation or months for failure to install corrosion control. Some situations, such

as waterborne emergencies, may not have mandatory health effects language,

but you must still describe potential health effects. You may be able to adapt

the language from a treatment technique or MCL violation. Figure 1 contains an

example showing how all the content elements fit into a notice for a violation.
3. Summary of Requirements

Public Notification Handbook 10 June 2000

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Tests Showed Presence of Coliform Bacteria

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this

incident was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know

what happened and what we did to correct this situation.

The Jonesville Mobile Home Park routinely monitors for drinking water

contaminants. In July, we took a total of 20 samples to test for the presence

of coliform bacteria. Three (3) of our samples tested positive. The standard

is that no more than one (1) sample per month may test positive.

What should I do?

•You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions.

However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some

elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about

drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways

to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe

Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.

What does this mean?

This is not an emergency. If it had been, you would have been notified

immediately. Coliform bacteria are generally not harmful themselves.

Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the environment and

are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be

present. Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a

warning of potential problems.

Usually, coliforms are a sign that there could be a problem with our

treatment or distribution system (pipes). Whenever we detect coliform

bacteria in any sample, we do follow-up testing to see if other bacteria of

greater concern, such as fecal coliform or E. coli, are present. We did not

find any of these bacteria in our subsequent testing, and further testing

shows that this problem has been resolved.

What happened? What was done?

We took additional samples for coliform bacteria which all came back

negative. As an added precaution, we chlorinated and flushed the pipes in

the distribution system to make sure bacteria were eliminated. This situation

is now resolved.

For more information, please contact John Jones of the Jonesville Mobile

Home Park at 555-1212 or the manager’s office or write to 1200 Jonesville

Rd., Jonesville, ST 12345.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water,

especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example,

people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do

this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or

mail.

This notice is being sent to you by the Jonesville Mobile Home Park

State Water System ID# 12345. Sent: 8/8/99.

Figure 1

The Required Elements of a Public Notice

1) Description

of the

violation or

situation

2) When the

violation or

situation

occurred

3) Potential

health

effects

6) Actions

consumers

should take

7) What is

being done

to correct

the

violation or

situation

10) Standard

distribution

language

5) Whether

alternate

water

supplies

should

be used

4) The

population

at risk

8) When the

system

expects to

return to

compliance

9) Name,

number,

and

business

address for

more

information
3. Summary of Requirements

Public Notification Handbook 11 June 2000

What standard

language do I have

to include in my

notices?

C Language to encourage distribution of the notice to all persons served. You

must include the following language in all notices, where applicable (e.g., in

a notice mailed to customers). This language would probably not be

necessary on a posted notice, however, since posting makes the notice

available to everyone who passes by. It would also not be needed for a

notice provided by broadcast and print media. Use of this language does

not relieve you of your obligation to notify persons served:

“Please share this information with all the other people who drink

this water, especially those who may not have received this notice

directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes,

schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in

a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.”

C Health effects language for MCL and MRDL violations, treatment technique

violations, and violations of the conditions of a variance or exemption. You

must include the health effects language specified in Appendix B for

such violations. You must also describe potential health effects for other

situations, even if there is no mandatory language.

C Language for monitoring violations (including testing procedure violations).

You must include the following language for all monitoring and testing

procedure violations:

“We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific

contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an

indicator of whether or not your drinking water meets health standards. 

During [compliance period], we [‘did not monitor or test’ or ‘did not

complete all monitoring or testing’] for [contaminant(s)], and therefore

cannot be sure of the quality of your drinking water during that time.” 

What information

do I need to include

for special notices

for fluoride SMCL

exceedances?

Community water systems that exceed the secondary maximum contaminant

level of 2 mg/l for fluoride but do not exceed the MCL of 4 mg/l must include the

special fluoride language shown in Template 3-2 and fill in the blanks as

appropriate. You do not need to include the ten elements listed above, as these

are addressed in the language. You must provide notice as soon as practical

but no later than 12 months after you learn of the exceedance and repeat the

notice annually as long as the exceedance persists. See Chapter 7 for more

information. Primacy agencies may require earlier initial or more frequent repeat

notification on a case-by-case basis.
3. Summary of Requirements

Public Notification Handbook 12 June 2000

What do I need to

include for special

notices for

unregulated

contaminant

monitoring?

If you monitor for unregulated contaminants, you must issue a public notice

stating that the results of the monitoring are available and give a phone number

to call for those results. You do not need to include the ten elements listed

above, but you must follow the Tier 3 schedule. You may include this

information in an annual notice for Tier 3 situations and violations.

What information

do I need to include

if I’ve been issued a

variance or

exemption?

Notices for operating under a variance or exemption have different content

requirements than notices for the violations and situations described above. If

you are operating under a variance or exemption, you must notify your

consumers within one year of obtaining it and repeat the notice annually for as

long as the variance or exemption exists. You must include the following in your

notice:

T An explanation of the reason(s) for the variance or exemption;

T The date on which the variance or exemption was issued;

T A brief status report on the steps you are taking to install treatment,

find alternative sources of water, or otherwise comply with the terms

and schedules of the variance or exemption; and 

T A notice of any opportunity for public input in the review of the variance

or exemption.

Are there

formatting

requirements for

public notices?

All public notices must meet certain formatting standards. These requirements

help prevent the notice from being “buried” in a newspaper and help ensure that

consumers can easily read and understand the notice. Notices must: 

T Be displayed in a conspicuous way (where printed or posted);

T Not contain overly technical language or very small print;

T Not be formatted in a way that defeats the purpose of the notice; and

T Not contain language which nullifies the purpose of the notice.

Your primacy agency may have special formatting requirements. Check to be

sure that you meet all its requirements.

Will I have to

provide notices in

languages other

than English?

If a large proportion of the population you serve does not speak English, you

must provide at least partially multilingual notices. If translations are needed,

your notice must, at a minimum, contain information in the appropriate

language(s) regarding the importance of the notice, or it must provide a phone

number or address where a translated notice or information or assistance in the

appropriate language are available. Your primacy agency may have established

criteria for what constitutes a large proportion of the people you serve; check

with the agency to be sure.

If your primacy agency does not define what constitutes a large proportion of

non-English speaking consumers, it is up to you to make this determination. 

You should rely on your knowledge of your consumer base or contacts with
3. Summary of Requirements

Public Notification Handbook 13 June 2000

community representatives. As a guideline in making your determination, some

states have used a threshold of ten percent of the population or 1,000 people,

whichever is less, for providing multilingual information in Consumer Confidence

Reports (CCRs). To find information on the languages spoken in your area, see

the U.S. Census Bureau’s website, http://factfinder.census.gov to find

information about your community. The census database includes answers to

questions about what languages besides English are spoken at home and the

level of English proficiency. You should also be able to find out the number of

people who speak each language. 

You should be more proactive in deciding whether to translate PNs than you

would for CCRs. Keep in mind that public notices are about violations of drinking

water standards or other situations that pose a health risk, whereas CCRs are

educational. You may wish to provide notices in multiple languages if nonEnglish speaking populations are in your service area, whether or not you have a

large proportion of such people. Although you are not required to provide full

translations of notices, this is strongly recommended for Tier 1 notices and for

other violations that pose a serious health risk. Primacy agencies may be able

to provide you with some assistance in finding translators, but it is your

responsibility to get the notice translated. Schools and universities often have

students who can translate notices. Make contacts ahead of time with

universities, high school teachers, community centers, and other services for

low-cost translations. It is also important to work with community or ethnic

organizations to make sure the notice gets to non-English speaking consumers.

Spanish templates for nitrate and fecal coliform notices are included with the

templates for Tier 1 violations and situations at the end of Chapter 5. These

templates are exact translations of the English Tier 1 templates, so if the

English templates have to be modified, the Spanish ones must also change. In

addition, translations in several languages of important phrases, such as “do not

drink the water,” “boil your water before using,” and others, are included in

Appendix C.

What information

must I provide my

primacy agency?

After you provide the notice to your consumers, you must, within ten days, send

your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice you distribute (e.g.,

newspaper article, press release to TV/radio, mail notices) and a certification

that you have met all the public notification requirements (141.31(d)). You must

send certifications for both initial and any repeat notices. When you certify,

you are also stating that you will meet future requirements for notifying

new billing units of the violation or situation. 
3. Summary of Requirements

Public Notification Handbook 14 June 2000

A sample certification “box” with appropriate language is provided below. The

box is not mandatory (only a statement is); however, it is a useful tool for

tracking and noting required activities. You may wish to copy this certification

onto the bottom or reverse of the copy of the notice you send to the primacy

agency.

PWS Name: [system name] 

PWS ID #: [PWS number] 

For Violation: [describe violation or situation] 

Occurring on [insert date] .

The public water system indicated above hereby affirms that public notice

has been provided to consumers in accordance with the delivery, content,

and format requirements and deadlines in [regulatory citation].

G Consultation with primacy agency (if required) on [insert date] .

G Notice distributed by [insert method] on [insert date] .

G Notice distributed by [insert method] on [insert date] .

G Content - required elements.

___________________________________ _____________

Signature of owner or operator Date
Public Notification Handbook 15 June 2000

4. Making Public Notification

Work

How can I prepare

for public

notification before

a violation or

situation occurs?

C Integrate planning for Tier 1 public notification into your community and

water system emergency management plans. When a serious violation,

waterborne disease outbreak, or other emergency occurs, you will already

have an established decision process and chain of command and have other

departments available to assist you. This should include working with your

local health department or sanitarian. Consumers may call the health

department for information; if you coordinate with the department, you will

be able to give out consistent information. Also, work with your

community’s emergency managers to establish ties with the state office

that works with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA)/National Weather Service (NWS) to access the Emergency Alert

System (EAS). Through memoranda of agreement between states and the

NWS, communities can broadcast alerts of non-weather emergencies,

including drinking water violations and situations, via NOAA Weather Radio

and NOAA Weather Wire Service.

C Find out who you should contact at the primacy agency for cases where

consultation is required. Determine whether there are alternative procedures

for notifying the agency when violations or situations occur on weekends or

holidays.

C As part of planning for Tier 1 notification, work with the media ahead of time.

Explain to them what constitutes an emergency and what your needs would

be during a crisis.

C Establish contacts with institutions and people who can translate notices

into other languages for you and who can help you target non-English

speaking populations for distribution of translated notices. Community

centers and universities can help provide translations. Word-of-mouth is

often the best way to get the notice to non-English speaking consumers,

especially if there are no television or radio stations or newspapers in those

languages. Work with churches, community leaders, and activist groups.

Post notices in ethnic grocery stores, laundromats, and other locations

where people gather. See page 12 for more on multilingual notices.
4. Making Public Notification Work

Public Notification Handbook 16 June 2000

C Remember that some of your consumers may have a low reading ability. 

For this reason, it is important that notices do not contain overly technical

or confusing language. Whoever on your staff is responsible for responding

to questions about the notice should keep in mind that it may be necessary

to read or explain the entire notice to a caller. You should also figure out

how to target visually and hearing impaired populations and meet their

needs. Again, community centers or word-of-mouth may be useful.

C Obtain fact sheets on contaminants from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water

Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791 or the Agency’s website at

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwhealth.html. This way, if your consumers

call to ask for information, you will be able to help them. The fact sheets are

updated periodically, so make sure you have the most recent version. The

Hotline also can provide phone numbers for state laboratory certification

offices, where you can get a list of labs certified to analyze tap water.

C The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a good

source of information on drinking water contaminants that can cause

disease, including Cryptosporidium (http://www.cdc.gov, 1 (800) 311-3435). 

For instance, guidelines on notification for cryptosporidiosis are available in

Cryptosporidium and Water: A Public Health Handbook. This handbook

discusses the decision-making process for issuing boil water advisories,

provides information on preparing news releases, and contains educational

fact sheets on preventing disease. Much of the information in the handbook

is also applicable to other types of disease outbreaks and emergencies. 

The handbook, along with fact sheets and other publications on

Cryptosporidium are available at:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/cryptosporidiosis/default.htm. 

Information on other diseases is available at:

http://www.cdc.gov/health/diseases.htm.

C If you are going to provide bottled water, especially for a Tier 1 violation or

situation, you should confirm ahead of time and periodically reconfirm that

available bottled water supplies meet the Food and Drug Administration or

state safety standards by asking bottlers for their most recent testing

results.

C Implement ongoing public education programs about contaminants at risk of

violation; that is, contaminants whose levels are below the MCL but have the

potential in the future to exceed it (or have previously exceeded it). This

would apply to naturally occurring contaminants, such as radium, fluoride,

or arsenic, and for recurring pollution problems (e.g., nitrate, pesticides).

With an education program in place, consumers will be better informed if a

violation occurs.
4. Making Public Notification Work

Public Notification Handbook 17 June 2000

How can I make a

notice more easily

readable?

C Assume that consumers only read the top half of the notice (or what can be

read in ten seconds). The most important information, especially

instructions to protect consumers’ health, should be placed on the top half

of the notice in large print. Smaller type is appropriate for the less critical

elements, e.g., what the system is doing, an explanation of the cause of the

violation or situation, etc. You must still include all the required elements in

the notice.

C Try to limit the wordiness of the notice. A question and answer format is

easy to read and guides readers to the information that is likely to concern

them. Bullets and bold text are also effective.

• Highlight the name of your system, especially where people in your area are

served by more than one water system. You may also want to prepare a

map showing the area you serve, especially if it extends beyond city limits.

You may want to print the notices on your system’s letterhead which,

coupled with the title of the notice, will make people immediately recognize

that the notice is important.

Case Study

City of Lacey, Washington

To alert residents of an E. coli violation, the City of Lacey and the Washington State Department of

Health issued a joint press release. (The City also hand-delivered notices in the affected neighborhood.) 

Co-issuing the notice gave the press release greater credibility and showed that the City and State were

giving out consistent information. At the same time, the City contacted Seattle and Tacoma television

and radio stations and newspapers. The local newspaper also interviewed system personnel daily. While

Lacey received positive feedback on its efforts within the affected neighborhood, it also leaned an

important lesson about working with the media. Many unaffected consumers were unnecessarily

alarmed because lengthy television interviews were edited to short sound bites, some of which did not

mention that only 450 homes in the system’s 40,000-person distribution area were affected. Lacey

addressed the misperception through the local newspaper and a special consumer hotline. This taught

the City the importance of prioritizing information for the press.

How can I ensure

that the media

distributes an

accurate notice?

C If you write a press release or get a reporter to write a story for the

newspaper, TV, or radio, explain to the newspaper or station what

information you are trying to communicate and why (i.e., the ten elements

required on each public notice). The most important information, including a

description of the violation or situation, the population at risk, the

instructions to consumers, and potential health effects, should be near the

beginning. Be sure to include a contact name and telephone number so the

media can call you for more information.
4. Making Public Notification Work

Public Notification Handbook 18 June 2000

General Tips on Working with the Media

• Be truthful and up-front about local water quality issues.

• Answer questions as well as you can, but don’t be afraid

to say that you need to check on something if there is a

question you can’t answer (once you find the information,

quickly report back on what you’ve found).

• Keep in mind that reporters are not familiar with state or

federal requirements for safe drinking water – avoid

technical jargon!

• Provide additional sources of information (for instance,

referrals to state contacts or EPA fact sheets).

• Be sensitive to the fact that reporters may be working on

tight deadlines.

• Provide a list of the elements that must be addressed.

• Don’t be upset if a newspaper article isn’t exactly as you

would want it, but politely tell a reporter if a significant

piece of information is wrong or missing.

• Don’t be defensive when answering questions.

C When you send the notice to radio and TV stations and newspapers,

write “PRESS RELEASE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY” at the top of the notice to

emphasize its importance.

C If the media will not run a story on your violation or situation, ask an official

from your emergency management department to participate by reading

the notice on the air or agreeing to an interview. The media may be more

likely to air a public notice connected to such officials. 

C If a newspaper will not publish a story or press release, you may need to

buy space to print the notice in its entirety. You should buy an

advertisement as close to the front of the paper as possible and make it

large enough that people will easily see it. Legal notices are not

recommended because they rarely meet the formatting requirements for

public notices and are not widely read.

C Develop an ongoing relationship with the media. Hold an annual media day

where you can explain how your system operates, including any

improvements you may be implementing. In addition, look into whether local

news outlets hold community outreach days–this is another way to form a

relationship with the media. The more informed the members of the media

are about the water system in general, the more accurate and positive they

will be when writing about a violation or situation. They will also be more

likely to give your story the space it needs.

Designate one person on your staff to serve as a

liaison to the media.

C When you send a press release to local

television and radio stations, try to get them

to commit to airing the story. Watch or

listen to the news to be sure the public

notice is aired. It is possible that, despite

your best attempts, the story will be

incomplete or the TV/radio station will not air

the notice. If this happens, distribute a

written follow-up notice as soon as possible,

even if the deadline has passed. Include any

additional information that has become

available since the initial notice was

prepared. Although a partial notice telling

consumers what to do is better than no

notice, your obligation under the PN rule is

not satisfied until a complete notice is

distributed. 
4. Making Public Notification Work

Public Notification Handbook 19 June 2000

What other steps

should I take after

issuing a notice?

Your primacy agency may require you to do follow-up or “problem corrected”

notices for violations or situations, particularly for Tier 1. If it does not, you

should consider issuing such a notice anyway. Sometimes, information on the

source of the contamination is not available at the time of an initial notice.

Providing a notice with updated information demonstrates that you are working

on the problem. Consumers will expect to receive official word that the problem

is solved or being addressed. Template 1-6 at the end of Chapter 5 is an

example of a notice for a corrected violation.

You should notify local health professionals of the violation or situation. People

may call their doctors with questions about how the violation or situation may

affect their health, and the doctors should have the information they need to

respond appropriately. In addition, health professionals, including dentists, use

tap water during their procedures and need to make plans to use

uncontaminated water.

How can I prevent

overreaction to a

public notice?

Public education can minimize overreaction to a water problem and can help

focus community attention on the source of a problem. Public education about

contaminants, what a public notice means, and specific types of water problems

is an excellent public relations tool. It helps create a partnership between you

and your customers and reduces the prevalence of the “us versus them”

mentality. 

Public notification for recurring problems such as nitrate is more effective if

supplemented by a public education program. There are a number of ways to

create awareness of a contaminant problem and of what it means for public

health. These include public meetings at community centers, newspaper or

local TV and radio coverage, working with local libraries to establish a reference

section on the problem, or newsletters or factsheets mailed with monthly bills or

otherwise distributed broadly throughout the community. Information that is

helpful to the public includes:

C Descriptions of the contaminant(s);

C Information on how contaminants get into the water;

C What you are doing to prevent or correct the problem;

C Why the problem recurs, and what the public can do to prevent a

recurrence;

C If and why protection measures have a limited effectiveness; and

C The impact on the consumer. 

While ongoing problems warrant implementing an early and ongoing public

education campaign, public response to a notice can point you to other areas in

which public education would be useful. For example, if you receive a high

number of calls about a notice, there is probably a need for greater public

understanding of the problem. 
20

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Public Notification Handbook 21 June 2000

5. Tier 1 Notice Requirements

and Suggestions

T

ier 1 notices must be issued for the following violations and must meet the

content, format, and multilingual requirements described in Chapter 3,

“Summary of Requirements” (141.202(a)):

C Total coliform MCL violations where fecal coliform or E. coli are

present, or failure to test for fecal coliform or E. coli when any repeat

sample tests positive for coliform; 

C Nitrate, nitrite, or total nitrate and nitrite

MCL violations, or failure to take a

confirmation sample for nitrate or nitrite within

24 hours after learning that an initial sample

exceeded the MCL; 

C Exceedance of the nitrate MCL by noncommunity water systems that have been

granted permission by the primacy agency to

continue to exceed the MCL of 10 mg/l,

although they must not exceed 20 mg/l (See

Chapter 8);

C Chlorine dioxide MRDL violations when one

or more of the samples taken in the

distribution system on the day after

exceeding the MRDL at the entrance of the

distribution system or when required samples

are not taken in the distribution system; 

C Turbidity MCL violations of 5 NTU or more, if

elevated to Tier 1 by the primacy agency, or

if consultation does not occur within 24 hours

of the violation (see Chapter 6);

C Treatment technique violations resulting

from a single exceedance of turbidity limits,

if elevated to Tier 1 by the primacy agency,

or if consultation does not occur within 24

hours of the violation (see Chapter 6);

Public Notification of Waterborne Emergencies

When a construction crew accidentally ruptured a

sewer line one mile from its wellfield, the Town of

Walkersville, MD immediately issued a precautionary

boil water advisory for infants, the elderly, and people

with severely compromised immune systems. While

no drinking water contamination was evident, the Town

was concerned that its treatment plant might not be

capable of removing or inactivating Cryptosporidium

that might be present in the sewage. To notify

consumers, volunteer fire department staff knocked on

doors at 3,000 homes and businesses, and

Walkersville notified the cable company and other local

media. Walkersville also provided water in tanker

trucks to a local nursing home and spoke to medical

professionals in the area. Three days later, when tests

of untreated well water showed increasing bacteria

concentrations (but before any contamination was

detected in the finished water) the boil water advisory

was extended to all residents, including those using

private wells. The volunteer fire department again

assisted with notification. Tanker trucks were set up in

four locations. The advisory was rescinded when

Walkersville temporarily connected to the nearby

Frederick, MD water supply. Even though bacteria

levels reached 30,000 organisms/100 ml in well water

and Cryptosporidium was confirmed in the sewage, no

residents became ill due to the incident, in large part

due to the early public notification and quick response

by the Town.
5. Tier 1 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 22 June 2000

Required Elements of a 

Public Notice (141.205(a))

1. A description of the violation or situation;

2. When the violation or situation occurred; 

3. Potential adverse health effects, using language in

Appendix B or language for monitoring violations;

4. Population(s) at risk;

5. Whether alternative water supplies should be used;

6. Actions consumers should take, including when they

should seek medical help, if known;

7. What you are doing to correct the violation or

situation;

8. When you expect to return to compliance;

9. Name, business address, and phone number for

additional information; and

10. Standard language encouraging distribution to all

persons served, where applicable.

C The occurrence of a waterborne disease outbreak or other

waterborne emergency such as a treatment failure, chemical spill or

overfeed, sewage spill, or natural disaster; or 

C Other violations or situations which could cause serious health

effects, as determined by your primacy agency.

What is the

deadline for issuing

a Tier 1 notice?

As soon as practical but within 24 hours of learning of a violation or situation,

you must:

C Issue a public notice.

C Initiate consultation with your primacy agency (141.202(b)). 

The consultation with the primacy agency is independent of the public notice

itself. You must issue the notice within

24 hours, even if you are unable to

contact anyone at the primacy agency.

Most primacy agencies have 24-hour

emergency hotlines, so consultation

should be possible at any time. As a

result of the consultation, your primacy

agency may set additional public notice

requirements (141.202(b)). It may ask

you to issue repeat notices for continuing

violations or situations, “problem

corrected” notices, or, if your initial notice

does not meet the requirements, another

initial notice. The agency may also

require you to provide notice to specific

groups, such as health care providers.

Remember to send a copy of each type

of notice and a certification statement

to your primacy agency within ten days

after providing the initial and any repeat

notice (141.31(d)). You must also notify new billing customers of ongoing

violations for which you’ve previously provided notice (141.206).

Which methods of

delivery must I

use?

You must use one or more of the following: broadcast media (radio and

television), posting in conspicuous locations, hand delivery, or a method

approved by the primacy agency in advance or during consultation. The

method(s) you choose must be reasonably calculated to reach all persons

served, including residents, employees, and travelers. Therefore, you may need

to use other methods in addition to those previously mentioned. For instance, in

a large system, you should provide the notice to local radio and television

stations; then, to reach people who don’t watch or listen to the news, you

should also put the notice in the newspaper. You must use at least one of 
5. Tier 1 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 23 June 2000

Tips for Very Small

Community Systems

Here are some suggestions for these systems to use to

reach the people they serve:

C Hand delivery combined with posting at grocery stores,

banks, etc., may be appropriate for you, especially if

radio and/or TV are impractical.

C In rural areas within range of a radio or TV station in a

larger town, ask the station to air the notice. You may

still need to use additional methods of notification.

C Hold community meetings, especially where

consumers have low reading ability or don’t speak

English (where the operator or a community member

can translate).

the required methods and whatever other methods are necessary to help you

reach all consumers (141.202(c)).

Be sure that people understand the importance of notifying others who may

travel through the distribution area of the violation or situation. For instance,

people who patronize restaurants or work in office buildings in the distribution

area but live elsewhere may not be aware of the violation or situation. Owners of

these establishments should be encouraged to tell their customers about the

violation or situation.

Suggestions for

Effective Public

Notification

Delivery

C When choosing a method for public notification, you should consider

several issues, including the population served, population density (i.e., is

the area rural, urban, or suburban), available assistance, and proximity to

and relationship with radio and television stations and newspapers. 

C Non-community systems should refer to Chapter 8 of this handbook,

“Special Needs of Non-Community Systems.” 

C Large systems should use a combination of broadcast media and

newspaper, if available. You should also supplement media notices by

posting in public buildings and delivering multiple copies of notices to clinics

or community centers.

C When you write a notice for radio or television, assume that it will only

receive a few seconds of air time. Make sure the most important

information, including a phone number to call for more information, will be

included. See Chapter 4, “Making Public Notification Work,” for tips on

working with the media.

C For TV notices, ask the station or

cable company to put “scrollers”

across the screen similar to National

Weather Service announcements for

tornado watches. This is a good way

to put the notice on TV and reach

people who don’t watch the news, as

well as target a subsection of the TV

audience. You can also work with the

appropriate state office to broadcast

alerts on NOAA Weather Radio and

NOAA Weather Wire Service.

C Automatic phone dialers may be

effective in large systems as a

supplement to broadcast media. 
5. Tier 1 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 24 June 2000

Selecting a Delivery Method

Here are some questions to consider when determining how to deliver your notice:

C My system is in a suburban area. How can I write the notice so that it will not alarm the rest of the

metropolitan area when delivered through the media? Can I be sure the radio or TV station will give

the notice the air time it needs?

C Will the local newspaper write an accurate article about the violation or situation? Will it prominently

publish the information in a press release? Will I need to buy an ad or notice?

C Do I have the time and resources to deliver the notice door-to-door?

Some cities and counties have a computer-based rapid-call system which

can be integrated with geographic information systems to target a specific

service area. Dialers should not be relied on too heavily; consumers may

hang up on recorded messages, children may answer the phone and not

transmit the message to their parents, or residents of some homes may not

speak English. 

C Prepare written notices on your water system’s letterhead. This gives the

notice additional credibility and makes it easily recognizable as official word

from the water system.

C It is strongly recommended that you fully translate Tier 1 notices into other

languages or provide a phone number for assistance in other languages if

there are non-English speaking populations in your service area. See pages

12 and 15 for more information on translating and getting the notice to these

groups. At a minimum, you must include some information in the

appropriate language if there is a large proportion of such people

(141.205(c)). You may also target the blind and deaf communities and

people with low reading abilities. 

C Send a broadcast fax. Program your fax machine with the fax numbers of

all radio and television stations in the area so that the push of a button

sends the notice to all of them.

C You can make door hangers for hand delivery that will not easily blow

away. Knot a rubber band through a hole punched in the notice and put the

rubber band around consumers’ door knobs.

C If you post a notice, be sure that the notice is durable. It should not blow

away if posted outdoors. Consider laminating notices that will be placed

over sinks or outside, especially if they are likely to remain there for an

extended time.
5. Tier 1 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 25 June 2000

Case Study

City of Lacey, Washington

Throughout the course of an E. coli violation, the City of Lacey water system maintained close contact

with the lab, seeking its insight on tests, protocols, and ramifications. This enabled the system to make

timely decisions or at least prepare for likely outcomes. The system could then anticipate and initiate the

next outreach or public awareness piece. As soon as it became evident that repeat samples for E. coli

would be positive, the water system mobilized city employees to conduct an early evening door-to-door

notification to about 450 homes in the affected area. Employees rang doorbells to talk to residents and

provided door hangers that included a boil water order, health effects language on E. coli, and information

on a community meeting to be held the next day. City employees also staffed a hotline for consumers.

Lacey set up a temporary bulletin board in the affected neighborhood to post updates. The electronic and

print media also ran stories on the situation. When the boil water order was lifted, the system held

another meeting and again hand-delivered door hangers, which included customer evaluation forms.

Ninety percent of the respondents gave Lacey a rating of satisfactory or higher for its handling of the

event, citing the City’s proactive outreach effort as the reason for the solid rating.

Suggestions for

Layout of the

Notice

Tier 1 notices should convey the urgency of the situation and make it clear to

consumers what actions they must take. Templates 1-1 through 1-5 at the end

of this chapter offer sample language and instructions for preparing Tier 1 public

notices. Template 1-1A contains Spanish language for a nitrate notice; Template

1-2A contains Spanish language for a fecal coliform or E. coli notice.

1. Title – Public notices for Tier 1 violations and situations, especially

those used for posting, hand delivery, or in a newspaper, should have an

attention-getting title. For example, “WARNING” is better than “Public

Notice.” This should be followed by the targeted audience or the

population at risk, such as “People served by ___ Water System” for

notices for fecal coliform violations or disease outbreaks, or “Infants

under 6 months” for notices for nitrate violations. If the area you serve

does not follow municipal boundaries or if only a portion of the

distribution system is affected, define the area at the top of your notice

or include a map. Titles should be in large and/or bold type and

centered across the top of the page.

2. Consumer Actions – The instructions to consumers should be next in

your notice. This should be a short phrase in large type, such as “Boil

Your Water” or “Do Not Drink the Water.” 

3. Description of the Violation or Situation – A short description in large

type of the violation or situation should follow instructions to consumers.

As soon as consumers read “Boil Your Water” for a fecal coliform

notice, they will want to know why they should do so. However, since

this is a headline, it should be kept short and concise. As another

example, for nitrate violations, you could say, “High nitrate levels have

been detected.” Then the level detected should be listed in 
5. Tier 1 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 26 June 2000

normal type, followed by the maximum contaminant level (MCL), or

action level, if applicable. A more detailed explanation of the violation or

situation should be given in the body of the notice. 

4. Other Consumer Actions — For nitrate violations, the notice should

instruct consumers not to boil water, since that may be their first

reaction, and explain why. For microbiological violations or waterborne

disease outbreaks or other emergencies, provide detailed instructions

on using boiled water for brushing teeth, cooking, making ice, etc. If you

instruct consumers to use bottled water, you should make sure that

any water you provide meets standards. Be sure to provide instructions

for those who are not at high risk as well. For example, nitrates at levels

below 20 mg/l are not generally considered hazardous to adults. Fecal

coliform might only be present in part of the distribution system, and

unaffected consumers (i.e., people outside of a narrow area impacted

who do not need to boil their water) should be told they do not need to

take action but have a right to be informed of the problem.

5. Other Elements — The following order is suggested for the remaining

elements: whether (and where) consumers should seek alternative

drinking water sources; potential health effects (using the language in

Appendix B); the date the violation or situation occurred; corrective

action you are taking; when you expect to return to compliance or

resolve the situation; and the name, address, and phone number of a

person to contact for more information. If you are coordinating with the

local health department, you may wish to also list its phone number. Do

not alter the health effects language in any way.

6. Optional Elements — If you know the source of the contamination,

include it in the notice. This information helps the consumer understand

why there is a violation or other situation and what is necessary to

resolve it. It also reinforces the fact that drinking water is a vulnerable

resource that must be protected.

7. Public Water System ID Number/Date of Distribution— You should

include your PWS ID number at the bottom of the notice. This will help

your primacy agency track compliance and prevent tracking errors

between systems with similar names. Also include the date you

distributed the notice.
Public Notification Handbook 27 June 2000

TIER 1 TEMPLATES

The pages that follow contain templates for Tier 1 violations and waterborne disease

outbreaks, as listed below. Along with each template are instructions, including the

required method of delivery and instructions for completing individual sections of the

notice. These instructions are designed to supplement Chapter 5, so you may see much

of the information repeated here.

Mandatory language on health effects, which must be included exactly as written,

is presented in italics (141.205(d)).

You must also include the following italicized language in all notices, where applicable

(141.205(d)). Use of this language does not relieve you of your obligation to take steps

reasonably calculated to notify all persons served:

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water,

especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for

example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and

businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or

distributing copies by hand or mail.

Templates

Nitrate Notice--Template 1-1

Spanish Nitrate Notice--Template 1-1A

Fecal Coliform or E. coli Notice--Template 1-2

Spanish Fecal Coliform or E. coli Notice --Template 1-2A

Waterborne Disease Outbreak Notice--Template 1-3

Turbidity Single Exceedance as Tier 1--Template 1-4

Chlorine Dioxide MRDL Notice–Template 1-5

Tier 1 “Problem Corrected” Notice--Template 1-6
28

This page intentionally left blank.
Public Notification Handbook 29 June 2000

Instructions for Nitrate Notice–Template 1-1 

Template on Reverse

Since exceeding the nitrate maximum contaminant level is a Tier 1 violation, you must provide public notice to persons

served as soon as practical but within 24 hours after you learn of the violation (141.202(b)). During this time period you

must also contact your primacy agency. You should also coordinate with your local health department. This template

is also applicable to nitrite and total nitrate and nitrite violations. You must use one or more of the following

methods to deliver the notice to consumers (141.202(c)):

C Radio

C Television

C Hand or direct delivery

C Posting in conspicuous locations

You may need to use additional methods (e.g., newspaper, delivery of multiple copies to hospitals, clinics, or

apartment buildings), since notice must be provided in a manner reasonably calculated to reach all persons served.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or a newspaper notice. However, you may wish to modify it

before using it for a radio or TV notice. If you do, you must still include all required elements and leave the health

effects language in italics unchanged. This language is mandatory (141.205(d)). See Chapter 8 for a notice designed

for posting. If you post or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if available.

Alternative Sources of Water

If you are providing alternative sources of water for infants, your notice should say where it can be obtained.

Remember that bottled water can also be contaminated. If you are providing bottled water, make sure it meets the

standard for nitrates by contacting the bottler and asking for the most recent test results. 

Repeat Notices

If this is a repeat notice (as required by your primacy agency), or if your system’s nitrate levels fluctuate around the

MCL, you may wish to include an explanation similar to the following:

You were initially notified of high nitrate levels on [date]. Since that time we have been monitoring the nitrate

concentration every three months. Seasonal fluctuations in nitrate concentrations have been observed, due to nitrates

contained in fertilizer. It appears that high nitrates occur during the later summer and fall. Note that prior to [year] we

were meeting drinking water standards for nitrate.

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. The bullet below describes one action commonly taken by

water systems with nitrate/nitrite violations. Use this language, if appropriate, or develop your own:

C We are investigating water treatment and other options. These may include drilling a new well, mixing the

water with low-nitrate water from another source, or buying water from another water system.

After Issuing the Notice

Make sure to send your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the public

notice requirements within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)). You should also issue a follow-up notice in

addition to meeting any repeat notice requirements your primacy agency sets.

You should notify health professionals in the area of the violation. People may call their doctors with questions, and

the doctors should have the information they need to respond appropriately. They also need to make sure the water is

not provided to infants in their care.
Public Notification Handbook 30 June 2000

Nitrate Notice–Template 1-1

DRINKING WATER WARNING

[System] water has high levels of nitrate – 

DO NOT GIVE THE WATER TO INFANTS UNDER 6 MONTHS OLD OR

USE IT TO MAKE INFANT FORMULA

Water sample results received [date] showed nitrate levels of [level and units]. This is above the nitrate

standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), of [state/federal MCL]. Nitrate in drinking water is a

serious health concern for infants less than six months old.

What should I do?

• DO NOT GIVE THE WATER TO INFANTS. Infants below the age of six months who drink

water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated,

may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome. Blue baby

syndrome is indicated by blueness of the skin. Symptoms in infants can develop rapidly, with health

deteriorating over a period of days. If symptoms occur, seek medical attention immediately.

• Water, juice, and formula for children under six months of age should not be prepared with tap

water. Bottled water or other water low in nitrates should be used for infants until further notice.

• DO NOT BOIL THE WATER. Boiling, freezing, filtering, or letting water stand does not reduce the

nitrate level. Excessive boiling can make the nitrates more concentrated, because nitrates remain

behind when the water evaporates. 

• Adults and children older than six months can drink the tap water (nitrate is a concern for infants

because they can’t process nitrates in the same way adults can). However, if you are pregnant or

have specific health concerns, you may wish to consult your doctor.

What happened? What is being done?

Nitrate in drinking water can come from natural, industrial, or agricultural sources (including septic

systems and run-off). Levels of nitrate in drinking water can vary throughout the year. We’ll let you know

when the amount of nitrate is again below the limit.

[Describe corrective action, seasonal fluctuations, and when system expects to return to compliance.]

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have

received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You

can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 31 June 2000

Instructions for Spanish Nitrate Notice–Template 1-1A 

Template on Reverse

The template on reverse is a Spanish translation of Template 1-1 for nitrate. All the instructions of Template 1-1

apply. If you modify the English template, you should modify this template accordingly. Schools or universities may

be able to provide low cost translations. See page 12 for suggestions on multilingual notices.
Public Notification Handbook 32 June 2000

Spanish Nitrate Notice–Template 1-1A

AVISO SOBRE SU AGUA POTABLE

Agua del sistema [system name] tiene altos niveles de nitratos -

NO DAR DE BEBER ESTA AGUA A BEBES MENORES DE 6 MESES

DE EDAD NI USARLA PARA HACER LECHE DE FORMULA

Resultados de mustras de agua recibidos en [date of violation in Spanish (day-month-year)] muestran

concentraciones de nitratos en el agua de [level and units in Spanish]. Este nivel está por encima de la norma, o

nivel máximo de contaminación (NMC) de [state/federal MCL in Spanish]. Nitratos en agua potable puede generar

serios problemas de salud para bebés menores de 6 meses de edad.

¿Que debo hacer?

C NO LE DE ESTA AGUA A BEBES. Bebes menores de seis (6) meses que ingieran agua con nitratos en

exceso del nivel máximo de contaminación (NMC) se pueden enfermar seriamente y, de no ser tratados,

pueden morir. Los síntomas incluyen dificultad en respirar y síndrome de bebé azul. El síndrome de

bebé azul se refiere al color azulado que toma la piel del bebé. Los síntomas en los bebes pueden

desarrollarse con rapidez, con el deterioro de su salud en los días subsiguientes. Si los síntomas ocurren en

infantes menores de seis (6) meses de edad, busque atención médica inmediatamente.

C Agua, jugo o leche en polvo para bebés menores de seis (6) meses de edad no debe prepararse con agua del

grifo. Debe emplear agua embotellada u otra agua baja en nitratos hasta próximo aviso.

C No hierva el agua. Hervir, congelar, filtrar o dejar el agua en reposo no reduce el nivel de nitratos. De hecho,

al hervir el agua puede aumentar aún más la concentración de nitratos, debido a que los nitratos permanecen

cuando parte del agua se evapora.

C Adultos e infantes mayores de seis (6) meses de edad pueden tomar el agua del grifo. (Los nitratos son

peligrosos para los bebes debido a que ellos no pueden procesar los nitratos de la misma manera que los

adultos). Sin embargo, si usted está embarazada o tiene algún problema de salud en particular, puede optar

por hacer una consulta con su médico.

¿Qué pasó? ¿Qué se está haciéndo al respecto?

Nitratos en el agua pueden provenir de fuentes naturales, industriales or de la agricultura (incluyendo descargas de

tanques sépticos y lluvias). Las concentraciones de nitratos en el agua potable varían a lo largo del año. Nosotros

les avisaremos cuando los niveles de nitratos estén nuevamente debajo del límite.

[Describe corrective action, seasonal fluctuations, and when the system expects to return to compliance in

Spanish.] Para mayor información, favor contactar a [name of contact] al teléfono [phone number] o escribiendo a

[mailing address].

Por favor comparta esta información con otros que pueden tomar de esta agua, colocando este aviso en

lugares visibles, o remitiéndolo por correo, o entregandolo manualmente. Es de particular interés distribuir este

aviso ampliamente si usted lo recibe representando un negocio, un hospital u hogar de infantes u hogar de

ancianos o comunidad residencial.

Este aviso ha sido enviado a usted por [system]. Numero de Identificación : ___________. Fecha de distribución: 
Public Notification Handbook 33 June 2000

Instructions for Fecal Coliform or E. Coli Notice–Template 1-2

Template on Reverse

Since exceeding the fecal coliform or E. coli maximum contaminant level is a Tier 1 violation, you must provide

public notice to persons served as soon as practical but within 24 hours after you learn of the violation (141.202(b)).

During this time, you must also contact your primacy agency. You should also coordinate with your local health

department. You may also have to modify the template if you also have high nitrate levels or other coliform MCL

violations. You must use one or more of the following methods to deliver the notice to consumers (141.202(c)):

C Radio

C Television

C Hand or direct delivery

C Posting in conspicuous locations

You may need to use additional methods (e.g., newspaper, delivery of multiple copies to hospitals, clinics, or

apartment buildings), since notice must be provided in a manner reasonably calculated to reach all persons served.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or a newspaper notice. However, you may wish to modify it

before using it for a radio or TV notice. If you do, you must still include all required elements and leave the health

effects language in italics unchanged. This language is mandatory (141.205(d)). See Chapter 8 for a notice

designed for posting. If you post or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if you have it.

Population Served

Make sure it is clear who is served by your water system--you may need to list the areas you serve. 

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water

systems with fecal coliform or E. coli violations. Use one or more of the following actions, if appropriate, or develop

your own:

C We are chlorinating and flushing the water system.

C We are switching to an alternate drinking water source.

C We are increasing sampling for coliform bacteria to determine the source of the contamination. 

C We are repairing the wellhead seal.

C We are repairing the storage tank.

C We are restricting water intake from the river/lake/reservoir to prevent additional bacteria from entering the water

system and restricting water use to emergencies.

After Issuing the Notice

Send a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the public notice requirements to your

primacy agency within ten days from the time you issue the notice (141.31(d)).

It is recommended that you notify health professionals in the area of the violation. People may call their doctors

with questions about how the violation may affect their health, and the doctors should have the information they

need to respond appropriately. In addition, health professionals, including dentists, use tap water during their

procedures and need to know of contamination so they can use bottled water. 

It is a good idea to issue a “problem corrected” notice when the violation is resolved. See Template 1-6.
Public Notification Handbook 34 June 2000

Fecal Coliform or E. Coli Notice--Template 1-2

DRINKING WATER WARNING

[System] water is contaminated with [fecal coliform/E. coli]

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

Fecal coliform [or E. coli] bacteria were found in the water supply on [date]. These bacteria can make

you sick, and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems.

What should I do?

• DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil

for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be

used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further

notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

C Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be

contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps,

nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young

children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

• The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of

these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk

should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

What happened? What is being done?

Bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source (for

example, following heavy rains). It can also happen due to a break in the distribution system (pipes) or a

failure in the water treatment process.

[Describe corrective action.] We will inform you when tests show no bacteria and you no longer need to

boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem within [estimated time frame].

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address]. General

guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking

Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have

received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You

can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 35 June 2000

Instructions for Spanish Fecal Coliform or E. Coli Notice–Template 1-2A

Template on Reverse

The template on reverse is a Spanish translation of Template 1-2 for fecal coliform or E. coli. All the instructions of

Template 1-2 apply. If you modify the English template, you should modify this template accordingly. Schools or

universities may be able to provide low cost translations. See page 12 for suggestions on multilingual notices.
Public Notification Handbook 36 June 2000

Spanish Fecal Coliform or E. Coli Notice – Template 1-2A

AVISO SOBRE SU AGUA POTABLE

El Agua del Sistema [system name] esta contaminado con [bacterias coliformes

fecales/E. coli]

HIERVAN EL AGUA ANTES DE USARLA

Bacterias coliformes fecales (o E. coli) fueron encontradas en su servicio de agua el dia [date of

violation in Spanish (day-month-year)]. Estas bacterias pueden enfermarle, y son especialmente

peligrosas para personas con las defensas bajas o sistemas imunológicos débiles.

¿Que debo hacer?

C NO BEBA EL AGUA SIN ANTES HERVIRLA. Hierva toda el agua, déjela hervir por un minuto, y

déjela reposar antes de usarla, o utilize agua embotellada. Agua hervida o embotellada debe ser

usada para beber, hacer hielo, lavarse los dientes, lavar los platos y para preparar la comida hasta

próximo aviso. Hierviendo morta a bacteria y otros organismos en el agua.

C Coliformes fecales o E. coli son bacterias cuya presencia indica que el agua esta contaminada con

desechos humanos o de animales. Microbios de esos desechos pueden causar diarrhea, cólicos,

nausea, dolores de cabeza u otros síntomas. Pueden representar un peligro para la salud de bebes,

niños y niñas de corta edad, algunos ancianos, y personas con sistemas immunológicos en alto riesgo.

C Los síntomas descritos arriba no ocurren solamente debido a los microbios. También pueden ser

causados por otros motivos. Si usted siente estos síntomas y estos persisten, usted puede optar

por hacer una consulta con su médico. Personas en situaciones de alto riesgo deben consultar

con sus proveedores de servicios médicos.

¿Qué pasó? ¿Qué se está haciéndo al respecto?

Contaminación bacteriana puede ocurrir cuando exceso de aguas rebasan sus cauces y entran a las

fuentes de agua potable (por ejemplo, luego de una lluvia fuerte). También pueden ocurrir cuando se

rompe un sistema de recolección de aguas negras, o cuando hay una falla en el tratamiento de agua.

[Describe corrective action in Spanish] Le informaremos cuando las pruebas demuestren que no hay

bacterias y que usted ya no necesita hervir su agua. Anticipamos que resolveremos el problema el

[date of expected resolution in Spanish day-month-year].

Para mayor información, por favor póngase en contacto con [contact name] al [phone number] o

escribiendo a [mailing address].

Por favor comparta esta información con otros que pueden tomar de esta agua, colocando este aviso en

lugares visibles, o remitiéndolo por correo, o entregandolo manualmente. Es de particular interés distribuir este

aviso ampliamente si usted lo recibe representando un negocio, un hospital u hogar de infantes u hogar de

ancianos o comunidad residencial.

Este aviso ha sido enviado a usted por [system]. Numero de Identificación : ___________. Fecha de distribución: 
Public Notification Handbook 37 June 2000

Instructions for Waterborne Disease Outbreak Notice–Template 1-3

Template on Reverse

Since a waterborne disease outbreak is a Tier 1 situation, you must provide public notice to persons served as soon as

practical but within 24 hours after you learn of the situation (141.202(b)). You must contact your primacy agency during this

time. You should coordinate with your local health department as well. You must also issue a public notice if you are

experiencing a waterborne emergency other than a waterborne disease outbreak, such as one caused by flooding or

treatment failure. In such cases, you may be able to modify this template to apply to your situation. Check with your

primacy agency for more direction. More information on waterborne disease outbreaks and emergencies is available from

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/health/diseases.htm, 1 (800) 311-3435). For a

waterborne disease outbreak or other emergency, you must use one or more of the following methods to deliver the notice

to consumers (141.202(c)):

C Radio

C Television

C Hand or direct delivery

C Posting in conspicuous locations

You may need to use additional methods (e.g., newspaper, delivery of multiple copies to hospitals, clinics, or apartment

buildings), since notice must be provided in a manner reasonably calculated to reach all persons served. If you post or

hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if available. The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or a

newspaper notice. However, you may wish to modify it before using it for a radio, TV notice, or posting. 

Describing the Outbreak

If known, list any organisms detected, the number of affected people, any water treatment problems contributing to the

waterborne disease outbreak, and any sources of contamination, such as flooding. 

Potential Health Effects

No mandatory health effects language exists for waterborne disease outbreaks. You may wish to use the sentence below,

if appropriate, or contact your primacy agency or health department. These symptoms are common to many diseases

caused by microscopic organisms:

C Symptoms may include nausea, cramps, diarrhea, jaundice, and associated headaches and fatigue.

Population at Risk

Some people who contract waterborne diseases can be affected more severely than others, as described on the reverse

page. The specific language on the reverse is not mandatory, but you must provide information on the population at risk. In

addition, make sure it is clear who is served by your water system--you may need to list the areas you serve.

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe the corrective actions you are taking. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water

systems with waterborne disease outbreaks. Use one or more of the following actions, if appropriate, or develop your own:

C We are repairing our filtration system.

C We are increasing sampling for disease-causing organisms.

Make sure to send a copy of each type of notice and a statement certifying that you’ve met all public notification

requirements to your primacy agency within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)). It is a good idea to issue a

“problem corrected” notice when the waterborne disease outbreak is under control. See Template 1-6.

It is recommended that you notify health professionals in the area of the outbreak. People may call their doctors with

questions about how the situation may affect their health, and the doctors should have the information they need to

respond appropriately. In addition, health professionals, including dentists, use tap water during their procedures and

need to know of contamination so they can use bottled water.
Public Notification Handbook 38 June 2000

Waterborne Disease Outbreak Notice– Template 1-3

DRINKING WATER WARNING

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

Disease-causing organisms have entered [system’s] water supply. 

These organisms are causing illness in people served by [system]. We learned of a waterborne disease

outbreak from [agency] on [date].

What should I do?

• DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil

for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be

used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further

notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

• [Describe symptoms of the waterborne disease.] If you experience one or more of these symptoms

and they persist, contact your doctor. People with severely compromised immune systems, infants,

and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water

from their health care providers.

What happened? What is being done?

[Describe the outbreak, corrective action, and when the outbreak might end.]

We will inform you when you no longer need to boil your water.

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address]. General

guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking

Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have

received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You

can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 39 June 2000

Instructions for Notice for Turbidity Single Exceedance as Tier 1–Template 1-4

Template on Reverse

If your primacy agency has designated this turbidity single exceedance as a Tier 1 violation (141.202(a)), you must

provide public notice to persons served within 24 hours after it has been designated Tier 1 (141.202(b)). Turbidity

violations are Tier 2 by default, but may frequently be elevated to Tier 1 by your primacy agency. In addition,

violations are automatically elevated if you are unable to consult with your primacy agency within 24 hours. In such

cases, you must issue a notice within the next 24 hours. You may elevate the violation to Tier 1 yourself as

well. You should also coordinate with your local health department. One or both agencies should tell you whether to

instruct consumers to boil water. You must use one or more of the following methods to deliver the notice to

consumers (141.202(c)):

C Radio

C Television

C Hand or direct delivery

C Posting in conspicuous locations

You may need to use additional methods (e.g., newspaper, delivery of multiple copies to hospitals, clinics, or

apartment buildings), since notice must be provided in a manner reasonably calculated to reach all persons served.

If you post or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if you have it.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or a newspaper notice. However, you may wish to modify it

before using it for a radio or TV notice or posting. If you modify the notice, you must leave the health effects

language in italics unchanged. This language is mandatory (141.205(d)).

Population Served

Make sure it is clear who is served by your water system--you may need to list the areas you serve.

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water

systems with turbidity single exceedance. Use one or more of the following actions, if appropriate, or develop your

own:

C We are adding chemicals that reduce turbidity.

C We are sampling both untreated and treated water for the presence of coliform bacteria.

C We are monitoring chlorine levels and will adjust them as needed to compensate for filtration problems.

C We are inspecting and cleaning the filters.

Source of the Problem

If you know why the turbidity is high, explain it in your notice. For instance, unusual conditions, such as heavy rains

and flooding, can overburden the water plant, and treated water may therefore not meet the standards. In addition,

run-off from parts of the watershed could contain increased concentrations of sediment and animal waste.

After Issuing the Notice

Send a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met public notice requirements to your primacy

agency within ten days after you issue the notice (141.31(d)). It is a good idea to issue a “problem corrected”

notice when the violation is resolved. See Template 1-6.

It recommended that you notify health professionals in the area of the violation. People may call their doctors with

questions about how the violation may affect their health, and the doctors should have the information they need to

respond appropriately. In addition, health professionals, including dentists, use tap water during their procedures

and need to know of potential microbiological contamination so they can use bottled water.
Public Notification Handbook 40 June 2000

Turbidity Single Exceedance Elevated to Tier 1–Template 1-4

DRINKING WATER WARNING

[system] has high turbidity levels

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

We routinely monitor your water for turbidity (cloudiness). This tells us whether we are effectively

filtering the water supply. A water sample taken [date] showed turbidity levels of [number] turbidity units.

This is above the standard of [standard] turbidity units. Because of these high levels of turbidity, there is

an increased chance that the water may contain disease-causing organisms.

What should I do?

• DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil

for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be

used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further

notice.

• Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a

medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease causing organisms.

These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as

nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. People with severely compromised immune

systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice

about drinking water from their health care providers.

• The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of

these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.

What happened? What is being done?

[Describe reason for the high turbidity, corrective action, and when the system expects to return to

compliance.]

We will inform you when turbidity returns to appropriate levels and when you no longer need to boil your

water.

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address]. General

guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking

Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have

received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You

can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 41 June 2000

Instructions for Chlorine Dioxide MRDL (Tier 1) Notice–Template 1-5

Template on Reverse

Since exceeding the chlorine dioxide MRDL when one or more of the samples taken in the distribution system on the day

after exceeding the MRDL at the entrance of the distribution system or when required samples are not taken in the

distribution system is a Tier 1 violation, you must provide public notice to persons served as soon as practical but within

24 hours after you learn of the violation (141.202(b)). (Exceeding the chlorine dioxide MRDL at the entry point to the

distribution system only is a Tier 2 violation; modify this template or Template 2-3 to create a Tier 2 notice.) You must also

contact your primacy agency within 24 hours of learning of the violation or situation. You should also coordinate with your

local health department. You must use one or more of the following methods to deliver the notice to consumers

(141.202(c)):

C Radio

C Television

C Hand or direct delivery

C Posting in conspicuous locations

You may need to use additional methods (e.g., newspaper, delivery of multiple copies to hospitals, clinics, or apartment

buildings), since notice must be provided in a manner reasonably calculated to reach all persons served. If you post or

hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if you have it.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or a newspaper notice. However, you may wish to modify it before

using it for a radio or TV notice. If you do, you must still include all required elements and leave the health effects language

in italics unchanged. This language is mandatory (141.205(d)). 

Alternative Sources of Water

If you are selling or providing bottled water, your notice should say where it can be obtained. Remember that bottled water

can also be contaminated or be high in chlorine dioxide if the bottler uses municipal water. Make sure the bottled water

meets the standard by contacting the bottler and asking for the most recent test results. 

Population at Risk

The language on the reverse lists “young children” as one of the groups at increased risk. Because the potential health

effects of chlorine dioxide are based on tests on laboratory animals, there is no way to determine at exactly what age the

water is safe to drink. If your consumers have questions, encourage them to err on the side of caution.

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water systems

with chlorine dioxide violations. Use one or more of the following actions, if appropriate, or develop your own:

C We are resetting the generator to generate the correct amount of chlorine dioxide.

C We are repairing the generator.

C We have already fixed the problem but it will take additional time for the extra chlorine dioxide to be flushed from the

distribution system (pipes).

After Issuing the Notice

Make sure to send your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the public

notice requirements within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)). You should also issue a follow-up notice in

addition to meeting any repeat notice requirements your primacy agency sets.

It is a good idea to issue a “problem corrected” notice when the violation is resolved. See Template 1-6.

It recommended that you notify health professionals in the area of the violation. People may call their doctors with

questions about how the violation may affect their health, and the doctors should have the information they need to

respond appropriately. 
Public Notification Handbook 42 June 2000

Chlorine Dioxide MRDL (Tier 1) Notice–Template 1-5

DRINKING WATER WARNING

PREGNANT WOMEN AND YOUNG CHILDREN

SHOULD NOT DRINK THE WATER

Sampling results received [date] showed chlorine dioxide levels of [level and units]. This is above the

standard, or maximum residual disinfectant level (MRDL) of 0.8 milligrams per liter. Chlorine dioxide is

used for disinfection, but too much of it over a short period of time may harm the development of

children, infants, and fetuses.

What should I do?

C DO NOT USE THIS WATER IF YOU ARE PREGNANT OR GIVE IT TO YOUNG CHILDREN.

Bottled water should be used until further notice. Some infants and young children who drink water

containing chlorine dioxide in excess of the MRDL could experience nervous system effects.

Similar effects may occur in fetuses of pregnant mothers who drink water containing chlorine dioxide

in excess of the MRDL. Some people may experience anemia.

The chlorine dioxide violations reported today include exceedances of the EPA standard within the

distribution system which delivers water to consumers. Violations of the chlorine dioxide standard

within the distribution system may harm human health based on short-term exposures. Certain

groups, including fetuses, infants, and young children, may be especially susceptible to nervous

system effects from excessive chlorine dioxide exposure. There are no obvious symptoms, but

chlorine dioxide can affect development of the nervous system.

C Water, juice, and formula for young children and for pregnant women should not be prepared with

tap water. 

C Adults who are not pregnant and older children can drink the tap water because their nervous

systems are already developed. However, if you have specific health concerns, you may wish to

consult your doctor.

What happened? What is being done?

Chlorine dioxide is used in small amounts every day to kill bacteria and other organisms that may be in

your drinking water. A problem occurred with our chlorine dioxide generator, and too much chlorine

dioxide was released. [Describe corrective action and when you expect to return to compliance.]

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have

received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You

can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#:_____________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 43 June 2000

Instructions for Tier 1 “Problem Corrected” Notice–Template 1-6

Template on Reverse

It is a good idea to issue a notice when a serious violation or situation has been resolved. Although EPA

regulations do not require such notices, your primacy agency may require you to issue one. You should coordinate

with your local health department as well. Below are some recommended methods for a “problem corrected” notice.

You should use the same delivery methods you used for the original notice.

C Radio

C Television 

C Newspaper

C Hand or direct delivery

C Posting in conspicuous locations

You may wish to use additional methods (e.g., delivery of multiple copies to hospitals, clinics, or apartment

buildings) if necessary to reach all persons served. If you post or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if

available.

The notice on the reverse is very general and can be used for any violation or situation. However, to help restore

consumers’ confidence in the water system, you should modify the notice to fit your situation. Although the public

should have seen your initial notice, there may be additional information you learned after the notice was issued.

Therefore, you should describe the violation or situation again and discuss how the problem was solved.
Public Notification Handbook 44 June 2000

Tier 1 “Problem Corrected” Notice–Template 1-6

DRINKING WATER PROBLEM CORRECTED

Customers of [system] were notified on [date] of a problem with our drinking water and were advised to

[describe recommended action]. We are pleased to report that the problem has been corrected and that

it is no longer necessary to [describe recommended action]. We apologize for any inconvenience and

thank you for your patience.

[Add further details here when appropriate.]

As always, you may contact [contact name] at [phone number] or [mailing address] with any comments

or questions.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who

may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes,

schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing

copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 45 June 2000

Required Elements of a 

Public Notice (141.205(a))

1. A description of the violation;

2. When the violation occurred; 

3. Potential adverse health effects, using language in

Appendix B or language for monitoring violations;

4. Population(s) at risk;

5. Whether alternative water supplies should be used;

6. Actions consumers should take, including when they

should seek medical help, if known;

7. What you are doing to correct the violation;

8. When you expect to return to compliance;

9. Name, business address, and phone number for

additional information; and

10. Standard language encouraging distribution to all

persons served, where applicable.

6. Tier 2 Notice Requirements

and Suggestions

T

ier 2 notices must meet the content, format, and multilingual requirements

described in detail in Chapter 3 and are required for the following violations

(141.203(a)): 

C Maximum contaminant level (MCL), maximum residual disinfectant level

(MRDL), and treatment technique requirement violations, except

where Tier 1 notification is required by regulation or by the primacy

agency; 

C Monitoring or testing procedure violations (if required by the

primacy agency); and 

C Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of a variance or

exemption. 

Tier 2 violations are considered less urgent than Tier 1 violations or situations

because there is little immediate risk to consumers, or because the system

may have already returned to compliance by the time the notice is issued. 

Primacy agencies may have more stringent requirements.

What is the

deadline for issuing

a Tier 2 notice?

Tier 2 notices

must be issued

as soon as

practical but

within 30 days

after a violation

is discovered

(141.203(b)).

For any

unresolved

violation,

following an

initial Tier 2

notice, you must

repeat the

notice every

three months

for as long as

the violation
6. Tier 2 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 46 June 2000

persists. You are not in compliance again until your primacy agency determines

you are. Posted notices must remain posted for as long as the violation

persists. If the violation is already resolved when you post the notice, you must

post the notice for at least one week (141.203(b)). You must also notify new

billing customers or units of any ongoing violations for which you have

previously provided notice prior to or at the time their service begins (141.206).

Remember to send a copy of the notice and a certification statement to

your primacy agency within ten days after providing the initial and any repeat

notice to the public (141.31(d)).

When might a Tier

2 violation be

elevated to Tier 1?

Every violation is unique, and primacy agencies will consider several factors in

deciding whether a violation should be elevated. For example, cases where a

turbidity exceedance is significantly higher than the limit or exceeds the limit

over the course of multiple

measurements are more

likely to be elevated to

Tier 1.

Primacy agencies may

also review the amount of

disinfection that occurs

after filtration and the

current and historical

quality of your source

water. The determination

may also depend on the

type of filtration in place (if

any) and your system’s

turbidity limits. 

The primacy agency may

also elevate Tier 2

violations to Tier 1 based

on the results of

consultations required

under other rules, such as

the Total Coliform Rule and Surface Water Treatment Rule. (These rules 

require you to report coliform MCLs and treatment technique violations to your

primacy agency as soon as possible but no later than the end of the next

business day. These reporting requirements are separate from those in the

public notification rule and are intended to allow primacy agencies to oversee

corrective actions, but states may also use these opportunities to elevate Tier 2

violations to Tier 1.) For coliform violations, if the percentage of samples 

testing positive for coliform is significantly higher than the MCL, if coliform is 

24-Hour Consultation for Turbidity

Systems with certain violations involving

exceedance of turbidity limits must consult

with their primacy agencies as soon as practical

but no later than 24 hours after learning of the

violation (141.203(b)). This requirement applies to:

(1) treatment technique violations resulting from

single exceedances of turbidity limits (5 NTU)

under the Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR),

(2) treatment technique violations resulting from

single exceedances of turbidity limits (1 NTU)

under the Interim Enhanced SWTR, and (3)

turbidity MCL violations determined by the average

of turbidity measurements over two consecutive

days (5 NTU). It does not apply to violations of

monthly turbidity requirements. As a result of this

consultation, primacy agencies may decide to

elevate such violations to Tier 1. If consultation

does not occur, the violation automatically is

elevated to Tier 1. You have 24 hours from the

time the violation is elevated to issue the notice.
6. Tier 2 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 47 June 2000

present in multiple areas of the distribution system, or if coliforms are linked to a

break in distribution system integrity, primacy agencies will be more likely to

require Tier 1 notice. 

Remember, as the system operator, you are a guardian of the quality of your

water supply and of public health. If you believe that a violation or situation

warrants 24-hour notice, you can issue a notice at any time, i.e., elevate the

violation to Tier 1 yourself. You do not have to wait for the primacy agency to

make a determination. Depending on the severity of the violation or situation,

you may also choose to issue a Tier 2 notice in much less than 30 days.

Which methods of

delivery must I

use?

Unless directed otherwise by the primacy agency, if you operate a community

water system, you must provide notice by (141.203(c)):

1. Mail or other direct delivery to each customer receiving a bill and other

service connections to which water is delivered, and

2. Any other method reasonably calculated to reach others regularly served, if

they would not normally be reached by the method above. Such people

include those who do not pay water bills or do not have service connection

addresses, (e.g., tenants, college students, nursing home patients, prison

inmates). Methods may include publication in a local newspaper, posting in

public places, delivery of multiple copies to landlords or office building

managers, or delivery to community organizations.

Unless directed otherwise by the primacy agency, if you operate a noncommunity water system, you must provide notice by the following methods

(141.203(c); see Chapter 8 for more information):

1. Posting the notice in conspicuous locations throughout the system or by

direct delivery or mail to each customer and known service connection, and

2. Any other method reasonably calculated to reach others served, if they

would not normally be reached by the method above. Such people may

include those who may not see a posted notice because it is not in a

location they routinely pass by. Methods may include publication in a local

newspaper or newsletter distributed to consumers, use of e-mail to notify

employees or students, or delivery of multiple copies in central locations

(e.g., community centers).

For both system types, there may be a few cases where you would be able to

reach all persons served with the first method you choose. In such cases, you

may not need to use additional methods. At a gas station, for instance, posting

would be sufficient to reach all persons served. Consult your primacy agency if

there are other delivery methods you believe would be more effective in your

situation; they may allow alternate methods of delivery. 
6. Tier 2 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 48 June 2000

Tips for Very

Small Community

Systems

C Compare the costs of mailing and labor

for hand delivery before choosing a

method.

C Hand delivery may not be necessary to

meet your deadline, but it may be

cheaper or less time-consuming than

putting together a mailing. 

C Alternatively, if your notice deadline

coincides with your billing schedule,

you may be able to include your notice

in the bill at no extra cost. 

C Supplement with posting in common

areas and gathering places, such as

banks, grocery stores, and restaurants.

C Ask your local newspaper to write a

story on the violation (let the reporter

know which elements must be

included). Or, purchase an ad to

publish the notice.

Suggestions for

Effective Public

Notification

Delivery

C If you mail the notice, send it to all service connections, if possible, and not

just billing customers, since there may be many people in addition to your

billing customers who drink your water. Billing customers can be reached

via inserts in their water bills, if the bills are distributed and received within

30 days of the violation. Be sure to tell owners or managers of businesses,

home-owners’ associations, apartment buildings, or resort rental properties

to pass the information along to their employees or tenants. You may wish

to send multiple copies of the notice to building managers. See the

discussion of standard language to encourage distribution to all persons

served on page 11.

C If you post a notice, be sure it is durable. It should not blow away if

posted outdoors. Consider laminating notices that will be placed over sinks

or outside, especially if they are likely to remain there for an extended time.

C Notices in newspapers may be in the form of an article or a paid

advertisement. However, articles are more effective than paid notices

because they are more likely to be noticed and read. Work with the local

newspaper to write an article on the violation and what the system is doing

to correct it. Be sure that anyone at the paper who writes or edits an article

knows what items must be included to meet the requirements for public

notification. If your system is located in the suburban area of a large city,

you should request that your notice be placed in the weekly community

news section. Also, focus

on getting articles

published in smaller

community

newspapers,

homeowners’

association

newsletters, or similar

publications. 

C Paid advertisements

offer an advantage

because you are

guaranteed the notice will

appear exactly as you

write it. Try to purchase

ad space in the front

section of the paper.

Legal notices tend to get

lost in the back of the

paper where few people

read them. If your notice

must appear with 
6. Tier 2 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 49 June 2000

other paid notices, a descriptive title becomes very important. The header

“notice” may be overlooked, but the mention of the community’s drinking

water supply gets people’s attention.

Suggestions for

Layout of the

Notice

Tier 2 notices should answer the most common questions people will have

about the violation: What does this mean to me? What should I do? What is the

water system doing? The tone of a Tier 2 notice is less urgent than that of a Tier

1 notice. A question and answer format that anticipates consumers’ concerns

is recommended for each section. Templates 2-1 through 2-8 at the end of this

chapter offer sample language and instructions for preparing Tier 2 public

notices.

1. Title – The notice should have a descriptive title but should not be overly

alarming. The title “Drinking Water Notice” or “Important Information about

Your Drinking Water” would be more appropriate than “Drinking Water Alert.”

Follow with a subtitle describing the situation, such as: “Tests Show Levels

of [Contaminant] Above Drinking Water Standards.” 

2. Describe What Happened – The notice should briefly describe what

happened and give some background as to how the violation was

discovered. For example, suppose you routinely test the water and that the

most recent samples showed a violation. Provide a context for the

exceedance by giving the applicable drinking water standard and whether

the exceedance is a monthly, quarterly, or other type of average. If the

problem has already been corrected, be sure to communicate this clearly. 

If this is a repeat notice, explain why the violation continues (e.g., you are in

the process of installing new treatment). If the violation is intermittent,

explain that the water is in and out of compliance with standards, or (if

appropriate) that the contamination levels are only slightly above allowable

standards.

The message should also vary depending on the contaminant. For instance,

several inorganic and radioactive chemicals, such as arsenic and radium,

are naturally occurring. This fact can help in explaining the options for

treatment. For example, it may be difficult to drill a new well if high

contaminant levels occur throughout an aquifer. Disinfection byproducts, on

the other hand, form when naturally occurring organic matter combines with

disinfectants added to kill microorganisms. You should explain that the risk

of disease from drinking water that is not disinfected is more immediate

than that of getting cancer from drinking water containing disinfection

byproducts. For turbidity exceedances, discuss the possible causes of high

turbidity. A frequent cause is heavy rain, which washes large amounts of

soil into rivers and lakes. The rain may also wash animal wastes into the

water supply.
6. Tier 2 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 50 June 2000

3. Explain What Consumers Should Do – Next, the notice should tell

customers what they need to do, even if no action is necessary. This will

usually be: “You do/do not need to seek other sources of drinking water.”

Since people’s first reaction may be to boil their water, explain the effect of

boiling (i.e., whether boiling is necessary, has no effect, or is harmful). Tell

consumers that if they have specific health concerns, especially for the

young, old, or people with compromised immune systems (undergoing

chemotherapy, HIV-positive, or other immune system problems), they may

wish to consult their doctors.

4. Explain How the Violation Affects Consumers – Be clear that the situation

is not an emergency and that consumers would have been notified

immediately if it had been. Consumers may wonder why they are getting a

notice, especially if the problem is resolved or not serious; it may help to

explain that you are informing them because they have the right to know

about problems with their water even if there is no immediate (or any) health

threat. In the case of filtration treatment technique violations, explain that

treatment is important to preventing disease outbreaks but that there is no

evidence of disease or bacteria in the water. For turbidity exceedances,

explain how high turbidity levels may be related to the presence of

organisms in drinking water.

5. Describe What You Are Doing to Correct the Problem – Inform consumers

of the steps you are taking to correct the problem, such as the installation

of new treatment, increased frequency or type of monitoring, or your

collaboration with the appropriate state agency. Tell them when you expect

the drinking water to again meet the standard. Although you probably will be

unable to give an exact date, you can give your customers a general idea of

how long it will take (e.g., a few days for a coliform MCL, several months for

a chemical MCL). Provide the name, address, and telephone number of

someone who can answer any questions consumers may have.

6. Optional Elements — If you know the source of the contamination, include it

in the notice. This helps reassure consumers that you have investigated the

problem and are taking steps to address it. It also reinforces the fact that

drinking water is a vulnerable resource that must be protected. If you do not

know the actual source, you should at least provide common or possible

sources such as those listed in the guidance for the Consumer Confidence

Report.

7. Public Water System ID Number/Date of Distribution— You should include

your PWS ID number at the bottom of the notice. This will help your

primacy agency track compliance and prevent tracking errors between

systems with similar names. Include the date you distributed the notice.
Public Notification Handbook 51 June 2000

TIER 2 TEMPLATES

The pages that follow contain templates for Tier 2 violations, as listed below. Along with each

template are instructions, including the required method of delivery and instructions for

completing individual sections of the notice. These instructions are designed to supplement

Chapter 6, so you may see much of the information repeated here.

Mandatory language on health effects, which must be included exactly as written, is

presented in italics (141.205(d)).

You must also include the following italicized language in all notices, where applicable

(141.205(d)). Use of this language does not relieve you of your obligation to take steps

reasonably calculated to notify all persons served:

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially

those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in

apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting

this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

Templates

Unresolved Total Coliform Notice–Template 2-1

Resolved Total Coliform Notice--Template 2-2

Chemical or Radiological MCLs Notice–Template 2-3 

Fluoride MCL–Template 2-4

SWTR Failure to Filter Notice--Template 2-5

SWTR Turbidity Exceedance Notice–Template 2-6

SWTR Disinfection Treatment Notices--Template 2-7

LCR Failure to Install Corrosion Control--Template 2-8
52

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Public Notification Handbook 53 June 2000

Instructions for Unresolved Total Coliform Notice–Template 2-1

Template on Reverse

Since exceeding the total coliform bacteria maximum contaminant level is a Tier 2 violation, you must provide public notice

to persons served as soon as practical but within 30 days after you learn of the violation (141.203(b)). Persistent total

coliform problems can be serious. Some states have more stringent requirements for coliform violations. Check with your

primacy agency to make sure you meet all requirements. You must issue a repeat notice every three months for as long as

the violation persists.

Community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Hand or direct delivery

C Mail, as a separate notice or included with the bill

Non-community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand delivery

C Mail

In addition, both community and non-community systems must use another method reasonably calculated to reach others

if they would not be reached by the first method (141.203(c)). Such methods could include newspapers, e-mail, or delivery

to community organizations. If you mail, post, or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if available.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or mail. A template appropriate for posting can be found in

Chapter 8. If you modify the notice, you must still include all the required elements and leave the health effects language in

italics unchanged. This language is mandatory (141.205(d)).

Description of the Violation

The description of the violation and the MCL vary depending on the number of samples you take. The following table

should help you complete the second paragraph of the template.

If You Take Less Than 40 Samples a Month

State the number of samples testing positive for coliform.

The standard is that no more than one sample per month

may be positive.

If You Take More Than 40 Samples a Month

State the percentage of samples testing positive for

coliform. The standard is that no more than five percent of

samples may test positive each month.

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. If you know what is causing the coliform problem, explain this in

the notice. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water systems with total coliform violations. Use one or more

of the following actions, if appropriate, or develop your own:

C We are chlorinating and flushing the water system.

C We are increasing sampling for coliform bacteria.

C We are investigating the source of contamination.

C We are repairing the wellhead seal.

C We are repairing the storage tank.

C We will inform you when additional samples show no coliform bacteria.

Make sure to send a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the public notice requirements to

your primacy agency within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)). It is a good idea to inform your consumers when

the violation has been resolved. See Template 1-6 for a “problem corrected” notice template.
Public Notification Handbook 54 June 2000

Unresolved Total Coliform Notice–Template 2-1

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Tests Show Coliform Bacteria in [System] Water

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this is not an emergency, as our

customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to

correct this situation. 

We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. We took [number] samples for

coliform bacteria during [month]. [Number/percentage] of those samples showed the presence of

coliform bacteria. The standard is that no more than [1 sample per month/5 percent of our samples]

may do so. 

What should I do?

C You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. However, if you have

specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

C People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at

increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care

providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from

EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.

What does this mean?

This is not an emergency. If it had been you would have been notified immediately. Total coliform

bacteria are generally not harmful themselves. Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the

environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present.

Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of potential problems.

Usually, coliforms are a sign that there could be a problem with the treatment or distribution system

(pipes). Whenever we detect coliform bacteria in any sample, we do follow-up testing to see if other

bacteria of greater concern, such as fecal coliform or E. coli, are present. We did not find any of

these bacteria in our subsequent testing. If we had, we would have notified you immediately.

However, we are still finding coliforms in the drinking water.

What happened? What is being done?

[Describe corrective action.]

We are still detecting coliform bacteria. We will inform you when our sampling shows that no bacteria

are present. We anticipate resolving the problem within [estimated time frame].

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have

received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You

can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: __________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 55 June 2000

Instructions for Resolved Total Coliform Notice--Template 2-2

Template on Reverse

Since exceeding the total coliform bacteria maximum contaminant level is a Tier 2 violation, you must provide public

notice to persons served as soon as practical but within 30 days after you learn of the violation (141.203(b)). Some

states have more stringent requirements for coliform violations. Check with your primacy agency to make sure you

meet all its requirements.

Community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Hand or direct delivery

C Mail, as a separate notice or included with the bill

Non-community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand delivery

C Mail

In addition, both community and non-community systems must use another method reasonably calculated to reach

others if they would not be reached by the first method (141.203(c)). Such methods could include newspapers, email, or delivery to community organizations. If you mail, post, or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if

available.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or mail. However, you may wish to modify it before using it

for posting. If you do, you must still include all the required elements and leave the health effects language in italics

unchanged. This language is mandatory (141.205(d)).

Description of the Violation

Make sure that the notice is clear about the fact that the coliform problem has been resolved, and there is no

current cause for concern. The description of the violation and the MCL vary depending on the number of samples

you take. The following table should help you complete the second paragraph of the template.

If You Take Less Than 40 Samples a Month

State the number of samples testing positive for

coliform. The standard is that no more than one

sample per month may be positive.

If You Take More Than 40 Samples a Month

State the percentage of samples testing positive for

coliform. The standard is that no more than five percent

of samples may test positive each month.

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you have taken. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water

systems with total coliform violations. Use one or more of the following actions, if appropriate, or develop your own:

C We have increased sampling for coliform bacteria to catch the problem early if it recurs.

C The well and/or distribution system has been disinfected and additional samples do not show presence of

coliform bacteria.

After Issuing the Notice

Make sure to send a copy of each type of notice along with a certification that you have met all the public notice

requirements to your primacy agency within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)).
Public Notification Handbook 56 June 2000

Resolved Total Coliform Notice--Template 2-2

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Tests Showed Coliform Bacteria in [System] Water

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this incident was not an

emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct this

situation. 

We routinely monitor for drinking water contaminants. We took [number] samples to test for the

presence of coliform bacteria during [month]. [Number/percentage] of our samples showed the

presence of total coliform bacteria. The standard is that no more than [1 sample per month/5 percent of

samples] may do so. 

What should I do?

• You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. However, if you have

specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

• People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at

increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care

providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from

EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.

What does this mean?

This is not an emergency. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. Coliform bacteria

are generally not harmful themselves. Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the

environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present.

Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of potential problems.

Usually, coliforms are a sign that there could be a problem with the system’s treatment or distribution

system (pipes). Whenever we detect coliform bacteria in any sample, we do follow-up testing to see if

other bacteria of greater concern, such as fecal coliform or E. coli, are present. We did not find any of

these bacteria in our subsequent testing, and further testing shows that this problem has been

resolved.

What happened? What was done?

[Describe corrective action.]

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have

received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You

can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: __________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 57 June 2000

Instructions for Chemical or Radiological MCLs Notice–Template 2-3

Template on Reverse

Since exceeding chemical or radiological maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) is a Tier 2 violation, you must

provide public notice to persons served as soon as practical but within 30 days after you learn of the violation

(141.203(b)). You must issue a repeat notice every three months for as long as the violation persists. Your primacy

agency may have more stringent requirements for MCL violations; e.g., it may require you to provide water from an

alternate source. Check with your agency to make sure you meet all requirements. Use Template 2-4 for fluoride

MCL violations.

Community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Hand or direct delivery

C Mail, as a separate notice or included with the bill

Non-community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand delivery

C Mail

In addition, both community and non-community systems must use another method reasonably calculated to reach

others if they would not be reached by the first method (141.203(c)). Such methods could include newspapers, email, or delivery to community organizations. If you mail, post, or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if

available.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or mail. However, you may wish to modify it before using it

for posting. If you do, you must still include all the required elements and you may not modify the mandatory health

effects language (141.205(d)). 

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. Do not use overly technical terminology when describing

treatment methods. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water systems with chemical or radiological

violations. Use one or more of the following actions, if appropriate, or develop your own:

C We are working with [local/state agency] to evaluate the water supply and researching options to correct the

problem. These options may include treating the water to remove [contaminant] or connecting to [system]’s

water supply.

C We have stopped using the contaminated well. We have increased pumping from other wells, and we are

investigating drilling a new well.

C We will increase the frequency at which we test the water for [contaminant].

C We have since taken samples at this location and had them tested. They show that we meet the standards.

Repeat Notices

If this is an ongoing violation and/or you fluctuate above and below the MCL, you should give the history behind the

violation, including the source of contamination, if known. List the date of the initial detection, as well as how levels

have changed over time. If levels are changing as a result of treatment, you can indicate this.

After Issuing the Notice

Make sure to send your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all

public notification requirements within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)).
Public Notification Handbook 58 June 2000

Chemical or Radiological MCLs Notice--Template 2-3

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

[System] Has Levels of [Contaminant] Above Drinking Water Standards

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this is not an emergency, as our

customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to

correct this situation. 

We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. Testing results we received on

[date] show that our system exceeds the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), for

[contaminant]. The standard for [contaminant] is [MCL]. The average level of [contaminant] over the last

year was [level]. or [Contaminant] was found at [level].

What should I do?

• You do not need to use an alternative (e.g., bottled) water supply. However, if you have

specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

What does this mean?

This is not an immediate risk. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. However, [Insert

relevant health effects language from Appendix B.]

What happened? What is being done?

[Describe corrective action.] We anticipate resolving the problem within [estimated time frame].

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not

have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and

businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 59 June 2000

Instructions for Fluoride MCL Notice–Template 2-4

Template on Reverse

Since exceeding the fluoride maximum contaminant level (MCL) is a Tier 2 violation, you must provide public notice

to persons served as soon as practical but within 30 days after you learn of the violation (141.203(b)). You must

issue a repeat notice every three months for as long as the violation persists. If you exceed the secondary

maximum contaminant level of 2 milligrams per liter but not the MCL of 4 milligrams per liter, you must

issue a special notice with different health effects language. See page 11 or Template 3-2 for more

information.

Community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Hand or direct delivery

C Mail, as a separate notice or included with the bill

Non-community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand delivery

C Mail

In addition, both community and non-community systems must use another method reasonably calculated to reach

others if they would not be reached by the first method (141.203(c)). Such methods could include newspapers, email, or delivery to community organizations. If you mail, post, or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if

available.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or mail. However, you may wish to modify it before using it

for posting. If you do, you must still include all the required elements and you may not modify the mandatory health

effects language (141.205(d)). 

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. Do not use overly technical terminology when describing

treatment methods. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water systems with fluoride violations. Use

one or more of the following actions, if appropriate, or develop your own:

C We are working with [local/state agency] to evaluate the water supply and researching options to correct the

problem. These options may include treating the water to remove fluoride or connecting to [system]’s water

supply.

C We have stopped using the contaminated well. We have increased pumping from other wells, and we are

investigating drilling a new well.

C We will increase the frequency at which we test the water for fluoride.

C We have since taken samples at this location and had them tested. They show that we meet the standards.

Repeat Notices

If this is an ongoing violation and/or you fluctuate above and below the MCL, it is a good idea to give the history

behind the violation. You should list the date of the initial detection, as well as how levels have changed over time. If

levels are changing as a result of treatment you should indicate that fact.

After Issuing the Notice

Make sure to send your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all

public notification requirements within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)).
Public Notification Handbook 60 June 2000

Fluoride MCL Notice–Template 2-4

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

[System] Has Levels of Fluoride Above Drinking Water Standards

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this is not an emergency, as our

customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to

correct this situation. 

We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. Testing results we received on

[date] show that our system exceeds the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), for fluoride.

The average level of fluoride in samples taken during the last year was [level and units]. The standard

for fluoride is that the average of samples taken over the last year may not exceed [MCL].

What should I do?

• Children under the age of nine should use an alternative source of water that is low in

fluoride. In addition, you may want to consult your dentist about whether to avoid dental products

containing fluoride. Adults and children over age nine should consult their dentist or doctor and show

him/her this notice to determine if an alternate source of water low in fluoride should be used.

What does this mean?

This is not an emergency. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. Fluoride in small

amounts helps prevent tooth decay. However, some people who drink water containing fluoride in

excess of the MCL over many years could get bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the

bones. Fluoride in drinking water at half the MCL or greater may cause mottling of children’s teeth,

usually in children less than nine years old. Mottling, also known as dental fluorosis, may include brown

staining and/or pitting of the permanent teeth. This problem occurs only in developing teeth, before they

erupt from the gums. Although it takes many years of exposure to fluoride for bone disease to develop,

mottling can occur after a relatively short period of exposure.

What happened? What is being done?

Fluoride contamination is rarely due to human activity. Fluoride occurs naturally in some areas and is

found in high concentrations in our source water. [Describe corrective action.] We anticipate resolving

the problem within [estimated time frame].

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who

may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes,

schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing

copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 61 June 2000

Instructions for SWTR Failure to Filter Notice--Template 2-5

Template on Reverse

Since surface water treatment technique violations are included in Tier 2, you must provide public notice to persons

served as soon as practical but within 30 days after you learn of the violation (141.203(b)). You must issue a repeat

notice every three months for as long as the violation persists.

Community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Hand or direct delivery

C Mail, as a separate notice or included with the bill

Non-community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand delivery

C Mail

In addition, both community and non-community systems must use another method reasonably calculated to reach

others if they would not be reached by the first method (141.203(c)). Such methods could include newspapers, email, or delivery to community organizations. If you mail, post, or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if

available.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or mail. However, you may wish to modify it before using it

for posting. If you do, you must still include all the required elements and leave the health effects language in italics

unchanged. This language is mandatory (141.205(d)).

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water

systems with surface water treatment technique violations. Use one or more of the following actions, if appropriate,

or develop your own:

C Our filtration system needs upgrades to meet the requirements. 

C We are installing filtration. We expect that the filtration system will be operational by [month, year]. 

C We are monitoring for turbidity (cloudiness), disinfectant levels, and the presence of bacteria. We continue to

meet the standards for these measurements. 

Repeat Notices

For repeat notices, you should state how long the violation has been ongoing and remind consumers of when you

sent out the previous notice. If you are making progress in installing filtration, describe it. Alternatively, if funding or

other issues are delaying installation, let consumers know.

After Issuing the Violation

Make sure to send your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met the

public notice requirements within ten days after you issued the notice (141.31(d)).
Public Notification Handbook 62 June 2000

SWTR Failure to Filter Notice--Template 2-5

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

[System] Does Not Meet Treatment Requirements

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this situation does not require

that you take immediate action, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you

should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation. 

On [date], the [primacy agency] ordered us to filter the water in addition to disinfecting. We are required

to install this filtration because we do not have an adequate watershed control program in place. 

However, we have not yet installed a filtration system.

What should I do?

C You do not need to boil your water. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your

doctor. A home filter will not necessarily solve the problem, because not all home filters protect

against parasites. Call NSF International at 1(800) NSF-8010 or the Water Quality Association at

1(800) 749-0234 for information on appropriate filters.

• People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at

increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care

providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from

EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.

What does this mean?

This is not a situation requiring that you take immediate action. If it had been you would have been

notified immediately. We do not know of any cases of contamination. However, until improvements are

made, there is an increased chance that disease-causing organisms could contaminate the water

supply. 

Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria,

viruses, and parasites which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated

headaches. These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you

experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.

What happened? What is being done?

Filtration is the best method for removing these organisms. [Describe corrective action.]

We anticipate resolving the problem within [estimated time frame]. Until filtration is installed, you will

receive a notice similar to this every three months. For more information, please contact [name of

contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who

may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes,

schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing

copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 63 June 2000

Instructions for SWTR Turbidity Exceedance Notice--Template 2-6

Template on Reverse

Since surface water treatment filtration treatment technique violations are included in Tier 2, you must provide public notice

to persons served as soon as practical but within 30 days after you learn of the violation (141.203(b)). This template may

also be adapted for use with turbidity MCL violations. 

For Exceedances of Single Turbidity Limits

You must consult with your primacy agency as soon as

practical but within 24 hours of learning of the violation.

During the consultation, the agency may choose to elevate

your turbidity exceedance to Tier 1. If consultation does not

occur, the violation is automatically elevated to Tier 1 (use

Template 1-5). For a Tier 2 notice, describe your violation

as follows in the second paragraph of the notice:

“Normal turbidity levels at our plant are [number] turbidity

units. A water sample taken [date] showed levels of

[number] turbidity units. This was above the standard of

[standard] units. Because of these high levels of turbidity,

there is an increased chance that the water may contain

disease-causing organisms.”

For Exceedances of Monthly Turbidity Limits

Use the following language to describe your violation and

insert into the second paragraph of the template:

“Water samples for [month] showed that [percentage]

percent of turbidity measurements were over [standard]

turbidity units – the standard is that no more than 5

percent of samples may exceed [standard] turbidity units

per month. The turbidity levels are relatively low. However,

their persistence is a concern. Normal turbidity levels at

our plant are [number] units.”

Community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Hand or direct delivery

C Mail, as a separate notice or included with the bill

Non-community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand delivery

C Mail

In addition, both community and non-community systems must use another method reasonably calculated to reach others

if they would not be reached by the first method (141.203(c)). Such methods could include newspapers, e-mail, or delivery

to community organizations. If you mail, post, or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if available.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or mail. However, you may wish to modify it before using it for

posting. If you do, you must still include all the required elements and leave the health effects language in italics

unchanged. This language is mandatory (141.205(d)).

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water systems

with filtration treatment technique violations. Use one or more of the following actions, if appropriate, or develop your own:

C We added chemicals that reduce turbidity.

C We sampled both untreated and treated water for the presence of coliform bacteria.

C We monitored chlorine levels and adjusted them as needed to compensate for the filtration problems.

C We inspected and cleaned the filters.

Make sure to send a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all public notice requirements to your

primacy agency within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)).
Public Notification Handbook 64 June 2000

SWTR Turbidity Exceedance Notice--Template 2-6

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

[System] Did Not Meet Treatment Requirements

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this was not an emergency, as

our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we did to

correct this situation. 

We routinely monitor your water for turbidity (cloudiness). This tells us whether we are effectively

filtering the water supply. [Insert appropriate description of the violation from instructions.]

What should I do?

• You do not need to boil your water or take other actions. We do not know of any

contamination, and none of our testing has shown disease-causing organisms in the drinking water.

• People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at

increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care

providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from

EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.

What does this mean?

Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium

for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease causing organisms. These

organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites which can cause symptoms such as nausea,

cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. These symptoms are not caused only by organisms in

drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek

medical advice.

What happened? What was done?

A problem occurred with the treatment system at the water plant. [Describe the reason for high turbidity,

corrective actions, and when the system returned or expects to return to compliance.]

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who

may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes,

schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing

copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 65 June 2000

Instructions for SWTR Disinfection Treatment Notices--Template 2-7

Template on Reverse

Since surface water treatment disinfection treatment technique violations are included in Tier 2, you must provide public

notice to persons served as soon as practical but within 30 days after you learn of the violation (141.203(b)). Some

disinfection problems may be serious. Your primacy agency may have more stringent requirements. Check with your

agency to be sure.

Community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Hand or direct delivery

C Mail, as a separate notice or included with the bill

Non-community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand delivery

C Mail

In addition, both community and non-community systems must use another method reasonably calculated to reach others

if they would not be reached by the first method (141.203(c)). Such methods could include newspapers, e-mail, or delivery

to community organizations. If you mail, post, or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if available. If you modify the

notice, you must leave the mandatory health effects language in italics unchanged (141.205(d)). 

Description of the Violation

Choose from the following descriptions of violations, and modify to fit your situation.

Contact Time - In order to ensure proper disinfection, water in the treatment plant must be in contact with chlorine or a

similar disinfectant for a minimum amount of time. On [date], this did not occur.

Although chlorine quickly kills most bacteria, it is less effective against organisms such as viruses and parasites. For this

reason, water needs to mix with chlorine for a longer time period to kill such organisms. The amount of time necessary, or

the “contact time,” depends on the amount of disinfectant in the water and the temperature of the water. 

Disinfectant Residual - We routinely monitor for disinfectant residual in the distribution system. This measurement tells us

whether we are effectively disinfecting the water supply. Disinfectant residual is the amount of chlorine or related

disinfectant present in the pipes of the distribution system. If the amount of disinfectant is too low, organisms could grow

in the pipes. 

Monthly exceedance - During the months of ________, disinfectant residual was undetectable in more than 5% of

samples. The standard is that disinfectant may be undetectable in no more than 5% of samples each month for two

months in a row.

Single exceedance - On [date], disinfectant levels dropped below 0.2 milligrams per liter for ___ hours. The standard

is that levels may not drop below 0.2 for more than four hours.

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water systems

with disinfection treatment technique violations. Use one or more of the following actions, if appropriate, or develop your

own:

C We are sampling/we sampled both untreated and treated water for the presence of coliform bacteria.

C We are sampling/we sampled disinfectant levels and will adjust/adjusted the amount of disinfectant added as

necessary to maintain adequate levels.

Make sure to send a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the public notice requirements to

your primacy agency within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)).
Public Notification Handbook 66 June 2000

SWTR Disinfection Treatment Notices–Template 2-7

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

[System] Does/Did Not Meet Treatment Requirements

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this situation does not require

that you take immediate action, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you

should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation. 

[Describe the violation - use descriptions from instructions on reverse.]

What should I do?

C You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. However, if you have

specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

• People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at

increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care

providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from

EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.

What does this mean?

This situation does not require that you take immediate action. If it had been, you would have been

notified immediately. Tests taken during this same time period did not indicate the presence of bacteria

in the water.

Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria,

viruses, and parasites which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated

headaches.

These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other

factors. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical

advice.

What happened? What is being done?

[Describe why the violation occurred and corrective action.]

[Disinfectant residual levels/contact times] so far this month have met all requirements.

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who

may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes,

schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing

copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 67 June 2000

Instructions for LCR Failure to Install Corrosion Control--Template 2-8

Template on Reverse

Since lead and copper treatment technique violations are included in Tier 2, you must provide public notice to persons

served as soon as practical but within 30 days after you learn of the violation (141.203(b)). You must issue a repeat notice

every three months for as long as the violation persists.

Community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Hand or direct delivery

C Mail, as a separate notice or included with the bill

Non-community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand delivery

C Mail

In addition, both community and non-community systems must use another method reasonably calculated to reach others

if they would not be reached by the first method (141.203(c)). Such methods could include newspapers, e-mail, or delivery

to community organizations. If you mail, post, or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if available.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for hand delivery or mail. However, you may wish to modify it before using it for

posting. If you do, you must still include all the required elements and leave the health effects language in italics

unchanged. This language is mandatory (141.205(d)).

Explaining the Violation

If the delay in installation is related to outside circumstances, such as funding, you should explain these. Consumers may

be more supportive of rate increases or may pressure local authorities to provide funds if they understand the

circumstances.

This template is written for systems which are required to install corrosion control after exceeding lead action levels. The

Lead and Copper Rule requires some large systems to install corrosion control even if they have never exceeded the lead

action level. You may need to modify the template if this applies to you. The following may help you explain the violation:

C This is a treatment violation, but it does not mean there is lead in your drinking water. However, it is important that we

take measures to control lead levels in the water, because ingesting lead can cause serious health consequences.

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. Use the following language, if appropriate, or develop your own:

C We conducted a lead public education program in [month, year]. You should have received a brochure explaining in

more detail steps you can take to reduce exposure until corrosion control is in place.

If consumers ask for information on testing their water, you should have on hand the names of laboratories consumers

can call. Tell consumers to call NSF International at 1(800) NSF-8010 or the Water Quality Association at 1(800) 749-0234

for information on appropriate filters. For more information on lead, have consumers call the EPA Safe Drinking Water

Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791 or the National Lead Information Center Hotline 1(800) LEAD-FYI.

Make sure to send your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the public

notice requirements within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)).
Public Notification Handbook 68 June 2000

LCR Failure to Install Corrosion Control--Template 2-8

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

[System] Water Contains High Levels of Lead

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Even though this is not an emergency, as

our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to

correct this situation.

We routinely sample water at consumers’ taps for lead. The tests show lead levels in the water above

the limit, or “action level,” so we are required to install corrosion control treatment. This treatment helps

prevent lead in the pipes from dissolving into the water. Corrosion control should have been installed by

[date], but installation is incomplete. 

What should I do?

Listed below are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure to lead:

• Call us at the number below to find out how to get your water tested for lead. 

• Find out whether your pipes contain lead or lead solder.

• Run your water for 15-30 seconds or until it becomes cold before using it for drinking or cooking.

This flushes any standing lead from the pipes.

• Don’t cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily into hot water.

• Do not boil your water to remove lead. Excessive boiling water makes the lead more

concentrated – the lead remains when the water evaporates.

What does this mean?

Typically, lead enters water supplies by leaching from lead or brass pipes and plumbing components.

New lead pipes and plumbing components containing lead are no longer allowed for this reason;

however, many older homes may contain lead pipes. Your water is more likely to contain high lead

levels if water pipes in or leading to your home are made of lead or contain lead solder. 

Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience

delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and

learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high

blood pressure.

What happened? What is being done?

[Describe corrective action.]

This is not an emergency. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. Corrosion control

will be in place by [date]. 

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have

received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You

can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: __________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 69 June 2000

7. Tier 3 Notice Requirements

and Suggestions

T

ier 3 notices must meet the content (including mandatory language),

format, and multilingual requirements described in Chapter 3, and are

required for the following violations (141.204(a)):

C Monitoring violations (except for the following: failure to monitor for

fecal coliform or E. coli when repeat samples are positive for coliform,

failure to take a confirmation sample for nitrate or nitrite within 24 hours,

and failure to take required samples for chlorine dioxide in the

distribution system, which require Tier 1 notice; and any monitoring

violations elevated to Tier 1 or 2 by the primacy agency); 

C Testing procedure violations, except where elevated to Tier 2 by the

primacy agency;

C Operation under a variance or exemption; 

C Special notice for availability of unregulated contaminant

monitoring data; and

C Special notice for fluoride secondary maximum contaminant level

(SMCL) exceedances. 

Remember that notices for variances or exemptions, fluoride SMCL

exceedances, and availability of unregulated contaminant monitoring data have

different content requirements than notices for violations. (See Chapter 3.)

What is the

deadline for issuing

a Tier 3 notice?

You must issue a public notice for a Tier 3 violation or situation within 12

months of learning of the violation or situation (141.204(b)). Keep in mind that

your primacy agency may require earlier notice for some monitoring violations,

especially if it believes such violations could affect public health.

Remember to send a copy of the notice and a certification statement to

your primacy agency within ten days after providing an initial or repeat notice to

the public (141.31(d)).

Following the initial notice, you must repeat the notice annually for as long as

the violation or situation persists (141.204(b)). You are not in compliance again

until your primacy agency determines so. You must also notify new billing

customers or units, prior to or at the time their service begins, of any ongoing

violations or situations for which you have previously provided notice 

(141.206).
7. Tier 3 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 70 June 2000

Required Elements of a 

Public Notice (141.205(a))

1. A description of the violation;

2. When the violation occurred; 

3. Potential adverse health effects; using mandatory

language for monitoring violations on p. 11;

4. Population(s) at risk;

5. Whether alternative water supplies should be used;

6. Actions consumers should take, including when they

should seek medical help, if known;

7. What you are doing to correct the violation;

8. When you expect to return to compliance;

9. Name, business address, and phone number for

additional information; and

10. Standard language encouraging distribution to all

persons served, where applicable.

Which methods of

delivery must I

use?

Unless directed otherwise by the primacy agency, if you operate a community

water system, you must provide notice by (141.204(c)):

1. Mail or other direct delivery to each customer receiving a bill and other

service connections to which water is delivered, and

2. Any other method reasonably calculated to reach others regularly served, if

they would not normally be reached by the method above. Such people

include those who do not pay water bills or do not have service connection

addresses, (e.g., tenants, college

students, nursing home patients, prison

inmates). Methods may include

publication in a local newspaper, posting

in public places, delivery of multiple

copies to landlords or office building

managers, or delivery to community

organizations.

Unless directed otherwise by the primacy

agency, if you operate a noncommunity water system, you must

provide notice by the following methods

(141.204(c); see Chapter 8 for more

information):

1. Posting the notice in conspicuous

locations throughout the system or

by direct delivery or mail to each

customer and known service

connection, and

2. Any other method reasonably calculated to reach others served, if they

would not normally be reached by the method above. Such people may

include those who may not see a posted notice because it is not in a

location they routinely pass by. Methods may include publication in a local

newspaper or newsletter distributed to consumers, use of e-mail to notify

employees or students, or delivery of multiple copies in central locations

(e.g., community centers).

If you post a notice, it must remain posted for as long as the violation or

situation persists. If the violation or situation is already resolved by the time you

write the notice, you must post the notice for at least one week (141.204(b)). 

Be sure that the notice is durable. It should not blow away if posted

outdoors. Consider laminating notices that will be placed over sinks or outside,

especially if they are likely to remain there for an extended time.

For both system types, there may be a few cases where you were able to

reach all persons served with the first method you choose. In such cases, you
7. Tier 3 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 71 June 2000

Tips for Very Small

Community

Systems

C Consider combining notices for Tier 3

violations and situations into one annual

notice.

C Compare mailing and labor costs before

selecting a delivery method. Hand delivery

may be cheaper and faster than preparing

a mailing. However, you may be able to

include your notice with the bill at no extra

cost. 

C Supplement your chosen delivery method

by posting in banks, grocery stores, town

halls, and restaurants, or by publishing in

a newspaper. 

may not need to use additional methods. In a community water system, such

as a small town, a second method would be necessary to reach non-resident

employees or restaurant customers. At a gas station, on the other hand,

posting would be sufficient to reach all persons served. 

Suggestions for

Effective Public

Notification

Delivery

C If you mail the notice, send it to all service connections, if possible, and not

just billing customers, since there are many people in addition to your billing

customers who drink your water. Billing customers can be reached via

inserts in their water bills.

C Community water systems whose consumers do not have service

connections, such as nursing homes or prisons, should be sure to notify all

those drinking the water.

C Notices in newspapers may be in the form of an article or a paid

advertisement. Also, try to get articles published in smaller community

newspapers, homeowners’ association newsletters, or similar

publications. Paid advertisements offer an advantage because you are

guaranteed the notice will appear exactly as you write it. Try to purchase ad

space in the front section of the paper. Legal notices tend to get lost in the

back of the paper where few people read them.

May I combine

notices for multiple

Tier 3 violations or

situations?

If you have multiple monitoring or testing procedure violations or other situations

within a 12-month period, you should strongly consider combining notification for

them into a single annual Tier 3 notice (141.204(d)). An annual notice can

help you save preparation, delivery, and printing costs. You can issue such a

notice at any time, as long as the earliest violation included occurred less than

12 months before the notice is provided to consumers. For example, if your

water system violates the monitoring requirement for

VOCs on March 31 and also violates the monitoring

requirements for the Total Coliform Rule in January,

August, and December, you may issue a single notice

on January 1 of the subsequent year listing all the

violations since the previous January 1. 

If you are a community water system, you may also

wish to consider using the Consumer Confidence

Report (CCR) for Tier 3 notices. Unlike a separate

annual notice, however, using the CCR to meet the

public notification obligation requires that you tailor the

release of your CCR to meet the unique PN

requirements. Using the CCR may reduce some

production costs and may reduce redundancy since

the violations and situations requiring public notice

must also eventually be included in the CCR. 
7. Tier 3 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 72 June 2000

Including your Tier 3 public notice as part of the CCR could also provide the

context that more accurately describes what has happened. Before you decide,

however, remember that the timing and delivery requirements for CCRs

differ from those for PNs. If you use the CCR for public notification, be very

careful to adhere to the PN requirement that public notice for Tier 3 violations be

completed no later than 12 months from the date the violation occurred. In

addition, if you use the CCR, it must be provided to persons served that are not

necessarily only the billing customers who would receive the CCR.

An example illustrates the coordination challenge that water systems will face in

using the CCR as the vehicle for the annual Tier 3 notice. CCRs must be

published by July 1 of every year and must include information from the previous

calendar year, according to the CCR regulation. A CCR published in July 2000

must include violations or situations that occurred between January 1, 1999 and

December 31, 1999. Under this schedule, public notice for Tier 3 violations or

situations that occurred between January and June 1999 could not be included

in the July 2000 CCR since the CCR would reach consumers more than a year

after they occurred. Any violations or situations that occur more than one year

before the CCR is published must be reported in a separate PN notice. To

minimize the timing conflict, you can:

C Publish the CCR early–as soon after the end of the calendar year as

possible, or

C Mail a separate public notice for the violations occurring in January through

June of the current year in the same envelope as your CCR covering the

previous calendar year’s violations.

Suggestions for

the Layout of the

Notice

The format of a Tier 3 notice depends on your circumstances and on the number

of violations or situations you are reporting. If you have multiple monitoring

violations, it may be simpler and shorter to list them in a table. The table could

include columns for the required sampling frequency, the number of samples

taken, when the samples should have been taken, and when the samples were

or will be taken. However, not all monitoring violations are the same. A coliform

monitoring violation in which one of 100 samples was missed is less serious

than missing one of two required samples. You may feel it is more appropriate

to describe each violation in a paragraph. Template 3-1 at the end of this chapter

offers sample language and instructions for preparing public notices for

monitoring violations.

In a notice for monitoring violations, it is important to tell consumers the

implications of the violation. They may wonder why they weren’t told earlier,

whether there is any health risk, and why the samples were not taken. You

should respond to their concerns. A statement clarifying that no emergency 
7. Tier 3 Notice Requirements and Suggestions

Public Notification Handbook 73 June 2000

exists, that the notice is for informational purposes, and that subsequent

monitoring showed no problems will help reassure consumers. 

A notice for a fluoride SMCL exceedance need only contain the mandatory

language found on page 11 with the blanks filled in appropriately (141.208). You

should also include the language that encourages distribution. Notices must be

provided as soon as practical but no later than 12 months after you learn of the

exceedance. Due to the staining effect of fluoride at levels above the SMCL on

the teeth of children under nine, consider issuing these notices quickly to

prevent damage to their teeth.

A notice of the availability of unregulated contaminant data need only state that

the monitoring results are available and provide a phone number to call to obtain

them (141.207). You may use an annual notice or insert this notice into your

CCR, provided public notification timing and delivery requirements can be met.

You do not need to include the results themselves, unless you are a community

water system using the CCR to provide the notice. CCR regulations require

systems to include data on all detected contaminants.

You should include your PWS ID number at the bottom of any notice. This will

help your primacy agency track compliance and prevent tracking errors between

systems with similar names. Also include the date on which you distributed the

notice.
74

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Public Notification Handbook 75 June 2000

TIER 3 TEMPLATES

The pages that follow contain templates for Tier 3 violations and situations. Along with the

templates are instructions, including the required method of delivery and instructions for

completing individual sections of the notices. These instructions are designed to

supplement Chapter 7, so you may see much of the information repeated here.

Mandatory language on unknown risk for monitoring violations, which must be

included exactly as written, is presented in italics (141.205(d)). All the language in the

fluoride SMCL template (except the language discussed below) is mandatory

(141.208).

You must also include the following italicized language in all notices, where applicable

(141.205(d)). Use of this language does not relieve you of your obligation to take steps

reasonably calculated to notify all persons served:

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially

those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in

apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting

this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

Templates

Monitoring Violations Annual Notice–Template 3-1

Fluoride SMCL Notice–Template 3-2
76

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Public Notification Handbook 77 June 2000

Instructions for Monitoring Violations Annual Notice--Template 3-1

Template on Reverse

Since most monitoring violations are included in Tier 3, you must provide public notice to persons served within one

year after you learn of the violation (141.204(b)). Multiple monitoring violations can be serious, and your primacy

agency may have more stringent requirements. Check with your primacy agency to make sure you meet its

requirements.

Community systems must use one of the following (141.204(c)):

C Hand or direct delivery

C Mail, as a separate notice or included with the bill

Non-community systems must use one of the following (141.204(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand delivery

C Mail

In addition, both community and non-community systems must use another method reasonably calculated to reach

others if they would not be reached by the first method (141.204(c)). Such methods could include newspapers, email, or delivery to community organizations. If you post the notice, it must remain posted until the violation is

resolved. If the violation has been resolved, you must post the notice for at least one week (141.204(b)). If you mail,

post, or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if available.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for insertion in an annual notice or the CCR, as long as public notification

timing and delivery requirements are met (141.204(d)). You may need to modify the template for a notice for

individual monitoring violations. This example presents violations in a table; however, you may write out an

explanation for each violation if you wish. For any monitoring violation for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or

other groups, you may list the group name in the table, but you must provide the name of every chemical in the

group on the notice, e.g., in a footnote.

You may need to modify the notice if you had any monitoring violations for which monitoring later showed a

maximum contaminant level or other violation. In such cases, you should refer to the public notice you issued at

that time.

Include in your notice the standard language for monitoring and testing procedure violations in italics (141.205(d)(2)). 

If you modify the notice, you may not alter this mandatory language.

Corrective Actions

In your notice, describe corrective actions you took or are taking. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by

water systems with monitoring violations. Choose the appropriate language, or develop your own:

C We have since taken the required samples, as described in the last column of the table above. The samples

showed we are meeting drinking water standards.

C We have since taken the required samples, as described in the last column of the table above. The sample for

[contaminant] exceeded the limit. [Describe corrective action; use information from public notice prepared for

violating the limit.]

C We plan to take the required samples soon, as described in the last column of the table above.

After Issuing the Notice

Make sure to send your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the

public notice requirements within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)).
1VOCs, also known as volatile organic compounds, are tested by collecting one sample and testing that

sample for all the VOCs. VOCs are commonly used in industrial and manufacturing processes. VOCs include

benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chlorobenzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, cisdichloroethylene, trans-dichloroethylene, dichloromethane, 1,2-dichloropropane, ethylbenzene, styrene,

tetrachlorethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, toluene, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, 1,1-dichloroethylene,

1,1,2-trichloroethane, vinyl chloride, and xylene.

Public Notification Handbook 78 June 2000

Monitoring Violations Annual Notice–Template 3-1

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Monitoring Requirements Not Met for [System]

Our water system violated several drinking water standards over the past year. Even though these were

not emergencies, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to

correct these situations. 

We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of

regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health standards. During

[compliance period] we ['did not monitor or test' or 'did not complete all monitoring or testing'] for

[contaminant(s)] and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water during that time.

What should I do?

There is nothing you need to do at this time.

The table below lists the contaminant(s) we did not properly test for during the last year, how often we

are supposed to sample for [this contaminant/these contaminants] and how many samples we are

supposed to take, how many samples we took, when samples should have been taken, and the date on

which follow-up samples were (or will be) taken.

Contaminant Required

sampling

frequency

Number of

samples

taken 

When all samples

should have been

taken

When samples

were or will be

taken

VOCs1 (example) 1 sample every

three years

0 1996-1998 February 1999

What happened? What is being done?

[Describe corrective action.]

For more information, please contact [name of contact] at [phone number] or [mailing address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who

may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes,

schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing

copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: __________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 79 June 2000

Instructions for Fluoride SMCL Notice--Template 3-2

Template on Reverse

For any exceedance of the fluoride secondary maximum contaminant level SMCL, you must provide public notice to

persons served as soon as practical but within 12 months after you learn of the exceedance (141.208), using the

provided mandatory language and filling in the blanks. Your primacy agency may have more stringent deadlines or

other requirements. Because fluoride at levels above the SMCL can permanently discolor children’s teeth, you are

urged to issue this notice as soon as practical. Non-community systems that monitor for fluoride (federal law does

not require non-community systems to monitor) are encouraged to notify their consumers if they exceed the SMCL,

especially at water systems serving children. If you exceed the MCL of 4 mg/l, you must provide notice within 30

days of learning of the violation (141.203(a)). See Template 2-4.

Community systems must use one of the following (141.204(c)):

C Hand or direct delivery

C Mail, as a separate notice or included with the bill

In addition, you must use another method reasonably calculated to reach others if they would not be reached by the

first method (141.204(c)). Such methods could include newspapers, e-mail, or delivery to community organizations. 

If you post the notice, it must remain posted until the exceedance is resolved. If the exceedance has been resolved,

you must post the notice for at least one week (141.204(b)). If you mail, post, or hand deliver, print your notice on

letterhead, if available.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for insertion in an annual notice or the CCR, as long as public notification

timing and delivery requirements are met (141.204(d)), as well as for a separate individual notice. The language on

the template is mandatory and may not be modified, although you may add to the notice, as suggested below

(141.208).

Explaining the Situation

Use the following language, if applicable:

C Fluoride contamination is rarely due to human activity. Fluoride occurs naturally in some areas and is found in

high concentrations in the aquifer in our source water. 

If the fluoride levels in the water have returned to below the SMCL, be sure to make this clear in your notice.

Corrective Actions

In your notice, you should describe corrective actions you took or are taking, if any. The bullet below describes one

action commonly taken by water systems with fluoride SMCL exceedances. Use this language, or develop your

own:

C We are continuing to monitor fluoride levels. We will inform you if they exceed the limit of 4 mg/l.

After Issuing the Notice

Make sure to send your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the

public notice requirements within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)).
Public Notification Handbook 80 June 2000

Fluoride SMCL Exceedance Notice--Template 3-2

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Elevated Fluoride Levels Detected

This is an alert about your drinking water and a cosmetic dental problem that might affect

children under nine years of age. At low levels, fluoride can help prevent cavities, but children

drinking water containing more than 2 milligrams per liter (mg/l) of fluoride may develop

cosmetic discoloration of their permanent teeth (dental fluorosis). The drinking water provided by

your community water system [name] has a fluoride concentration of [insert value] mg/l.

Dental fluorosis in its moderate or severe forms, may result in a brown staining and or pitting of

the permanent teeth. This problem occurs only in developing teeth, before they erupt from the

gums. Children under nine should be provided with alternative sources of drinking water or water

that has been treated to remove the fluoride to avoid the possibility of staining and pitting of their

permanent teeth. You may also want to contact your dentist about proper use by young children

of fluoride-containing products. Older children and adults may safely drink the water.

Drinking water containing more than 4 mg/l of fluoride (the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency’s drinking water standard) can increase your risk of developing bone disease. Your

drinking water does not contain more than 4 mg/l of fluoride, but we’re required to notify you

when we discover that the fluoride levels in your drinking water exceed 2 mg/l because of this

cosmetic dental problem. 

For more information, please call [name of water system contact] of [name of community water

system] at [phone number]. Some home water treatment units are also available to remove

fluoride from drinking water. To learn more about available home water treatment units, you may

call NSF International at 1-877-8-NSF-HELP.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those

who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing

homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or

distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by [system]. State Water System ID#: __________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 81 June 2000

8. Special Needs of

Non-Community Systems

T

his chapter discusses ways to tailor public notices for non-community

systems (e.g., schools, businesses, gas stations, campgrounds, and

restaurants). Non-community systems have different delivery requirements

than community systems, although in practice, the delivery methods used by

non-community systems and very small community systems will be similar.

This chapter also contains templates designed for posted notices for total

coliform, fecal coliform, nitrate, and monitoring

violations. 

Nontransient non-community systems provide water

to the same people at least six months a year.

Examples of nontransient systems include schools

and office buildings. Nontransient non-community

water systems are subject to the same requirements

as community water systems (except for rules on

fluoride, radionuclides, and arsenic). Operators of

these systems will need to refer to templates in other

chapters of this handbook for chemical or treatment

technique violation notices.

Transient non-community water systems provide water to a population that

changes day-to-day. They include campgrounds, rest areas, and restaurants

with their own wells. Transient systems are required to meet drinking water

standards for nitrate,

coliform, and chlorine

dioxide, along with

the requirements of

the Surface Water

Treatment Rule.

Operators of these

systems should in

most cases not need

templates other than

those included in this

chapter; however,

they may need to

refer to other chapters

for more detail.

Also Read . . .

Chapter 2: “How to Use the Handbook”

Chapter 3: “Summary of Requirements”

Chapter 4: “Making Public Notification Work”

See Chapters 5-7 for additional templates

and more detail on the delivery requirements

for Tier 1, 2, and 3 notices.

Special Notice for Nitrate MCL Exceedances 

Non-Community Systems Only

Non-community water systems that have been granted

permission by the primacy agency to exceed the nitrate

MCL must provide continuous posting of the fact that nitrate

levels exceed 10 mg/l and the potential health effects of

exposure (141.209). You must follow the Tier 1 delivery

requirements and include the additional required content

elements summarized in the following pages. Your primacy

agency may only grant permission to exceed the MCL if

you can demonstrate that the water will not be available to

children under 6 months of age (141.11(d)).
8. Special Needs of Non-Community Systems

Public Notification Handbook 82 June 2000

Required Elements of a 

Public Notice (141.205(d))

1. A description of the violation or situation;

2. When the violation or situation occurred; 

3. Potential adverse health effects; using the

health effects language in Appendix B or

language for monitoring violations;

4. Population(s) at risk;

5. Whether alternative water supplies should be

used;

6. Actions consumers should take, including

when they should seek medical help, if

known;

7. What you are doing to correct the violation or

situation;

8. When you expect to return to compliance;

9. Name, business address, and phone number

for additional information; and

10. Standard language encouraging distribution to

all persons served, where applicable.

Summary of

Public

Notification

Requirements

Table 3 on the following page summarizes the violations and situations requiring

notice included in each tier, the deadlines for issuing a public notice, and the

approved methods of delivery. Refer to the “Summary of Requirements” starting

on page 5 for a complete description of the violations or situations and their time

frames. For a complete list of violations and situations and their respective

tiers, refer to Appendix A. Your primacy agency may have stricter

requirements. Also, read the other chapters of this handbook before a

violation or other situation occurs to familiarize yourself with the public

notification process and requirements.

In addition to the elements shown in the

box, a public notice also must include the

following standard language (141.205(d)): 

T Standard health effects language for

MCL violations, treatment technique

violations, and violations of the condition

of a variance or exemption (specified in

Appendix B); or

T Standard language for monitoring and

testing procedure violations.

See page 11 for more details on standard

language. You may also be required to translate

part of your notice if a large proportion of the

population served does not speak English

(141.205(c)). See page 12 for a more detailed

description. Spanish-language templates for

nitrate and fecal coliform violations are provided

with the Tier 1 templates in Chapter 5.
8. Special Needs of Non-Community Systems

Public Notification Handbook 83 June 2000

Table 3

Public Notice Requirements for Non-Community Systems (141.202, 203, 204)

Tier Violations or Situations by Tier*

(see also Appendix A)

Deadline–

Within...

Methods to Use**

(see Chapters 5-7)

1 • Presence of fecal coliform or E. coli or failure to

test for fecal coliform/E. coli after repeat samples

test positive for coliform.

• Nitrate, nitrite, or total nitrate and nitrite MCL

violation or failure to take a confirmation sample.

• Exceedance of the nitrate MCL (when permitted by

the primacy agency, see page 81).

• Chlorine dioxide MRDL violation when one or

more of the samples taken in the distribution

system on the day after exceeding the MRDL at the

entrance of the distribution system or when

required samples are not taken in the distribution

system.†

• Violation of turbidity MCL of 5 NTU, if elevated by

primacy agency, or if consultation does not occur.

• Treatment technique violation involving single

exceedance of turbidity limit, if elevated by primacy

agency, or if consultation does not occur.

• Waterborne disease outbreak or other waterborne

emergency.

• Other violations or situations as determined by the

primacy agency.

24 hours*** Posting, hand delivery, radio,

and/or television

Plus any other method

calculated to reach others not

reached by the first method

2 • All MCL, MRDL, and treatment technique violations

not included in Tier 1.

• Monitoring violations as determined by the primacy

agency.

• Violations of the conditions of a variance or

exemption.

30 days †† Posting, hand delivery, or mail

Plus any other method

calculated to reach others not

reached by the first method

3 • Monitoring violations, except those in Tier 1 or 2.

• Failure to comply with testing procedures.

• Operation under a variance or exemption.

• Availability of monitoring data for unregulated

contaminants.

1 year ††† Posting, hand delivery, or mail

Plus any other method

calculated to reach others not

reached by the first method

* Transient systems are not subject to MRDLs, MCLs, (except coliform, nitrate/nitrite/total nitrate and

nitrite, and chlorine dioxide) or treatment techniques (except for those in the Surface Water Treatment

Rule).

** Your primacy agency may approve other methods.

*** You must also notify the State primacy agency within 24 hours of learning of the violation or situation.

† For systems serving less than 10,000 people this becomes effective January 1, 2004. For systems

serving 10,001 people or more, this becomes effective January 1, 2002.

†† For turbidity MCLs of 5 NTU or single exceedances of turbidity limits, you must initiate consultation with

the primacy agency within 24 hours. If consultation does not occur, the violation becomes Tier 1.

††† You should consider combining Tier 3 violations and situations into an annual notice.
8. Special Needs of Non-Community Systems

Public Notification Handbook 84 June 2000

Formatting

Hints

C Limit the notice to one page. Be concise.

C Display important elements in bold and/or

large type and/or all upper case letters.

C List each of the most important elements on

a separate line and center the text, leaving a

blank line between each element.

C Other required elements, such as health

effects and your corrective actions, can be

provided in paragraph format, with a title for

each paragraph if space permits.

What are the

required methods

of delivery?

The violations and situations requiring public notice requirements are placed into

three tiers according to their potential severity. For Tier 1 violations and

situations, you must use one of the following methods to distribute required

notices: posting, hand delivery, newspapers, or radio and/or television. You

may need to use another method to reach other persons served (141.202(c)).

You must use posting, hand delivery, or mail for Tier 2 and 3 notices, plus

another method to reach others if they would not normally be reached by the

first method. Your primacy agency may allow you to use a different method of

delivery for any tier. You must also post every notice for as long as the violation

or situation exists to let visitors or new employees know of the situation. If a Tier

2 or 3 violation or situation has already been resolved, you must post the notice

for at least seven days (141.203(b); 141.204(b)). If you can reach all persons

served with the first method you choose, you may not need to use additional

methods. At a gas station, for instance, posting would be sufficient to reach all

persons served. 

Suggestions for

the Layout of the

Notice

In addition to being concise and readable, notices for non-community systems

should be appropriate to the consumers’ situation. For example, visitors at a

rest stop just need to be aware they shouldn’t drink the water, rather than be

told to boil it. See Templates NC-1 through NC-4 at the end of this chapter for

examples of postings. See Chapter 3 for a description of the formatting

requirements for public notices.

How should the

notice be formatted

to get people’s

attention?

A person walking by a

posted notice is unlikely to

read the entire notice.

Therefore, you should

format the notice so that

consumers will see and

read the most important

information first. This

should consist of a title

designed to catch their

attention, information on

the population at risk (if

applicable), actions

consumers should take, a

very short description of the

violation or situation, and

where to obtain alternative

sources of water if

alternative water supplies

should be used.
8. Special Needs of Non-Community Systems

Public Notification Handbook 85 June 2000

How should I tailor

the notices to my

situation?

If you are providing bottled or other sources of water, list the location from which

you are distributing or selling it. If you use water for cooking (e.g., you are a

restaurant), be sure to let customers know that you are using bottled water for

this purpose. 

If your system supplies water to people for cooking (such as a campground),

your notice should provide instructions on how to use the water to cook. For

example, in the case of a nitrate violation, instruct consumers not to boil water

used for infants, since boiling makes nitrates more concentrated. For fecal

coliform or E. coli violations, instruct them to use boiled water for brushing teeth,

washing dishes, and food preparation.

For transient systems (such as a restaurant or a rest stop) or nontransient

systems (such as schools or office buildings) with fecal coliform or E. coli

violations, where the water is used for drinking only, simply tell consumers not

to drink the water.

For systems serving a large proportion of non-English speaking people, such as

some schools, national or state parks, or rest areas, you should include the

appropriate translated phrases provided in Appendix C.

Suggestions for

Effective Public

Notice Delivery

Most non-community systems can probably use some combination of posting

and hand delivery. For instance, a transient system such as a campground

should post notices in bathrooms or at pumps and hand out flyers to campers

as they register. A school should post notices at water fountains and send a

notice home with students for their parents. A resort should hand deliver notices

to guests’ rooms or cottages as well as post them in common areas. A system

serving a seasonal resort town should even mail notices to service

connections.

If you have multiple monitoring violations throughout the year, you may wish to

consolidate notices into one annual notice. You must provide notice within at

least 12 months of the first violation. This may save money by reducing the

amount of time you spend on posting, copying, and delivering. However, you

may find it easier to issue notices as violations or situations occur, rather than

trying to pull up records and compile them at the end of the year. It may also

make more sense to issue individual notices if you are a transient system. An

annual notice at such a system would not have much relevance to someone

who passed through the area served by the system one day out of the year.

Your primacy agency may also have more stringent requirements.

How can I make

posting effective? 

Post notices at all water fountains and sinks, on bulletin boards, outside

administrative offices, and at any other appropriate central locations. Posted

notices must remain posted for as long as the violation or situation persists

(141.206(b)). Violations are not resolved until the primacy agency determines

they are resolved. Postings about resolved violations must remain in place for 
8. Special Needs of Non-Community Systems

Public Notification Handbook 86 June 2000

at least one week (141.203(b); 141.204(b)). This is especially important in

transient systems where consumers are continuously entering and leaving the

area served.

Be sure that the notice is durable. It should not blow away if posted

outdoors. Consider laminating notices that will be placed over sinks or outside,

especially if they are likely to remain there for an extended time. 

What other

methods are

available for noncommunity

systems to reach

all consumers?

You may also want to use some of these ideas in addition to one of the required

methods listed above:

C Spoken word — If you are doing hand delivery and time permits, take

the time to explain the situation as you hand deliver the notice. Or have

a meeting to explain the situation to your employees, students, etc.

C The Internet (e-mail and home pages) — This method is most

appropriate for systems where users regularly use computers and email, such as a business or a college. Posting or some other method

of notification would still be required for visitors who may not have

access to e-mail. Home pages are a good place to furnish updates and

more detailed information after the initial notice is provided. 

C Sound trucks — Sound trucks might be useful as a supplement to hand

delivery. They are most appropriate for distribution at a time of day when

most people are expected to be home or in a concentrated area such

as a beach or campground. 

C Answering machines — Include public notice information on the

greeting of your answering machine or voicemail. The greeting can be

updated as you make progress in resolving the violation or situation. It

also enables you to at least partially answer your customers’ questions

and fix the problem at the same time.

C Newsletters — If you have a corporate or college newsletter, include

your notice in your next issue.

C Community organizations — Distribute multiple copies to social service

agencies or clinics. This way doctors or case workers will be informed if

their patients or clients ask them about the implications of the violation

or situation.

C Automatic dialers — Some phone systems can be programmed to send

voicemail to every extension. This might be useful to notify employees

in an office building, students and professors at a university, or guests

at a hotel or resort.
Public Notification Handbook 87 June 2000

TEMPLATES FOR NON-COMMUNITY SYSTEMS

The pages that follow contain templates for use by non-community systems. They are

generally designed for posting, and their instructions to consumers are tailored to

systems where consumers will not be able to boil or otherwise treat their water. Along

with each template are instructions, including the required method of delivery and

instructions for completing individual sections of the notice. These instructions are

designed to supplement Chapter 8, so you may see much of the information repeated

here.

Templates for other violations can be found in Chapters 5-7 and are listed in the table of

contents of this handbook. Most of those templates are appropriate for hand delivery but

would need to be modified for posting.

Mandatory language on health effects, which must be included exactly as written,

is presented in italics (141.205(d)).

You must include the following italicized language in all notices, where applicable. If you

post the notice, this language would not be appropriate, since the message would be

available to anyone who passes it; in such cases you may omit the language from your

notice. Use of this language does not relieve you of your obligation to take steps

reasonably calculated to notify persons served (141.205(d)):

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water,

especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for

example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and

businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or

distributing copies by hand or mail.

Templates

Nitrate Notice–Template NC-1

Fecal Coliform or E. coli Notice--Template NC-2

Unresolved Total Coliform Notice–Template NC-3 

Monitoring Violation Notice–Template NC-4
88

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Public Notification Handbook 89 June 2000

Instructions for Nitrate Notice–Template NC-1 

Template on Reverse

Since exceeding the nitrate maximum contaminant level is a Tier 1 violation, you must provide public notice to

persons served as soon as practical but within 24 hours after you learn of the violation (141.202(b)). During this time

period, you must also contact your primacy agency. This template is also applicable to nitrite and total nitrate

and nitrite violations. It can also be used by non-community systems allowed by their primacy agency to exceed

the limit without incurring a violation but still required to post. You must use one or more of the following methods to

deliver the notice to consumers (141.202(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand or direct delivery

C Radio

C Television

You may need to use additional methods (e.g., newspaper, delivery of multiple copies to hospitals or clinics), since

notice must be provided in a manner reasonably calculated to reach all persons served.

The language to encourage distribution of the notice is included on this notice; however, if you post this notice, omit

the mandatory language to encourage distribution, as it is not needed since posting makes the notice available to

everyone who passes by. If you modify the notice, you must leave the health effects language in italics unchanged.

This language is mandatory (141.205(d)). See Template 1-1 for a more detailed notice.

Alternative Sources of Water

If you are selling or providing bottled water, your notice should say where it can be obtained. Remember that bottled

water can also be contaminated. If you are providing bottled water, make sure it meets the standard for nitrates by

contacting the bottler and asking for the most recent test results. 

Repeat Notices

If this is a repeat notice for a non-transient non-community system, you may wish to include an explanation similar

to the following:

As you may recall, on [date], you were also notified of high nitrate levels that occurred during the ____ quarter of the

year. Since that time the water system has been monitoring the nitrate concentration every three months. Seasonal

fluctuations in nitrate concentrations have been observed, due to nitrates contained in fertilizer. It appears the high

nitrates occur during the later summer and fall. Note that previous tests prior to [year] show that we were meeting

drinking water standards for nitrate.

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water

systems with nitrate/nitrite violations. Use the following language, if appropriate:

C We are investigating water treatment and other options. These may include drilling a new well or mixing the

water with low-nitrate water from another source.

After Issuing the Notice

Make sure to send your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the

public notification requirements within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)).

It is a good idea to inform your consumers when the violation has been resolved, especially if you have regular

customers. See Template 1-6 for a “problem corrected” notice template.
Public Notification Handbook 90 June 2000

Nitrate Notice--Template NC-1

DRINKING WATER WARNING

FOR PARENTS OF INFANTS 6 MONTHS AND YOUNGER

DO NOT USE THE WATER FOR INFANT FORMULA

High nitrate levels were detected on [date]

Bottled water should be used. [We are providing bottled water for

infants and their families at ____]. 

Adults and children older than 6 months can drink the water 

A routine sample on [date] showed a nitrate concentration in the drinking water of [level and units].

This is above the nitrate standard, or maximum contaminant level, of [state/federal MCL].

Possible Health Effects

Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the

maximum contaminant level could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms

include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome. Blue baby syndrome is indicated by

blueness of the skin. Nitrate is a concern for infants because they can’t process nitrates in the

same way adults can.

Symptoms in infants can develop rapidly, with health deteriorating over a period of days. If

symptoms occur in a child less than 6 months old, seek medical attention immediately. 

If you are pregnant or have specific health concerns, you may wish to consult your doctor.

Steps We Are Taking

[Describe corrective action.]

We anticipate resolving the problem within [estimated time frame]. We will inform you when this

problem has been corrected. For more information, please contact [name of contact] of [system]

at [phone number] or [location/address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who

may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes,

schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing

copies by hand or mail.

State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 91 June 2000

Instructions for Fecal Coliform or E. coli Notice--Template NC-2

Template on Reverse

This template is intended for systems where consumers will not be able to boil water. See the instructions below

on how to modify this template for other situations. Since exceeding the fecal coliform or E. coli maximum

contaminant level is a Tier 1 violation, you must provide public notice to persons served as soon as practical but

within 24 hours after you learn of the violation (141.202(b)). During this time period you must also contact your

primacy agency. You must use one or more of the following methods to deliver the notice to consumers

(141.202(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand or direct delivery

C Radio

C Television

You may need to use additional methods (e.g., newspaper, delivery of multiple copies to hospitals or clinics), since

notice must be provided in a manner reasonably calculated to reach all persons served.

The language to encourage distribution of the notice is included on this notice; however, if you post this notice, omit

the mandatory language to encourage distribution, as it is not needed since posting makes the notice available to

everyone who passes by. If you modify the notice, you must leave the health effects language in italics unchanged.

This language is mandatory (141.205(d)). See Template 1-2 for a more detailed template appropriate for hand

delivery (but with different instructions to consumers).

Instructions to Consumers

You may need to modify the instruction based on your system type. For instance, at a campground, you might tell

consumers to boil the water before drinking or using for food preparation. Instructions also should depend on

whether your system has elevated nitrate levels.

Alternative Sources of Water

If you are selling or providing bottled water, your notice should say where it can be obtained. Remember that bottled

water can also be contaminated. If you are providing bottled water, make sure it meets the standard for bacteria and

other contaminants by contacting the bottler and asking for the most recent test results. 

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water

systems with fecal coliform violations. Use one or more of the following actions, if appropriate:

C We are chlorinating and flushing the water system.

C We are increasing sampling for coliform bacteria.

C We are repairing the wellhead seal.

C We are repairing the storage tank.

After Issuing the Notice

Make sure to send your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the

public notification requirements within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)).

It is a good idea to inform your consumers when the violation has been resolved, especially if you have regular

customers. See Template 1-6 for a “problem corrected” notice template.
Public Notification Handbook 92 June 2000

Fecal Coliform or E. coli Notice–Template NC-2

WARNING

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER

Fecal coliform [or E. coli] bacteria were found in the water supply on

[date]

Bottled water is available from _____]

Possible Health Effects

Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be

contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea,

cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for

infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water in general from their health

care providers.

Steps We Are Taking

[Describe corrective action.]

We will inform you when additional samples show no coliform bacteria and you may drink the

water. We anticipate resolving the problem within [estimated time frame]. For more information,

please contact [name of contact] of [system] at [phone number] or [location/address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who

may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes,

schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing

copies by hand or mail.

State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 93 June 2000

Instructions for Unresolved Total Coliform Notice--Template NC-3

Template on Reverse

This template is intended for systems where consumers will not need to boil their water or where they will not have

the facilities to do so. Since exceeding the total coliform bacteria maximum contaminant level is a Tier 2 violation,

you must provide public notice to persons served as soon as practical but within 30 days after you learn of the

violation (141.203(b)). Persistent total coliform problems can pose a serious health risk, and your primacy

agency may elevate such situations to Tier 1. Check with your primacy agency to make sure you meet all

its requirements. You must issue a repeat notice every three months for as long as the violation persists.

Alternative language for systems required to take more than 40 samples a month is provided below. 

Non-community systems must use one of the following methods (141.203(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand delivery

C Mail

You must also use another method reasonably calculated to reach others if they would not be reached by the first

method (141.203(c)). In addition to the methods above, such methods could include newspapers, e-mail, or delivery

to community organizations.

The language to encourage distribution of the notice is included on this notice; however, if you post this notice, omit

the mandatory language to encourage distribution, as it is not needed since posting makes the notice available to

everyone who passes by. If you modify the notice, you must leave the health effects language in italics unchanged.

This language is mandatory (141.205(d)). 

Description of the Violation

The template on the reverse is intended for use by systems taking fewer than 40 samples a month. Use the

following language if you are required to take 40 or more samples per month:

C We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. During [month], ____ percent of our

samples showed the presence of total coliform bacteria. The standard is that no more than 5 percent of

samples may do so.

Corrective Action

In your notice, describe corrective actions you are taking. If you know what is causing the coliform problem, explain

this in the notice. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by water systems with total coliform violations.

Use one or more of the following actions, if appropriate, or develop your own:

C We are chlorinating and flushing the water system.

C We are increasing sampling for coliform bacteria.

C We are repairing the wellhead seal.

C We are repairing the storage tank.

C We will inform you when additional samples show no coliform bacteria.

Make sure to send a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the public notice

requirements to your primacy agency within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)). 

It is a good idea to inform your consumers when the violation has been resolved, especially if you have regular

customers. See Template 1-6 for a “problem corrected” notice template.
Public Notification Handbook 94 June 2000

Unresolved Total Coliform Notice–Template NC-3

DRINKING WATER NOTICE

Tests show presence of coliform bacteria in water

We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. We took [number] samples

during [month]. [Number] of those samples showed the presence of total coliform bacteria. The

standard is that no more than one sample per month may do so.

What This Means 

This is not an emergency. Total coliform bacteria are generally not harmful themselves. 

Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the environment and are used as an

indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in more

samples than allowed and this was a warning of potential problems. Usually, coliforms are a sign

that there could be a problem with the system’s treatment or distribution systems.

You may drink the water. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at

increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care

providers.

Steps We Are Taking

[Describe corrective action.]

We will inform you when additional samples show no coliform bacteria. We anticipate resolving

the problem within [estimated time frame]. For more information, please contact [name of contact]

of [system] at [phone number] or [location/address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who

may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes,

schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing

copies by hand or mail.

State Water System ID#: ___________. Date distributed: 
Public Notification Handbook 95 June 2000

Instructions for Monitoring Violation Notice–Template NC-4

Template on Reverse

Since most monitoring violations are included in Tier 3, you must provide public notice to persons served within one

year after you learn of the violation (141.204(b)). Multiple monitoring violations can be serious, and your primacy

agency may have more stringent requirements. Check with your primacy agency to make sure you meet its

requirements.

Non-community systems must use one of the following methods (141.204(c)):

C Posting in conspicuous locations

C Hand delivery

C Mail

In addition, you must use another method reasonably calculated to reach others if they would not be reached by the

first method (141.204(c)). Such methods could include newsletters, e-mail, or delivery to community organizations. 

The language to encourage distribution of the notice is included on this notice; however, if you post this notice, omit

the mandatory language to encourage distribution, as it is not needed since posting makes the notice available to

everyone who passes by. 

You must post the notice until the violation is resolved. If the violation has been resolved, you must post the notice

for at least one week (141.204(b)). If you mail, post, or hand deliver, print your notice on letterhead, if available.

The notice on the reverse is appropriate for an annual notice combining notification for several violations, as well as

for notices for individual violations. This example presents violations in a table; however, you may write out an

explanation for each violation if you wish.

You may need to modify the notice if you had any monitoring violations for which monitoring later showed a

maximum contaminant level or other violation. In such cases, you should refer to the public notice you issued at

that time.

Include in your notice the standard language for monitoring and testing procedure violations in italics (141.205(d)(2)). 

If you modify the notice, you may not alter this mandatory language.

Corrective Actions

In your notice describe corrective actions you took or are taking. Listed below are some steps commonly taken by

water systems with monitoring violations. Choose the appropriate language, or develop your own:

C We have since taken the required samples, as described in the last column of the table above. The samples

showed we are meeting drinking water standards.

C We have since taken the required samples, as described in the last column of the table above. The sample for

[contaminant] exceeded the limit. [Describe corrective action; use information from public notice prepared for

violating the limit.]

C We plan to take the required samples soon, as described in the last column of the table above.

After Issuing the Notice

Make sure to send your primacy agency a copy of each type of notice and a certification that you have met all the

public notice requirements within ten days after issuing the notice (141.31(d)).
Public Notification Handbook 96 June 2000

Monitoring Violation Notice–Template NC-4

DRINKING WATER NOTICE

Monitoring requirements not met for [system]

We violated a drinking water standard. Even though this was not an emergency, as our

customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we are doing to correct this

situation. 

We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis.

Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health

standards. During [compliance period] we ['did not monitor' or 'did not complete all monitoring']

for [contaminant(s)] and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water during that

time.

What This Means

There is nothing you need to do at this time. The table below lists the contaminant(s) we did

not properly test for, how often we are supposed to sample for [it/them] and how many samples

we are supposed to take, how many samples we took, when samples should have been taken,

and the date on which follow-up samples were (or will be) taken.

Contaminant Required

sampling

frequency

Number of

samples

taken 

When all

samples should

have been taken

When samples

were or will be

taken

Coliform

(example)

twice per month 1 July 1, July 15,

August 1

July 1, August 1

Steps We Are Taking

[Describe corrective action.] For more information, please contact [name of contact] of [system] at

[phone number] or [location/address].

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who

may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes,

schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing

copies by hand or mail.

State Water System ID#: __________. Date distributed: 
97

Appendices
98

This page intentionally left blank.
Public Notification Handbook 99 June 2000

Appendix A

NPDWR Violations and Other Situations Requiring Public Notice1

(From Appendix A of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant

MCL/MRDL/TT Violations2 Monitoring & Testing

Procedure Violations

Tier of Public

Notice

Required 

Citation Tier of Public

Notice

Required

Citation

I. Violations of National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR):

3

A. Microbiological Contaminants

1. Total coliform 2 141.63(a) 3 141.21(a)-(e)

2. Fecal coliform/E. coli 1 141.63(b) 1, 34 141.21(e) 

3. Turbidity MCL 2 141.13(a) 3 141.22

4. Turbidity MCL (average of 2

days’ samples >5 NTU)

2, 15 141.13(b) 3 141.22

5. Turbidity (for TT violations

resulting from a single

exceedance of maximum

allowable turbidity level)

2, 16 141.71(a)(2),

141.71(c)(2)(i),

141.73(a)(2)

141.73(b)(2)

141.73(c)(2)

141.73(d) 

141.173(a)(2)

141.173(b)

3 141.74(a)(1),

141.74(b)(2),

141.74(c)(1),

141.174

6. Surface Water Treatment

Rule violations, other than

violations resulting from single

exceedance of max. allowable

turbidity level (TT)

2 141.70-141.73 3 141.74

7. Interim Enhanced Surface

Water Treatment Rule

violations, other than violations

resulting from single

exceedance of max. turbidity

level (TT)

2 141.170-

141.1737

3 141.172

141.174

B. Inorganic Chemicals (IOCs)

1. Antimony 2 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a), (c)

2. Arsenic 2 141.11(b)

141.23(n)

3 141.23(a), (l),

(m)

3. Asbestos (fibers >10 μm) 2 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a)-(b)

4. Barium 2 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a), (c)

5. Beryllium 2 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a), (c)

6. Cadmium 2 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a), (c)

7. Chromium (total) 2 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a), (c)

8. Cyanide 2 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a), (c)

9. Fluoride 2 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a), (c)

10. Mercury (inorganic) 2 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a), (c)

11. Nitrate 1 141.62(b) 1, 38 141.23(a), (d)

141.23(f)(2)

12. Nitrite 1 141.62(b) 1, 38 141.23(a), (e)

141.23(f)(2)

13. Total Nitrate and Nitrite 1 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a)

14. Selenium 2 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a), (c)

15. Thallium 2 141.62(b) 3 141.23(a), (c)
Appendix A

NPDWR Violations and Other Situations Requiring Public Notice1

(From Appendix A of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant

MCL/MRDL/TT Violations2 Monitoring & Testing

Procedure Violations

Tier of Public

Notice

Required 

Citation Tier of Public

Notice

Required

Citation

Public Notification Handbook 100 June 2000

C. Lead and Copper Rule (Action Level for lead is 0.015 mg/L, for copper is 1.3 mg/L)

1. Lead and Copper Rule (TT) 2 141.80-141.85 3 141.86-141.89

D. Synthetic Organic Chemicals (SOCs)

1. 2,4-D 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

2. 2,4,5-TP (Silvex) 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

3. Alachlor 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

4. Atrazine 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

5. Benzo(a)pyrene (PAHs) 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

6. Carbofuran 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

7. Chlordane 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

8. Dalapon 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

9. Di (2-ethylhexyl) adipate 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

10. Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

11. Dibromochloropropane 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

12. Dinoseb 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

13. Dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

14. Diquat 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

15. Endothall 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

16. Endrin 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

17. Ethylene dibromide 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

18. Glyphosate 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

19. Heptachlor 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

20. Heptachlor epoxide 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

21. Hexachlorobenzene 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

22. Hexachlorocyclo-pentadiene 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

23. Lindane 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

24. Methoxychlor 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

25. Oxamyl (Vydate) 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

26. Pentachlorophenol 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

27. Picloram 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

28. Polychlorinated biphenyls

(PCBs)

2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

29. Simazine 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

30. Toxaphene 2 141.61(c) 3 141.24(h)

E. Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs)

1. Benzene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

2. Carbon tetrachloride 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

3. Chlorobenzene

(monochlorobenzene)

2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

4. o-Dichlorobenzene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

5. p-Dichlorobenzene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

6. 1,2-Dichloroethane 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

7. 1,1-Dichloroethylene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)
Appendix A

NPDWR Violations and Other Situations Requiring Public Notice1

(From Appendix A of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant

MCL/MRDL/TT Violations2 Monitoring & Testing

Procedure Violations

Tier of Public

Notice

Required 

Citation Tier of Public

Notice

Required

Citation

Public Notification Handbook 101 June 2000

8. cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

9. trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

10. Dichloromethane 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

11. 1,2-Dichloropropane 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

12. Ethylbenzene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

13. Styrene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

14. Tetrachloroethylene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

15. Toluene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

16. 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

17. 1,1,1-Trichloroethane 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

18. 1,1,2-Trichloroethane 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

19. Trichloroethylene 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

20. Vinyl chloride 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

21. Xylenes (total) 2 141.61(a) 3 141.24(f)

F. Radioactive Contaminants

1. Beta/photon emitters 2 141.16 3 141.25(a)

141.26(b)

2. Alpha emitters (gross alpha) 2 141.15(b) 3 141.25(a)

141.26(a)

3. Combined radium (226 & 228) 2 141.15(a) 3 141.25(a)

141.26(a)

G. Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs), Byproduct Precursors, Disinfectant Residuals. Where

disinfection is used in the treatment of drinking water, disinfectants combine with organic

and inorganic matter present in water to form chemicals called disinfection byproducts

(DBPs). EPA sets standards for controlling the levels of disinfectants and DBPs in drinking

water, including trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs).9

1. Total trihalomethanes

(TTHMs)

2 141.12,10

141.64(a)

3 141.30,

141.132(a)-(b)

2. Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) 2 141.64(a) 3 141.132(a)-(b)

3. Bromate 2 141.64(a) 3 141.132(a)-(b)

4. Chlorite 2 141.64(a) 3 141.132(a)-(b)

5. Chlorine (MRDL) 2 141.65(a) 3 141.132(a), (c)

6. Chloramine (MRDL) 2 141.65(a) 3 141.132(a), (c)

7. Chlorine dioxide (MRDL),

where any 2 consecutive daily

samples at entrance to

distribution system only are

above MRDL

2 141.65(a), 

141.133(c)(3)

2

11, 3 141.132(a), (c)

141.133(c)(2)

8. Chlorine dioxide (MRDL),

where sample(s) in distribution

system the next day are also

above MRDL

1

12 141.65(a), 

141.133(c)(3)

1 141.132(a), (c)

141.133(c)(2)

9. Control of DBP precursors--

TOC (TT)

2 141.135(a)-(b) 3 141.132(a), (d)
Appendix A

NPDWR Violations and Other Situations Requiring Public Notice1

(From Appendix A of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant

MCL/MRDL/TT Violations2 Monitoring & Testing

Procedure Violations

Tier of Public

Notice

Required 

Citation Tier of Public

Notice

Required

Citation

Public Notification Handbook 102 June 2000

1. Violations and other situations not listed in this table (e.g., reporting violations and failure to prepare

Consumer Confidence Reports) do not require notice, unless otherwise determined by the primacy agency. 

Primacy agencies may, at their option, also require a more stringent public notice tier (e.g., Tier 1 instead

of Tier 2 or Tier 2 instead of Tier 3) for specific violations and situations listed in this Appendix, as

authorized under §141.202(a) and §141.203(a).

2. MCL - Maximum contaminant level, MRDL - Maximum residual disinfectant level, TT - Treatment

technique

3. The term Violations of National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) is used here to include

violations of MCL, MRDL, treatment technique, monitoring, and testing procedure requirements.

10. Bench marking and

disinfection profiling

N/A N/A 3 141.172

11. Development of monitoring

plan

N/A N/A 3 141.132(f)

H. Other Treatment Techniques

1. Acrylamide (TT) 2 141.111 N/A N/A

2. Epichlorohydrin (TT) 2 141.111 N/A N/A

II. Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring:

13

A. Unregulated contaminants N/A N/A 3 141.40

B. Nickel N/A N/A 3 141.23(c), (k)

III. Public Notification for Variances and Exemptions:

A. Operation under a variance or

exemption

3 1415, 1416,14 N/A N/A

B. Violation of conditions of a

variance or exemption

2 1415, 1416,

142.30715

N/A N/A

IV. Other Situations Requiring Public Notification:

A. Fluoride secondary

maximum contaminant level

(SMCL) exceedance

3 143.3 N/A N/A

B. Exceedance of nitrate MCL

for non-community systems, as

allowed by primacy agency

1 141.11(d) N/A N/A

C. Availability of unregulated

contaminant monitoring data

3 141.40 N/A N/A

D. Waterborne disease outbreak 1 141.2,

141.71(c)(2)(ii)

N/A N/A

E. Other waterborne

emergency16

1 N/A N/A N/A

F. Other situations as

determined by primacy agency 1, 2, 317

N/A N/A N/A

Appendix A Endnotes
Public Notification Handbook 103 June 2000

4. Failure to test for fecal coliform or E. coli is a Tier 1 violation if testing is not done after any repeat sample

tests positive for coliform. All other total coliform monitoring and testing procedure violations are Tier 3.

5. Systems that violate the turbidity MCL of 5 NTU based on an average of measurements over two

consecutive days must initiate consultation with the primacy agency within 24 hours after learning of the

violation. Based on this consultation, the primacy agency may subsequently decide to elevate the violation

to Tier 1. If a system is unable to make contact with the primacy agency in the 24-hour period, the violation

is automatically elevated to Tier 1.

6. Systems with treatment technique violations involving a single exceedance of a maximum turbidity limit

under the Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) or the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule

(IESWTR) are required to initiate consultation with the primacy agency within 24 hours after learning of the

violation. Based on this consultation, the primacy agency may subsequently decide to elevate the violation

to Tier 1. If a system is unable to make contact with the primacy agency in the 24-hour period, the violation

is automatically elevated to Tier 1.

7. Most of the requirements of the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (63 FR 69477)

(§§141.170-141.171, 141.173-141.174) become effective January 1, 2002 for Subpart H systems (surface

water systems and ground water systems under the direct influence of surface water) serving at least

10,000 persons. However, §141.172 has some requirements that become effective as soon as April 16,

1999. The Surface Water Treatment Rule remains in effect for systems serving at least 10,000 persons even

after 2002; the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule adds additional requirements and does not

in many cases supercede the SWTR.

8. Failure to take a confirmation sample within 24 hours for nitrate or nitrite after an initial sample exceeds

the MCL is a Tier 1 violation. Other monitoring violations for nitrate are Tier 3.

8. Failure to take a confirmation sample within 24 hours for nitrate or nitrite after an initial sample exceeds

the MCL is a Tier 1 violation. Other monitoring violations for nitrate are Tier 3.

9. Subpart H community and non-transient non-community systems serving $10,000 must comply with

new DBP MCLs, disinfectant MRDLs, and related monitoring requirements beginning January 1, 2002. All

other community and non-transient non-community systems must meet the MCLs and MRDLs beginning

January 1, 2004. Subpart H transient non-community systems serving 10,000 or more persons and using

chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant or oxidant must comply with the chlorine dioxide MRDL beginning January

1, 2002. Subpart H transient non-community systems serving fewer than 10,000 persons and using only

ground water not under the direct influence of surface water and using chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant or

oxidant must comply with the chlorine dioxide MRDL beginning January 1, 2004.

10. §141.12 will no longer apply after January 1, 2004.

11. Failure to monitor for chlorine dioxide at the entrance to the distribution system the day after exceeding

the MRDL at the entrance to the distribution system is a Tier 2 violation.

12. If any daily sample taken at the entrance to the distribution system exceeds the MRDL for chlorine

dioxide and one or more samples taken in the distribution system the next day exceed the MRDL, Tier 1

notification is required. Failure to take the required samples in the distribution system after the MRDL is

exceeded at the entry point also triggers Tier 1 notification.

13. Some water systems must monitor for certain unregulated contaminants listed in §141.40. 

14. This citation refers to §§1415 and 1416 of the Safe Drinking Water Act. §§1415 and 1416 require that “a

schedule prescribed . . . for a public water system granted a variance [or exemption] shall require

compliance by the system . . .”

15. In addition to §§1415 and 1416 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 40 CFR 142.307 specifies the items and

schedule milestones that must be included in a variance for small systems.
Public Notification Handbook 104 June 2000

16. Other waterborne emergencies require a Tier 1 public notice under §141.202(a) for situations that do not

meet the definition of a waterborne disease outbreak given in 40 CFR 141.2 but that still have the potential

to have serious adverse effects on health as a result of short-term exposure. These could include outbreaks

not related to treatment deficiencies, as well as situations that have the potential to cause outbreaks, such

as failures or significant interruption in water treatment processes, natural disasters that disrupt the water

supply or distribution system, chemical spills, or unexpected loading of possible pathogens into the source

water.

17. Primacy agencies may place other situations in any tier they believe appropriate, based on threat to

public health.
Public Notification Handbook 105 June 2000

Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification

(From Appendix B of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant MCLG1

mg/L

MCL2

mg/L

Standard Health Effects Language for Public

Notification

National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR):

A. Microbiological Contaminants

1a. Total coliform Zero See

footnote3

Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in

the environment and are used as an indicator that

other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present. 

Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed

and this was a warning of potential problems.

1b. Fecal coliform/E.

coli

Zero Zero Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose

presence indicates that the water may be

contaminated with human or animal wastes. 

Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term

effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea,

headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a

special health risk for infants, young children, some of

the elderly, and people with severely compromised 

immune systems. 

2a. Turbidity (MCL)4 

 

 

None 1 NTU5/ 

5 NTU

Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity

can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium

for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the

presence of disease-causing organisms. These

organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites

that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps,

diarrhea and associated headaches.

2b. Turbidity (SWTR

TT)6 

 

 

None TT 7 Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity

can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium

for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the

presence of disease-causing organisms. These

organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites

that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps,

diarrhea and associated headaches.

2c. Turbidity (IESWTR

TT)8 

 

 

None TT Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity

can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium

for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the

presence of disease-causing organisms. These

organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites

that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps,

diarrhea and associated headaches.
Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification

(From Appendix B of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant MCLG1

mg/L

MCL2

mg/L

Standard Health Effects Language for Public

Notification

Public Notification Handbook 106 June 2000

B. Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) and Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment

Rule (IESWTR)

3. Giardia lamblia

(SWTR/IESWTR)

4. Viruses

(SWTR/IESWTR)

5. Heterotrophic plate

count (HPC) bacteria9

(SWTR/IESWTR)

6. Legionella

(SWTR/IESWTR)

7. Cryptosporidium

(IESWTR)

 Zero TT10 Inadequately treated water may contain diseasecausing organisms. These organisms include

bacteria, viruses, and parasites which can cause

symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and

associated headaches.

C. Inorganic Chemicals (IOCs)

8. Antimony 0.006 0.006 Some people who drink water containing antimony

well in excess of the MCL over many years could

experience increases in blood cholesterol and

decreases in blood sugar.

9. Arsenic None 0.05 Some people who drink water containing arsenic in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience skin damage or problems with their

circulatory system, and may have an increased risk

of getting cancer.

10. Asbestos (>10 μm) 7 MFL11 7 MFL Some people who drink water containing asbestos in

excess of the MCL over many years may have an

increased risk of developing benign intestinal polyps. 

11. Barium 2 2 Some people who drink water containing barium in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience an increase in their blood pressure.

12. Beryllium 0.004 0.004 Some people who drink water containing beryllium

well in excess of the MCL over many years could

develop intestinal lesions.

13. Cadmium 0.005 0.005 Some people who drink water containing cadmium in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience kidney damage.

14. Chromium (total) 0.1 0.1 Some people who use water containing chromium

well in excess of the MCL over many years could

experience allergic dermatitis.

15. Cyanide 0.2 0.2 Some people who drink water containing cyanide

well in excess of the MCL over many years could

experience nerve damage or problems with their

thyroid. 
Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification

(From Appendix B of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant MCLG1

mg/L

MCL2

mg/L

Standard Health Effects Language for Public

Notification

Public Notification Handbook 107 June 2000

16. Fluoride 4.0 4.0 Some people who drink water containing fluoride in

excess of the MCL over many years could get bone

disease, including pain and tenderness of the bones.

Fluoride in drinking water at half the MCL or more

may cause mottling of children’s teeth, usually in

children less than nine years old. Mottling, also

known as dental fluorosis, may include brown

staining and/or pitting of the teeth, and occurs only in

developing teeth, before they erupt from the gums.

17. Mercury (inorganic) 0.002 0.002 Some people who drink water containing inorganic

mercury well in excess of the MCL over many years

could experience kidney damage. 

18. Nitrate 10 10 Infants below the age of six months who drink water

containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could

become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. 

Symptoms include shortness of breath and bluebaby syndrome. 

19. Nitrite 1 1 Infants below the age of six months who drink water

containing nitrite in excess of the MCL could become

seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms

include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome. 

20. Total Nitrate and

Nitrite

10 10 Infants below the age of six months who drink water

containing nitrate and nitrite in excess of the MCL

could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. 

Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue

baby syndrome. 

21. Selenium 0.05 0.05 Selenium is an essential nutrient. However, some

people who drink water containing selenium in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience hair or fingernail losses, numbness in

fingers or toes, or problems with their circulation.

22. Thallium 0.0005 0.002 Some people who drink water containing thallium in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience hair loss, changes in their blood, or

problems with their kidneys, intestines, or liver. 

D. Lead and Copper Rule

23. Lead Zero TT12 Infants and children who drink water containing lead

in excess of the action level could experience delays

in their physical or mental development. Children

could show slight deficits in attention span and

learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over

many years could develop kidney problems or high

blood pressure.
Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification

(From Appendix B of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant MCLG1

mg/L

MCL2

mg/L

Standard Health Effects Language for Public

Notification

Public Notification Handbook 108 June 2000

24. Copper 1.3 TT13 Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who

drink water containing copper in excess of the action

level over a relatively short amount of time could

experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people

who drink water containing copper in excess of the

action level over many years could suffer liver or

kidney damage. People with Wilson’s Disease

should consult their personal doctor.

E. Synthetic Organic Chemicals (SOCs)

25. 2,4-D 0.07 0.07 Some people who drink water containing the weed

killer 2,4-D well in excess of the MCL over many

years could experience problems with their kidneys,

liver, or adrenal glands. 

26. 2,4,5-TP (Silvex) 0.05 0.05 Some people who drink water containing silvex in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience liver problems. 

27. Alachlor Zero 0.002 Some people who drink water containing alachlor in

excess of the MCL over many years could have

problems with their eyes, liver, kidneys, or spleen, or

experience anemia, and may have an increased risk

of getting cancer. 

28. Atrazine 0.003 0.003 Some people who drink water containing atrazine

well in excess of the MCL over many years could

experience problems with their cardiovascular

system or reproductive difficulties.

29. Benzo(a)pyrene

(PAHs)

Zero 0.0002 Some people who drink water containing

benzo(a)pyrene in excess of the MCL over many

years may experience reproductive difficulties and

may have an increased risk of getting cancer. 

30. Carbofuran 0.04 0.04 Some people who drink water containing carbofuran

in excess of the MCL over many years could

experience problems with their blood, or nervous or

reproductive systems. 

31. Chlordane Zero 0.002 Some people who drink water containing chlordane

in excess of the MCL over many years could

experience problems with their liver, or nervous

system, and may have an increased risk of getting

cancer. 

32. Dalapon 0.2 0.2 Some people who drink water containing dalapon

well in excess of the MCL over many years could

experience minor kidney changes.

33. Di (2-ethylhexyl) 

 adipate 

0.4 0.4 Some people who drink water containing di (2-

ethylhexyl) adipate well in excess of the MCL over

many years could experience general toxic effects or

reproductive difficulties.
Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification

(From Appendix B of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant MCLG1

mg/L

MCL2

mg/L

Standard Health Effects Language for Public

Notification

Public Notification Handbook 109 June 2000

34. Di(2-ethylhexyl) 

 phthalate

Zero 0.006 Some people who drink water containing di (2-

ethylhexyl) phthalate in excess of the MCL over many

years may have problems with their liver, or

experience reproductive difficulties, and may have an

increased risk of getting cancer. 

35.

Dibromochloropropane

(DBCP)

Zero 0.0002 Some people who drink water containing DBCP in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience reproductive difficulties and may have an

increased risk of getting cancer.

36. Dinoseb 0.007 0.007 Some people who drink water containing dinoseb

well in excess of the MCL over many years could

experience reproductive difficulties.

37. Dioxin (2,3,7,8-

TCDD)

Zero 3×10-8 Some people who drink water containing dioxin in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience reproductive difficulties and may have an

increased risk of getting cancer. 

38. Diquat 0.02 0.02 Some people who drink water containing diquat in

excess of the MCL over many years could get

cataracts. 

39. Endothall 0.1 0.1 Some people who drink water containing endothall in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience problems with their stomach or

intestines.

40. Endrin 0.002 0.002 Some people who drink water containing endrin in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience liver problems.

41. Ethylene dibromide Zero 0.00005 Some people who drink water containing ethylene

dibromide in excess of the MCL over many years

could experience problems with their liver, stomach,

reproductive system, or kidneys, and may have an

increased risk of getting cancer.

42. Glyphosate 0.7 0.7 Some people who drink water containing glyphosate

in excess of the MCL over many years could

experience problems with their kidneys or

reproductive difficulties. 

43. Heptachlor Zero 0.0004 Some people who drink water containing heptachlor

in excess of the MCL over many years could

experience liver damage and may have an increased

risk of getting cancer.

44. Heptachlor epoxide Zero 0.0002 Some people who drink water containing heptachlor

epoxide in excess of the MCL over many years could

experience liver damage, and may have an

increased risk of getting cancer. 
Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification

(From Appendix B of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant MCLG1

mg/L

MCL2

mg/L

Standard Health Effects Language for Public

Notification

Public Notification Handbook 110 June 2000

45.

Hexachlorobenzene

Zero 0.001 Some people who drink water containing

hexachlorobenzene in excess of the MCL over many

years could experience problems with their liver or

kidneys, or adverse reproductive effects, and may

have an increased risk of getting cancer. 

46. Hexachlorocyclopentadiene0.05 0.05 Some people who drink water containing

hexachlorocyclopentadiene well in excess of the

MCL over many years could experience problems

with their kidneys or stomach. 

47. Lindane 0.0002 0.0002 Some people who drink water containing lindane in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience problems with their kidneys or liver.

48. Methoxychlor 0.04 0.04 Some people who drink water containing

methoxychlor in excess of the MCL over many years

could experience reproductive difficulties.

49. Oxamyl (Vydate) 0.2 0.2 Some people who drink water containing oxamyl in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience slight nervous system effects.

50. Pentachlorophenol Zero 0.001 Some people who drink water containing

pentachlorophenol in excess of the MCL over many

years could experience problems with their liver or

kidneys, and may have an increased risk of getting

cancer.

51. Picloram 0.5 0.5 Some people who drink water containing picloram in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience problems with their liver.

52. Polychlorinated

biphenyls (PCBs)

Zero 0.0005 Some people who drink water containing PCBs in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience changes in their skin, problems with their

thymus gland, immune deficiencies, or reproductive

or nervous system difficulties, and may have an

increased risk of getting cancer.

53. Simazine 0.004 0.004 Some people who drink water containing simazine in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience problems with their blood. 

54. Toxaphene Zero 0.003 Some people who drink water containing toxaphene

in excess of the MCL over many years could have

problems with their kidneys, liver, or thyroid, and may

have an increased risk of getting cancer.

F. Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs)

55. Benzene Zero 0.005 Some people who drink water containing benzene in

excess of the MCL over many years could 

experience anemia or a decrease in blood platelets,

and may have an increased risk of getting cancer. 
Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification

(From Appendix B of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant MCLG1

mg/L

MCL2

mg/L

Standard Health Effects Language for Public

Notification

Public Notification Handbook 111 June 2000

56. Carbon

tetrachloride

Zero 0.005 Some people who drink water containing carbon

tetrachloride in excess of the MCL over many years

could experience problems with their liver and may

have an increased risk of getting cancer.

57. Chlorobenzene

(monochlorobenzene)

0.1 0.1 Some people who drink water containing

chlorobenzene in excess of the MCL over many

years could experience problems with their liver or

kidneys.

58. o-Dichlorobenzene 0.6 0.6 Some people who drink water containing odichlorobenzene well in excess of the MCL over

many years could experience problems with their

liver, kidneys, or circulatory systems.

59. p-Dichlorobenzene 0.075 0.075 Some people who drink water containing pdichlorobenzene in excess of the MCL over many

years could experience anemia, damage to their

liver, kidneys, or spleen, or changes in their blood.

60. 1,2-Dichloroethane Zero 0.005 Some people who drink water containing 1,2-

dichloroethane in excess of the MCL over many

years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

61. 1,1-

Dichloroethylene

0.007 0.007 Some people who drink water containing 1,1-

dichloroethylene in excess of the MCL over many

years could experience problems with their liver.

62. cis-1,2-

Dichloroethylene

0.07 0.07 Some people who drink water containing cis-1,2-

dichloroethylene in excess of the MCL over many

years could experience problems with their liver.

63. trans-1,2-

Dichloroethylene

0.1 0.1 Some people who drink water containing trans-1,2-

dichloroethylene well in excess of the MCL over

many years could experience problems with their

liver.

64. Dichloromethane Zero 0.005 Some people who drink water containing

dichloromethane in excess of the MCL over many

years could have liver problems and may have an

increased risk of getting cancer.

65. 1,2-

Dichloropropane

Zero 0.005 Some people who drink water containing 1,2-

dichloropropane in excess of the MCL over many

years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

66. Ethylbenzene 0.7 0.7 Some people who drink water containing

ethylbenzene well in excess of the MCL over many

years could experience problems with their liver or

kidneys.

67. Styrene 0.1 0.1 Some people who drink water containing styrene well

in excess of the MCL over many years could have

problems with their liver, kidneys, or circulatory

system.
Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification

(From Appendix B of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant MCLG1

mg/L

MCL2

mg/L

Standard Health Effects Language for Public

Notification

Public Notification Handbook 112 June 2000

68. Tetrachloroethylene Zero 0.005 Some people who drink water containing

tetrachloroethylene in excess of the MCL over many

years could have problems with their liver, and may

have an increased risk of getting cancer.

69. Toluene 1 1 Some people who drink water containing toluene well

in excess of the MCL over many years could have

problems with their nervous system, kidneys, or liver. 

70. 1,2,4-

Trichlorobenzene

0.07 0.07 Some people who drink water containing 1,2,4-

trichlorobenzene well in excess of the MCL over

many years could experience changes in their

adrenal glands. 

71. 1,1,1-

Trichloroethane

0.2 0.2 Some people who drink water containing 1,1,1-

trichloroethane in excess of the MCL over many

years could experience problems with their liver,

nervous system, or circulatory system.

72. 1,1,2-

Trichloroethane

0.003 0.005 Some people who drink water containing 1,1,2-

trichloroethane well in excess of the MCL over many

years could have problems with their liver, kidneys,

or immune systems.

73. Trichloroethylene Zero 0.005 Some people who drink water containing

trichloroethylene in excess of the MCL over many

years could experience problems with their liver and

may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

74. Vinyl chloride Zero 0.002 Some people who drink water containing vinyl

chloride in excess of the MCL over many years may

have an increased risk of getting cancer.

75. Xylenes (total) 10 10 Some people who drink water containing xylenes in

excess of the MCL over many years could

experience damage to their nervous system.

G. Radioactive Contaminants

76. Beta/photon

emitters

Zero 4 

mrem/yr1

4

Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit forms

of radiation known as photons and beta radiation. 

Some people who drink water containing beta and

photon emitters in excess of the MCL over many

years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

77. Alpha emitters

(Gross alpha)

Zero 15 

pCi/L15

Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit a form

of radiation known as alpha radiation. Some people

who drink water containing alpha emitters in excess

of the MCL over many years may have an increased

risk of getting cancer.

78. Combined radium

(226 & 228)

Zero 5 

pCi/L

Some people who drink water containing radium 226

or 228 in excess of the MCL over many years may

have an increased risk of getting cancer.
Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification

(From Appendix B of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant MCLG1

mg/L

MCL2

mg/L

Standard Health Effects Language for Public

Notification

Public Notification Handbook 113 June 2000

H. Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs), Byproduct Precursors, and Disinfectant Residuals:

Where disinfection is used in the treatment of drinking water, disinfectants combine with

organic and inorganic matter present in water to form chemicals called disinfection

byproducts (DBPs). EPA sets standards for controlling the levels of disinfectants and DBPs

in drinking water, including trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs).16

79. Total

trihalomethanes

(TTHMs)

N/A 0.10/

0.08017,18

Some people who drink water containing

trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many

years may experience problems with their liver,

kidneys, or central nervous system, and may have

an increased risk of getting cancer.

80. Haloacetic Acids

(HAA)

N/A 0.06019 Some people who drink water containing haloacetic

acids in excess of the MCL over many years may

have an increased risk of getting cancer.

81. Bromate Zero 0.010 Some people who drink water containing bromate in

excess of the MCL over many years may have an

increased risk of getting cancer.

82. Chlorite 0.08 1.0 Some infants and young children who drink water

containing chlorite in excess of the MCL could

experience nervous system effects. Similar effects

may occur in fetuses of pregnant women who drink

water containing chlorite in excess of the MCL. 

Some people may experience anemia.

83. Chlorine 4

(MRDLG)20

4.0 

(MRDL)21

Some people who use drinking water containing

chlorine well in excess of the MRDL could

experience irritating effects to their eyes and nose. 

Some people who drink water containing chlorine

well in excess of the MRDL could experience

stomach discomfort.

84. Chloramines 4

(MRDLG)

4.0 

(MRDL)

Some people who use drinking water containing

chloramines well in excess of the MRDL could

experience irritating effects to their eyes and nose. 

Some people who drink water containing

chloramines well in excess of the MRDL could

experience stomach discomfort or anemia.
Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification

(From Appendix B of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant MCLG1

mg/L

MCL2

mg/L

Standard Health Effects Language for Public

Notification

Public Notification Handbook 114 June 2000

85a. Chlorine dioxide,

where any 2

consecutive daily

samples taken at the

entrance to the

distribution system are

above the MRDL

0.8

(MRDLG)

0.8 (MRDL) Some infants and young children who drink water

containing chlorine dioxide in excess of the MRDL

could experience nervous system effects. Similar

effects may occur in fetuses of pregnant women who

drink water containing chlorine dioxide in excess of

the MRDL. Some people may experience anemia.

Add for public notification only: The chlorine dioxide

violations reported today are the result of

exceedances at the treatment facility only, not within

the distribution system which delivers water to

consumers. Continued compliance with chlorine

dioxide levels within the distribution system

minimizes the potential risk of these violations to

consumers.

85b. Chlorine dioxide, 

where one or more

distribution system

samples are above the

MRDL

0.8

(MRDLG)

0.8 (MRDL) Some infants and young children who drink water

containing chlorine dioxide in excess of the MRDL

could experience nervous system effects. Similar

effects may occur in fetuses of pregnant women who

drink water containing chlorine dioxide in excess of

the MRDL. Some people may experience anemia.

Add for public notification only: The chlorine dioxide

violations reported today include exceedances of the

EPA standard within the distribution system which

delivers water to consumers. Violations of the

chlorine dioxide standard within the distribution

system may harm human health based on shortterm exposures. Certain groups, including fetuses,

infants, and young children, may be especially

susceptible to nervous system effects from

excessive chlorine dioxide exposure.

86. Control of DBP

precursors (TOC)

None TT Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects. 

However, total organic carbon provides a medium for

the formation of disinfection byproducts. These

byproducts include trihalomethanes (THMs) and

haloacetic acids (HAAs). Drinking water containing

these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to

adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or

nervous system effects, and may lead to an

increased risk of getting cancer. 
Appendix B

Standard Health Effects Language for Public Notification

(From Appendix B of 40 CFR 141, Subpart Q)

Contaminant MCLG1

mg/L

MCL2

mg/L

Standard Health Effects Language for Public

Notification

Public Notification Handbook 115 June 2000

1. MCLG - Maximum contaminant level goal

2. MCL - Maximum contaminant level

3. For water systems analyzing at least 40 samples per month, no more than 5.0 percent of the monthly

samples may be positive for total coliforms. For systems analyzing fewer than 40 samples per month, no

more than one sample per month may be positive for total coliforms.

4. There are various regulations that set turbidity standards for different types of systems, including 40 CFR

141.13, the 1989 Surface Water Treatment Rule, and the 1998 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment

Rule. The MCL for the monthly turbidity average is 1 NTU; the MCL for the 2-day average is 5 NTU for

systems that are required to filter but have not yet installed filtration (40 CFR 141.13). 

5. NTU - Nephelometric turbidity unit

6. There are various regulations that set turbidity standards for different types of systems, including 40 CFR

141.13, the 1989 Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR), and the 1998 Interim Enhanced Surface Water

Treatment Rule (IESWTR). Systems subject to the Surface Water Treatment Rule (both filtered and

unfiltered) may not exceed 5 NTU. In addition, in filtered systems, 95 percent of samples each month must

not exceed 0.5 NTU in systems using conventional or direct filtration and must not exceed 1 NTU in

systems using slow sand or diatomaceous earth filtration or other filtration technologies approved by the

primacy agency. 

7. TT - Treatment technique

8. There are various regulations that set turbidity standards for different types of systems, including 40 CFR

141.13, the 1989 Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR), and the 1998 Interim Enhanced Surface Water

Treatment Rule (IESWTR). For systems subject to the IESWTR (systems serving at least 10,000 people,

using surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water), that use conventional

filtration or direct filtration, after January 1, 2002, the turbidity level of a system’s combined filter effluent

may not exceed 0.3 NTU in at least 95 percent of monthly measurements, and the turbidity level of a

system’s combined filter effluent must not exceed 1 NTU at any time. Systems subject to the IESWTR

using technologies other than conventional, direct, slow sand, or diatomaceous earth filtration must meet

turbidity limits set by the primacy agency.

I. Other Treatment Techniques

87. Acrylamide Zero TT Some people who drink water containing high levels

of acrylamide over a long period of time could have

problems with their nervous system or blood, and

may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

88. Epichlorohydrin Zero TT Some people who drink water containing high levels

of epichlorohydrin over a long period of time could

experience stomach problems, and may have an

increased risk of getting cancer.

Appendix B Endnotes
Public Notification Handbook 116 June 2000

9. The bacteria detected by heterotrophic plate count (HPC) are not necessarily harmful. HPC is simply an

alternative method of determining disinfectant residual levels. The number of such bacteria is an indicator of

whether there is enough disinfectant in the distribution system.

10. SWTR and IESWTR treatment technique violations that involve turbidity exceedances may use the

health effects language for turbidity instead.

11. Millions of fibers per liter

12. Action Level = 0.015 mg/L

13. Action Level = 1.3 mg/L 

14. Millirems per year

15. Picocuries per liter

16. Surface water systems and ground water systems under the direct influence of surface water are

regulated under Subpart H of 40 CFR 141. Subpart H community and non-transient non-community

systems serving $10,000 must comply with DBP MCLs and disinfectant maximum residual disinfectant

levels (MRDLs) beginning January 1, 2002. All other community and non-transient noncommunity systems

must meet the MCLs and MRDLs beginning January 1, 2004. Subpart H transient non-community systems

serving 10,000 or more persons and using chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant or oxidant must comply with

the chlorine dioxide MRDL beginning January 1, 2002. Subpart H transient non-community systems

serving fewer than 10,000 persons and systems using only ground water not under the direct influence of

surface water and using chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant or oxidant must comply with the chlorine dioxide

MRDL beginning January 1, 2004.

17. The MCL of 0.10 mg/l for TTHMs is in effect until January 1, 2002 for Subpart H community water

systems serving 10,000 or more. This MCL is in effect until January 1, 2004 for community water systems

with a population of 10,000 or more using only ground water not under the direct influence of surface water. 

After these deadlines, the MCL will be 0.080 mg/l. On January 1, 2004, all systems serving less than

10,000 will have to comply with the new MCL as well.

18. The MCL for total trihalomethanes is the sum of the concentrations of the individual trihalomethanes.

19. The MCL for haloacetic acids is the sum of the concentrations of the individual haloacetic acids.

20. MRDLG - Maximum residual disinfectant level goal

21. MRDL - Maximum residual disinfectant level
Public Notification Handbook 117 June 2000

Appendix C

Translated Phrases

Language “This report contains very important

information about your drinking water. 

Translate it, or speak with someone who

understands it.”

“Boil your water

before using”

“Don't drink the

water”

“For parents of infants under six

months old, don’t use the water for

infant formula.”

Spanish Este informe contiene información muy importante

sobre su agua de beber. Tradúzcalo o hable con

alguien que lo entienda bien.

Hiervan el agua antes

de usarla.

No tome el agua. Padres de familia con bebes de seis meses

de edad y menores, no usen el agua para

preparar alimentos para bebes.

French Ce rapport contient des informations importantes

sur votre eau potable. Traduisez-le ou parlez en

avec quequ’un qui le comprend bien.

Faites premièrement

bouillir l'eau avant de

l’utiliser.

Ne buvez pas l’eau. Pour les parents d'enfants agés de moins de

six mois, n'utilisez pas l'eau

pour reconstituer le lait en poudre pour bébé.

Chinese

Korean

Vietnamese
Public Notification Handbook 118 June 2000

The water glass and faucet pictured below may be useful in a posted notice that would be seen by many non-English speaking people to illustrate that they

should not drink the water.
Public Notification Handbook 119 June 2000

Appendix D

Summary of the Major Differences Between the 1987 and 2000 PN Rules

Note: this table is intended to be a summary of the two public notification rules. See Chapter 3 for a more

detailed description of the PN rule, or Appendix E for a copy of Subpart Q.

Subject 1987 Rule (§ 141.32) 2000 PN Rule (Part 141, Subpart Q)

Who must give

public notice?

Owners or operators of PWSs. No change.

Who must be

notified?

Persons served by the system. Persons served by the system;

obligations of selling/purchasing

systems are specified.

What type of notice

is required for each

violation or situation?

Three-tier system, although tiers are

not named. Tiers are divided into (1)

violations of MCLs that may pose an

acute risk to human health; (2) MCLs,

treatment technique, and variance or

exemption schedule violations; and

(3) other violations (including

monitoring) and operation under a

variance or exemption.

Tier 1 notice for violations or situations

with significant potential to cause

serious effects due to short-term

exposure;

Tier 2 notice for all other violations or

situations with potential to cause

serious effects; and

Tier 3 notice for all other violations and

situations not included in Tier 1 and Tier

2. 

What are the

reporting

requirements?

Provide a copy of the notice to the

State within 10 days.

Provide a copy of the notice plus a

certification that all requirements have

been met to the primacy agency within

10 days.

New 24-hour consultation

requirement for Tier 1 violations or

situations and for some violations of

turbidity treatment techniques or MCLs. 

Which violations or

situations require

Tier 1 notice?

Acute violations including

1) Any violations specified by State

2) Nitrate/nitrite MCLs

3) Fecal coliform/ E. coli

4) Waterborne disease outbreak in

unfiltered systems subject to the

Surface Water Treatment Rule.

MCLs and some monitoring violations

for fecal coliform/E. coli; nitrate,

nitrite, total nitrate and nitrite MCLs;

exceedance of nitrate MCL by NCWS

where allowed by the primacy agency;

chlorine dioxide MRDL when one or

more samples taken in distri-bution

system on day after exceeding MRDL

at entrance of distribution system, or

when required samples are not taken in

the distribution system; exceedance of

turbidity limit where consultation does

not occur within 24 hours or where

primacy agency requires 24-hour

notice; occurrence of a waterborne 
Appendix D

Summary of the Major Differences Between the 1987 and 2000 PN Rules

Note: this table is intended to be a summary of the two public notification rules. See Chapter 3 for a more

detailed description of the PN rule, or Appendix E for a copy of Subpart Q.

Subject 1987 Rule (§ 141.32) 2000 PN Rule (Part 141, Subpart Q)

Public Notification Handbook 120 June 2000

disease outbreak or other

waterborne emergency; other

violations or situations as determined by

the primacy agency.

When must Tier 1

notice be provided? 

Within 72 hours. 

Additional deadlines: 14 days; again

within 45 days (may be waived if state

determines violation has been

corrected); and repeat notice every

three months thereafter.

Within 24 hours; system must also

initiate consultation with the primacy

agency.

Revised to not require additional notices

for same violation, defers to primacy

agency to set additional requirements

on a case-by-case basis.

What is the form and

manner of a Tier 1

notice?

Radio and television or by posting or

hand delivery. Posting must continue

as long as the violation persists.

Additional notices: by newspaper

within 14 days or posting or hand

delivery if no newspaper is available;

by mail within 45 days (may be

waived if state determines violation

has been corrected).

Radio and television or posting or

hand delivery, or other method if

approved by primacy agency.

New performance standard to use

another method reasonably calculated

to reach all persons served.

Posting must continue for as long as

the violation persists.

Which violations or

situations require

Tier 2 notice?

Non-Tier 1 MCL, treatment technique,

and variance or exemption schedule

violations.

MCL, MRDL, treatment technique

violations, except where Tier 1 is

required; monitoring and testing

procedure violations elevated by the

primacy agency; and variance or

exemption schedule violations.

When must Tier 2

notice be provided?

Within 14 days, again within 45 days

(may be waived if state determines

violation has been corrected), repeat

notice every three months.

Within 30 days, repeat notice every

three months. 

System must consult with the

primacy agency within 24 hours of a

treatment technique violation

resulting from a single exceedance of

turbidity limits or a turbidity MCL

violation resulting from the average of

two days of samples.
Appendix D

Summary of the Major Differences Between the 1987 and 2000 PN Rules

Note: this table is intended to be a summary of the two public notification rules. See Chapter 3 for a more

detailed description of the PN rule, or Appendix E for a copy of Subpart Q.

Subject 1987 Rule (§ 141.32) 2000 PN Rule (Part 141, Subpart Q)

Public Notification Handbook 121 June 2000

What is the form and

manner of a Tier 2

notice?

Newspaper within 14 days or by

posting or hand delivery if no

newspaper is available.

Additional notices: by mail within 45

days (may be waived if state

determines violation has been

corrected), and repeat notice every

three months thereafter by mail or

hand delivery.

Unless primacy agency directs

otherwise, 

CWS must use mail or hand delivery,

and other methods reasonably

calculated to reach others, as needed. 

NCWS must use posting, hand delivery,

or mail, and other methods reasonably

calculated to reach others, as needed. 

What violations or

situations require

Tier 3 notice?

Monitoring and testing procedure

violations, and operation under

variance or exemption.

Monitoring and testing procedure

violations, and operation under variance

or exemption, plus fluoride SMCL

exceedances and availability of

unregulated contaminant monitoring

data (requirement was included in

existing regulations that were moved to

Subpart Q).

When must Tier 3

notice be provided?

Within three months. State may allow

less frequent public notice (up to one

year) for minor monitoring violations.

Repeat notice every three months

thereafter.

Within one year. Repeat notice

annually.

What is the form and

manner of a Tier 3

notice?

By newspaper, or by hand delivery or

posting if no newspaper is available.

Unless primacy agency directs

otherwise, 

CWS must use mail or direct delivery,

and other methods reasonably

calculated to reach others, as needed. 

NCWS must use posting, direct

delivery, or mail, and other methods

reasonably calculated to reach others,

as needed. 

Consumer Confidence Reports or

other annual notices may be used, as

long as the notice meets PN

requirements.
Appendix D

Summary of the Major Differences Between the 1987 and 2000 PN Rules

Note: this table is intended to be a summary of the two public notification rules. See Chapter 3 for a more

detailed description of the PN rule, or Appendix E for a copy of Subpart Q.

Subject 1987 Rule (§ 141.32) 2000 PN Rule (Part 141, Subpart Q)

Public Notification Handbook 122 June 2000

What information

must a notice

contain?

A clear explanation of the violation,

potential health effects, population at

risk, steps being taken to correct

violation, telephone number of

operator, need to seek alternative

water supplies, and any preventive

measures consumers should take.

A description of the violation or situation;

when the violation or situation

occurred; potential adverse health

effects; population(s) at risk; whether

alternative water supplies should be

used; actions consumers should take;

system actions to correct the violation

or situation; expected date of return to

compliance; name, address, and

phone number for additional

information; and standard language

encouraging distribution to others.

Standard health effects language for

MCL, treatment technique, variance or

exemption schedule violations, and

operation under a variance or

exemption.

An explanation of the reason(s) for a

variance or exemption; the date it

was issued; a brief status report on

steps to comply with terms and

schedules; and a notice of any

opportunity for public input. Health

effects language for operation under a

variance or exemption no longer

required.

Revised mandatory health effects

language using language from the CCR

rule.

Additional mandatory language for

monitoring and testing procedure

violations.
Appendix D

Summary of the Major Differences Between the 1987 and 2000 PN Rules

Note: this table is intended to be a summary of the two public notification rules. See Chapter 3 for a more

detailed description of the PN rule, or Appendix E for a copy of Subpart Q.

Subject 1987 Rule (§ 141.32) 2000 PN Rule (Part 141, Subpart Q)

Public Notification Handbook 123 June 2000

What are the

requirements for

notice to new billing

units?

CWSs must provide the most recent

public notice for any outstanding

violation of any MCL, treatment

technique requirement, or V&E

schedule.

Notice must be given for any

outstanding violation or situation,

including monitoring and testing

procedure violations.

NCWS must post a notice for as long

as violation persists, even if the notice

was initially hand-delivered or otherwise

distributed.

What are the

requirements for

providing notice in

other languages?

Provide multilingual notices “where

appropriate.”

For systems that serve a large

proportion of non-English speaking

consumers, notices must contain

some information in the appropriate

language(s) on the importance of the

notice.

What are the

certification

requirements?

Provide a copy of the notice to the

primacy agency within 10 days.

Submit a certification statement and

a copy of initial and repeat notices to

the primacy agency within 10 days.

How long must

records be kept?

No recordkeeping provision. Copies of notices and certifications

must be kept for three years.
124

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Public Notification Handbook 125 June 2000

Appendix E

The Public Notification Rule 

(40 CFR Part 141, Subpart Q)
126

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Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 87 / Thursday, May 4, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 26035

Appendices B and C to Subpart O

[Removed]

15. Appendices B and C to Subpart O

are removed.

16. Section 141.175 is amended by

revising paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(2) to

read as follows:

§ 141.175 Reporting and record keeping

requirements.

* * * * *

(c) * * *

(1) If at any time the turbidity exceeds

1 NTU in representative samples of

filtered water in a system using

conventional filtration treatment or

direct filtration, the system must consult

with the primacy agency as soon as

practical, but no later than 24 hours

after the exceedance is known, in

accordance with the public notification

requirements under § 141.203(b)(3).

(2) If at any time the turbidity in

representative samples of filtered water

exceed the maximum level set by the

State under § 142.173(b) for filtration

technologies other than conventional

filtration treatment, direct filtration,

slow sand filtration, or diatomaceous

earth filtration, the system must consult

with the primacy agency as soon as

practical, but no later than 24 hours

after the exceedance is known, in

accordance with the public notification

requirements under § 141.203(b)(3).

17. Part 141 is amended by adding

Subpart Q, to read as follows:

Subpart Q—Public Notification of

Drinking Water Violations

Sec.

141.201 General public notification

requirements.

141.202 Tier 1 Public Notice—Form,

manner, and frequency of notice.

141.203 Tier 2 Public Notice—Form,

manner, and frequency of notice.

141.204 Tier 3 Public Notice—Form,

manner, and frequency of notice.

141.205 Content of the public notice.

141.206 Notice to new billing units or new

customers.

141.207 Special notice of the availability of

unregulated contaminant monitoring

results.

141.208 Special notice for exceedance of

the SMCL for fluoride.

141.209 Special notice for nitrate

exceedances above MCL by noncommunity water systems (NCWS),

where granted permission by the

primacy agency under § 141.11(d).

141.210 Notice by primacy agency on

behalf of the public water system.

Appendix A to Subpart Q of Part 141—

NPDWR Violations and Situations

Requiring Public Notice

Appendix B to Subpart Q of Part 141—

Standard Health Effects Language for

Public Notification

Appendix C to Subpart Q of Part 141—List

of Acronyms Used in Public Notification

Regulation

Subpart Q—Public Notification of

Drinking Water Violations

§ 141.201 General public notification

requirements.

Public water systems in States with

primacy for the public water system

supervision (PWSS) program must

comply with the requirements in this

subpart no later than May 6, 2002 or on

the date the State-adopted rule becomes

effective, whichever comes first. Public

water systems in jurisdictions where

EPA directly implements the PWSS

program must comply with the

requirements in this subpart on October

31, 2000. Prior to these dates, public

water systems must continue to comply

with the public notice requirements in

§ 141.32 of this part. The term ‘‘primacy

agency’’ is used in this subpart to refer

to either EPA or the State or the Tribe

in cases where EPA, the State, or the

Tribe exercises primary enforcement

responsibility for this subpart.

(a) Who must give public notice? Each

owner or operator of a public water

system (community water systems, nontransient non-community water

systems, and transient non-community

water systems) must give notice for all

violations of national primary drinking

water regulations (NPDWR) and for

other situations, as listed in Table 1.

The term ‘‘NPDWR violations’’ is used

in this subpart to include violations of

the maximum contaminant level (MCL),

maximum residual disinfection level

(MRDL), treatment technique (TT),

monitoring requirements, and testing

procedures in this part 141. Appendix A

to this subpart identifies the tier

assignment for each specific violation or

situation requiring a public notice.

lllllllllllllllllllll

TABLE 1 TO § 141.201.—VIOLATION

CATEGORIES AND OTHER SITUATIONS REQUIRING A PUBLIC NOTICE

(1) NPDWR violations:

(i) Failure to comply with an applicable

maximum contaminant level (MCL) or

maximum residual disinfectant level

(MRDL).

(ii) Failure to comply with a prescribed

treatment technique (TT).

(iii) Failure to perform water quality monitoring, as required by the drinking

water regulations.

(iv) Failure to comply with testing procedures as prescribed by a drinking

water regulation.

(2) Variance and exemptions under sections

1415 and 1416 of SDWA:

(i) Operation under a variance or an exemption.

TABLE 1 TO § 141.201.—VIOLATION

CATEGORIES AND OTHER SITUATIONS REQUIRING A PUBLIC NOTICE—Continued

(ii) Failure to comply with the requirements of any schedule that has been

set under a variance or exemption.

(3) Special public notices:

(i) Occurrence of a waterborne disease

outbreak or other waterborne emergency.

(ii) Exceedance of the nitrate MCL by

non-community water systems

(NCWS), where granted permission by

the primacy agency under 141.11(d) of

this part.

(iii) Exceedance of the secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) for

fluoride.

(iv) Availability of unregulated contaminant monitoring data.

(v) Other violations and situations determined by the primacy agency to require a public notice under this subpart, not already listed in Appendix A.

(b) What type of public notice is

required for each violation or situation?

Public notice requirements are divided

into three tiers, to take into account the

seriousness of the violation or situation

and of any potential adverse health

effects that may be involved. The public

notice requirements for each violation

or situation listed in Table 1 of this

section are determined by the tier to

which it is assigned. Table 2 of this

section provides the definition of each

tier. Appendix A of this part identifies

the tier assignment for each specific

violation or situation.

lllllllllllllllllllll

TABLE 2 TO § 141.201.—DEFINITION

OF PUBLIC NOTICE TIERS

(1) Tier 1 public notice—required for NPDWR

violations and situations with significant potential to have serious adverse effects on

human health as a result of short-term exposure.

(2) Tier 2 public notice—required for all other

NPDWR violations and situations with potential to have serious adverse effects on

human health.

(3) Tier 3 public notice—required for all other

NPDWR violations and situations not included in Tier 1 and Tier 2.

(c) Who must be notified?

(1) Each public water system must

provide public notice to persons served

by the water system, in accordance with

this subpart. Public water systems that

sell or otherwise provide drinking water

to other public water systems (i.e., to

consecutive systems) are required to

give public notice to the owner or

operator of the consecutive system; the

consecutive system is responsible for

26036 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 87 / Thursday, May 4, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

providing public notice to the persons it

serves.

(2) If a public water system has a

violation in a portion of the distribution

system that is physically or

hydraulically isolated from other parts

of the distribution system, the primacy

agency may allow the system to limit

distribution of the public notice to only

persons served by that portion of the

system which is out of compliance.

Permission by the primacy agency for

limiting distribution of the notice must

be granted in writing.

(3) A copy of the notice must also be

sent to the primacy agency, in

accordance with the requirements under

§ 141.31(d).

§ 141.202 Tier 1 Public Notice—Form,

manner, and frequency of notice.

(a) Which violations or situations

require a Tier 1 public notice? Table 1

of this section lists the violation

categories and other situations requiring

a Tier 1 public notice. Appendix A to

this subpart identifies the tier

assignment for each specific violation or

situation.

lllllllllllllllllllll

TABLE 1 TO § 141.202.—VIOLATION

CATEGORIES AND OTHER SITUATIONS REQUIRING A TIER 1 PUBLIC

NOTICE

(1) Violation of the MCL for total coliforms

when fecal coliform or E. coli are present

in the water distribution system (as specified in § 141.63(b)), or when the water system fails to test for fecal coliforms or E.

coli when any repeat sample tests positive

for coliform (as specified in § 141.21(e));

(2) Violation of the MCL for nitrate, nitrite, or

total nitrate and nitrite, as defined in

§ 141.62, or when the water system fails to

take a confirmation sample within 24 hours

of the system’s receipt of the first sample

showing an exceedance of the nitrate or

nitrite MCL, as specified in § 141.23(f)(2);

(3) Exceedance of the nitrate MCL by noncommunity water systems, where permitted

to exceed the MCL by the primacy agency

under § 141.11(d), as required under

§ 141.209;

(4) Violation of the MRDL for chlorine dioxide, as defined in § 141.65(a), when one or

more samples taken in the distribution system the day following an exceedance of

the MRDL at the entrance of the distribution system exceed the MRDL, or when

the water system does not take the required samples in the distribution system,

as specified in § 141.133(c)(2)(i);

(5) Violation of the turbidity MCL under

§ 141.13(b), where the primacy agency determines after consultation that a Tier 1 notice is required or where consultation does

not take place within 24 hours after the

system learns of the violation;

TABLE 1 TO § 141.202.—VIOLATION

CATEGORIES AND OTHER SITUATIONS REQUIRING A TIER 1 PUBLIC

NOTICE—Continued

(6) Violation of the Surface Water Treatment

Rule (SWTR) or Interim Enhanced Surface

Water Treatment rule (IESWTR) treatment

technique requirement resulting from a single exceedance of the maximum allowable

turbidity limit (as identified in Appendix A),

where the primacy agency determines after

consultation that a Tier 1 notice is required

or where consultation does not take place

within 24 hours after the system learns of

the violation;

(7) Occurrence of a waterborne disease outbreak, as defined in § 141.2, or other waterborne emergency (such as a failure or

significant interruption in key water treatment processes, a natural disaster that disrupts the water supply or distribution system, or a chemical spill or unexpected

loading of possible pathogens into the

source water that significantly increases

the potential for drinking water contamination);

(8) Other violations or situations with significant potential to have serious adverse effects on human health as a result of shortterm exposure, as determined by the primacy agency either in its regulations or on

a case-by-case basis.

(b) When is the Tier 1 public notice

to be provided? What additional steps

are required? Public water systems

must:

(1) Provide a public notice as soon as

practical but no later than 24 hours after

the system learns of the violation;

(2) Initiate consultation with the

primacy agency as soon as practical, but

no later than 24 hours after the public

water system learns of the violation or

situation, to determine additional public

notice requirements; and

(3) Comply with any additional public

notification requirements (including any

repeat notices or direction on the

duration of the posted notices) that are

established as a result of the

consultation with the primacy agency.

Such requirements may include the

timing, form, manner, frequency, and

content of repeat notices (if any) and

other actions designed to reach all

persons served.

(c) What is the form and manner of

the public notice? Public water systems

must provide the notice within 24 hours

in a form and manner reasonably

calculated to reach all persons served.

The form and manner used by the

public water system are to fit the

specific situation, but must be designed

to reach residential, transient, and nontransient users of the water system. In

order to reach all persons served, water

systems are to use, at a minimum, one

or more of the following forms of

delivery:

(1) Appropriate broadcast media (such

as radio and television);

(2) Posting of the notice in

conspicuous locations throughout the

area served by the water system;

(3) Hand delivery of the notice to

persons served by the water system; or

(4) Another delivery method

approved in writing by the primacy

agency.

§ 141.203 Tier 2 Public Notice—Form,

manner, and frequency of notice.

(a) Which violations or situations

require a Tier 2 public notice? Table 1

of this section lists the violation

categories and other situations requiring

a Tier 2 public notice. Appendix A to

this subpart identifies the tier

assignment for each specific violation or

situation.

lllllllllllllllllllll

TABLE 1 TO § 141.203.—VIOLATION

CATEGORIES AND OTHER SITUATIONS REQUIRING A TIER 2 PUBLIC

NOTICE

(1) All violations of the MCL, MRDL, and

treatment technique requirements, except

where a Tier 1 notice is required under

§ 141.202(a) or where the primacy agency

determines that a Tier 1 notice is required;

(2) Violations of the monitoring and testing

procedure requirements, where the primacy agency determines that a Tier 2 rather than a Tier 3 public notice is required,

taking into account potential health impacts

and persistence of the violation; and

(3) Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of any variance or exemption in

place.

(b) When is the Tier 2 public notice

to be provided?

(1) Public water systems must provide

the public notice as soon as practical,

but no later than 30 days after the

system learns of the violation. If the

public notice is posted, the notice must

remain in place for as long as the

violation or situation persists, but in no

case for less than seven days, even if the

violation or situation is resolved. The

primacy agency may, in appropriate

circumstances, allow additional time for

the initial notice of up to three months

from the date the system learns of the

violation. It is not appropriate for the

primacy agency to grant an extension to

the 30-day deadline for any unresolved

violation or to allow across-the-board

extensions by rule or policy for other

violations or situations requiring a Tier

2 public notice. Extensions granted by

the primacy agency must be in writing.

(2) The public water system must

repeat the notice every three months as

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 87 / Thursday, May 4, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 26037

long as the violation or situation

persists, unless the primacy agency

determines that appropriate

circumstances warrant a different repeat

notice frequency. In no circumstance

may the repeat notice be given less

frequently than once per year. It is not

appropriate for the primacy agency to

allow less frequent repeat notice for an

MCL violation under the Total Coliform

Rule or a treatment technique violation

under the Surface Water Treatment Rule

or Interim Enhanced Surface Water

Treatment Rule. It is also not

appropriate for the primacy agency to

allow through its rules or policies

across-the-board reductions in the

repeat notice frequency for other

ongoing violations requiring a Tier 2

repeat notice. Primacy agency

determinations allowing repeat notices

to be given less frequently than once

every three months must be in writing.

(3) For the turbidity violations

specified in this paragraph, public water

systems must consult with the primacy

agency as soon as practical but no later

than 24 hours after the public water

system learns of the violation, to

determine whether a Tier 1 public

notice under § 141.202(a) is required to

protect public health. When

consultation does not take place within

the 24-hour period, the water system

must distribute a Tier 1 notice of the

violation within the next 24 hours (i.e.,

no later than 48 hours after the system

learns of the violation), following the

requirements under § 141.202(b) and (c).

Consultation with the primacy agency is

required for:

(i) Violation of the turbidity MCL

under § 141.13(b); or

(ii) Violation of the SWTR or IESWTR

treatment technique requirement

resulting from a single exceedance of

the maximum allowable turbidity limit.

(c) What is the form and manner of

the Tier 2 public notice? Public water

systems must provide the initial public

notice and any repeat notices in a form

and manner that is reasonably

calculated to reach persons served in

the required time period. The form and

manner of the public notice may vary

based on the specific situation and type

of water system, but it must at a

minimum meet the following

requirements:

(1) Unless directed otherwise by the

primacy agency in writing, community

water systems must provide notice by:

(i) Mail or other direct delivery to

each customer receiving a bill and to

other service connections to which

water is delivered by the public water

system; and

(ii) Any other method reasonably

calculated to reach other persons

regularly served by the system, if they

would not normally be reached by the

notice required in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of

this section. Such persons may include

those who do not pay water bills or do

not have service connection addresses

(e.g., house renters, apartment dwellers,

university students, nursing home

patients, prison inmates, etc.). Other

methods may include: Publication in a

local newspaper; delivery of multiple

copies for distribution by customers that

provide their drinking water to others

(e.g., apartment building owners or large

private employers); posting in public

places served by the system or on the

Internet; or delivery to community

organizations.

(2) Unless directed otherwise by the

primacy agency in writing, noncommunity water systems must provide

notice by:

(i) Posting the notice in conspicuous

locations throughout the distribution

system frequented by persons served by

the system, or by mail or direct delivery

to each customer and service connection

(where known); and

(ii) Any other method reasonably

calculated to reach other persons served

by the system if they would not

normally be reached by the notice

required in paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this

section. Such persons may include

those served who may not see a posted

notice because the posted notice is not

in a location they routinely pass by.

Other methods may include: Publication

in a local newspaper or newsletter

distributed to customers; use of E-mail

to notify employees or students; or,

delivery of multiple copies in central

locations (e.g., community centers).

§ 141.204 Tier 3 Public Notice—Form,

manner, and frequency of notice.

(a) Which violations or situations

require a Tier 3 public notice? Table 1

of this section lists the violation

categories and other situations requiring

a Tier 3 public notice. Appendix A to

this subpart identifies the tier

assignment for each specific violation or

situation.

lllllllllllllllllllll

TABLE 1 TO § 141.204.—VIOLATION

CATEGORIES AND OTHER SITUATIONS REQUIRING A TIER 3 PUBLIC

NOTICE

(1) Monitoring violations under 40 CFR part

141, except where a Tier 1 notice is required under § 141.202(a) or where the primacy agency determines that a Tier 2 notice is required;

TABLE 1 TO § 141.204.—VIOLATION

CATEGORIES AND OTHER SITUATIONS REQUIRING A TIER 3 PUBLIC

NOTICE—Continued

(2) Failure to comply with a testing procedure

established in 40 CFR part 141, except

where a Tier 1 notice is required under

§ 141.202(a)) or where the primacy agency

determines that a Tier 2 notice is required;

(3) Operation under a variance granted under

Section 1415 or an exemption granted

under Section 1416 of the Safe Drinking

Water Act;

(4) Availability of unregulated contaminant

monitoring results, as required under

§ 141.207; and

(5) Exceedance of the fluoride secondary

maximum contaminant level (SMCL), as

required under § 141.208.

(b) When is the Tier 3 public notice

to be provided?

(1) Public water systems must provide

the public notice not later than one year

after the public water system learns of

the violation or situation or begins

operating under a variance or

exemption. Following the initial notice,

the public water system must repeat the

notice annually for as long as the

violation, variance, exemption, or other

situation persists. If the public notice is

posted, the notice must remain in place

for as long as the violation, variance,

exemption, or other situation persists,

but in no case less than seven days

(even if the violation or situation is

resolved).

(2) (2) Instead of individual Tier 3

public notices, a public water system

may use an annual report detailing all

violations and situations that occurred

during the previous twelve months, as

long as the timing requirements of

paragraph (b)(1) of this section are met.

(c) What is the form and manner of

the Tier 3 public notice? Public water

systems must provide the initial notice

and any repeat notices in a form and

manner that is reasonably calculated to

reach persons served in the required

time period. The form and manner of

the public notice may vary based on the

specific situation and type of water

system, but it must at a minimum meet

the following requirements:

(1) Unless directed otherwise by the

primacy agency in writing, community

water systems must provide notice by:

(i) Mail or other direct delivery to

each customer receiving a bill and to

other service connections to which

water is delivered by the public water

system; and

(ii) Any other method reasonably

calculated to reach other persons

regularly served by the system, if they

would not normally be reached by the

notice required in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of

26038 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 87 / Thursday, May 4, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

this section. Such persons may include

those who do not pay water bills or do

not have service connection addresses

(e.g., house renters, apartment dwellers,

university students, nursing home

patients, prison inmates, etc.). Other

methods may include: Publication in a

local newspaper; delivery of multiple

copies for distribution by customers that

provide their drinking water to others

(e.g., apartment building owners or large

private employers); posting in public

places or on the Internet; or delivery to

community organizations.

(2) Unless directed otherwise by the

primacy agency in writing, noncommunity water systems must provide

notice by:

(i) Posting the notice in conspicuous

locations throughout the distribution

system frequented by persons served by

the system, or by mail or direct delivery

to each customer and service connection

(where known); and

(ii) Any other method reasonably

calculated to reach other persons served

by the system, if they would not

normally be reached by the notice

required in paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this

section. Such persons may include

those who may not see a posted notice

because the notice is not in a location

they routinely pass by. Other methods

may include: Publication in a local

newspaper or newsletter distributed to

customers; use of E-mail to notify

employees or students; or, delivery of

multiple copies in central locations

(e.g., community centers).

(d) In what situations may the

Consumer Confidence Report be used to

meet the Tier 3 public notice

requirements? For community water

systems, the Consumer Confidence

Report (CCR) required under Subpart O

of this part may be used as a vehicle for

the initial Tier 3 public notice and all

required repeat notices, as long as:

(1) The CCR is provided to persons

served no later than 12 months after the

system learns of the violation or

situation as required under § 141.204(b);

(2) The Tier 3 notice contained in the

CCR follows the content requirements

under § 141.205; and

(3) The CCR is distributed following

the delivery requirements under

§ 141.204(c).

§ 141.205 Content of the public notice.

(a) What elements must be included

in the public notice for violations of

National Primary Drinking Water

Regulations (NPDWR) or other

situations requiring a public notice?

When a public water system violates a

NPDWR or has a situation requiring

public notification, each public notice

must include the following elements:

(1) A description of the violation or

situation, including the contaminant(s)

of concern, and (as applicable) the

contaminant level(s);

(2) When the violation or situation

occurred;

(3) Any potential adverse health

effects from the violation or situation,

including the standard language under

paragraph (d)(1) or (d)(2) of this section,

whichever is applicable;

(4) The population at risk, including

subpopulations particularly vulnerable

if exposed to the contaminant in their

drinking water;

(5) Whether alternative water supplies

should be used;

(6) What actions consumers should

take, including when they should seek

medical help, if known;

(7) What the system is doing to correct

the violation or situation;

(8) When the water system expects to

return to compliance or resolve the

situation;

(9) The name, business address, and

phone number of the water system

owner, operator, or designee of the

public water system as a source of

additional information concerning the

notice; and

(10) A statement to encourage the

notice recipient to distribute the public

notice to other persons served, using the

standard language under paragraph

(d)(3) of this section, where applicable.

(b) What elements must be included

in the public notice for public water

systems operating under a variance or

exemption?

(1) If a public water system has been

granted a variance or an exemption, the

public notice must contain:

(i) An explanation of the reasons for

the variance or exemption;

(ii) The date on which the variance or

exemption was issued;

(iii) A brief status report on the steps

the system is taking to install treatment,

find alternative sources of water, or

otherwise comply with the terms and

schedules of the variance or exemption;

and

(iv) A notice of any opportunity for

public input in the review of the

variance or exemption.

(2) If a public water system violates

the conditions of a variance or

exemption, the public notice must

contain the ten elements listed in

paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) How is the public notice to be

presented?

(1) Each public notice required by this

section:

(i) Must be displayed in a

conspicuous way when printed or

posted;

(ii) Must not contain overly technical

language or very small print;

(iii) Must not be formatted in a way

that defeats the purpose of the notice;

(iv) Must not contain language which

nullifies the purpose of the notice.

(2) Each public notice required by this

section must comply with multilingual

requirements, as follows:

(i) For public water systems serving a

large proportion of non-English

speaking consumers, as determined by

the primacy agency, the public notice

must contain information in the

appropriate language(s) regarding the

importance of the notice or contain a

telephone number or address where

persons served may contact the water

system to obtain a translated copy of the

notice or to request assistance in the

appropriate language.

(ii) In cases where the primacy agency

has not determined what constitutes a

large proportion of non-English

speaking consumers, the public water

system must include in the public

notice the same information as in

paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section, where

appropriate to reach a large proportion

of non-English speaking persons served

by the water system.

(d) What standard language must

public water systems include in their

public notice? Public water systems are

required to include the following

standard language in their public notice:

(1) Standard health effects language

for MCL or MRDL violations, treatment

technique violations, and violations of

the condition of a variance or

exemption. Public water systems must

include in each public notice the health

effects language specified in Appendix

B to this subpart corresponding to each

MCL, MRDL, and treatment technique

violation listed in Appendix A to this

subpart, and for each violation of a

condition of a variance or exemption.

(2) Standard language for monitoring

and testing procedure violations. Public

water systems must include the

following language in their notice,

including the language necessary to fill

in the blanks, for all monitoring and

testing procedure violations listed in

Appendix A to this subpart:

We are required to monitor your drinking

water for specific contaminants on a regular

basis. Results of regular monitoring are an

indicator of whether or not your drinking

water meets health standards. During

[compliance period], we ‘‘did not monitor or

test’’ or ‘‘did not complete all monitoring or

testing’’ for [contaminant(s)], and therefore

cannot be sure of the quality of your drinking

water during that time.

(3) Standard language to encourage

the distribution of the public notice to

all persons served. Public water systems

must include in their notice the

following language (where applicable):

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 87 / Thursday, May 4, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 26039

Please share this information with all the

other people who drink this water, especially

those who may not have received this notice

directly (for example, people in apartments,

nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You

can do this by posting this notice in a public

place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

§ 141.206 Notice to new billing units or

new customers.

(a) What is the requirement for

community water systems? Community

water systems must give a copy of the

most recent public notice for any

continuing violation, the existence of a

variance or exemption, or other ongoing

situations requiring a public notice to

all new billing units or new customers

prior to or at the time service begins.

(b) What is the requirement for noncommunity water systems? Noncommunity water systems must

continuously post the public notice in

conspicuous locations in order to

inform new consumers of any

continuing violation, variance or

exemption, or other situation requiring

a public notice for as long as the

violation, variance, exemption, or other

situation persists.

§ 141.207 Special notice of the availability

of unregulated contaminant monitoring

results.

(a) When is the special notice to be

given? The owner or operator of a

community water system or nontransient, non-community water system

required to monitor under § 141.40 must

notify persons served by the system of

the availability of the results of such

sampling no later than 12 months after

the monitoring results are known.

(b) What is the form and manner of

the special notice? The form and

manner of the public notice must follow

the requirements for a Tier 3 public

notice prescribed in §§ 141.204(c),

(d)(1), and (d)(3). The notice must also

identify a person and provide the

telephone number to contact for

information on the monitoring results.

§ 141.208 Special notice for exceedance of

the SMCL for fluoride.

(a) When is the special notice to be

given? Community water systems that

exceed the fluoride secondary

maximum contaminant level (SMCL) of

2 mg/l as specified in § 143.3

(determined by the last single sample

taken in accordance with § 141.23), but

do not exceed the maximum

contaminant level (MCL) of 4 mg/l for

fluoride (as specified in § 141.62), must

provide the public notice in paragraph

(c) of this section to persons served.

Public notice must be provided as soon

as practical but no later than 12 months

from the day the water system learns of

the exceedance. A copy of the notice

must also be sent to all new billing units

and new customers at the time service

begins and to the State public health

officer. The public water system must

repeat the notice at least annually for as

long as the SMCL is exceeded. If the

public notice is posted, the notice must

remain in place for as long as the SMCL

is exceeded, but in no case less than

seven days (even if the exceedance is

eliminated). On a case-by-case basis, the

primacy agency may require an initial

notice sooner than 12 months and

repeat notices more frequently than

annually.

(b) What is the form and manner of

the special notice? The form and

manner of the public notice (including

repeat notices) must follow the

requirements for a Tier 3 public notice

in § 141.204(c) and (d)(1) and (d)(3).

(c) What mandatory language must be

contained in the special notice? The

notice must contain the following

language, including the language

necessary to fill in the blanks:

This is an alert about your drinking water

and a cosmetic dental problem that might

affect children under nine years of age. At

low levels, fluoride can help prevent cavities,

but children drinking water containing more

than 2 milligrams per liter (mg/l) of fluoride

may develop cosmetic discoloration of their

permanent teeth (dental fluorosis). The

drinking water provided by your community

water system [name] has a fluoride

concentration of [insert value] mg/l.

Dental fluorosis, in its moderate or severe

forms, may result in a brown staining and/

or pitting of the permanent teeth. This

problem occurs only in developing teeth,

before they erupt from the gums. Children

under nine should be provided with

alternative sources of drinking water or water

that has been treated to remove the fluoride

to avoid the possibility of staining and pitting

of their permanent teeth. You may also want

to contact your dentist about proper use by

young children of fluoride-containing

products. Older children and adults may

safely drink the water.

Drinking water containing more than 4 mg/

L of fluoride (the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency’s drinking water standard)

can increase your risk of developing bone

disease. Your drinking water does not

contain more than 4 mg/l of fluoride, but

we’re required to notify you when we

discover that the fluoride levels in your

drinking water exceed 2 mg/l because of this

cosmetic dental problem.

For more information, please call [name of

water system contact] of [name of community

water system] at [phone number]. Some

home water treatment units are also available

to remove fluoride from drinking water. To

learn more about available home water

treatment units, you may call NSF

International at 1–877–8–NSF–HELP.’’

§ 141.209 Special notice for nitrate

exceedances above MCL by noncommunity water systems (NCWS), where

granted permission by the primacy agency

under § 141.11(d)

(a) When is the special notice to be

given? The owner or operator of a noncommunity water system granted

permission by the primacy agency

under § 141.11(d) to exceed the nitrate

MCL must provide notice to persons

served according to the requirements for

a Tier 1 notice under § 141.202(a) and

(b).

(b) What is the form and manner of

the special notice? Non-community

water systems granted permission by the

primacy agency to exceed the nitrate

MCL under § 141.11(d) must provide

continuous posting of the fact that

nitrate levels exceed 10 mg/l and the

potential health effects of exposure,

according to the requirements for Tier 1

notice delivery under § 141.202(c) and

the content requirements under

§ 141.205.

§ 141.210 Notice by primacy agency on

behalf of the public water system.

(a) May the primacy agency give the

notice on behalf of the public water

system? The primacy agency may give

the notice required by this subpart on

behalf of the owner and operator of the

public water system if the primacy

agency complies with the requirements

of this subpart.

(b) What is the responsibility of the

public water system when notice is

given by the primacy agency? The

owner or operator of the public water

system remains responsible for ensuring

that the requirements of this subpart are

met.

26048 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 87 / Thursday, May 4, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

systems, including 40 CFR 141.13, the 1989

Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR), and

the 1998 Interim Enhanced Surface Water

Treatment Rule (IESWTR). For systems

subject to the IESWTR (systems serving at

least 10,000 people, using surface water or

ground water under the direct influence of

surface water), that use conventional

filtration or direct filtration, after January 1,

2002, the turbidity level of a system’s

combined filter effluent may not exceed 0.3

NTU in at least 95 percent of monthly

measurements, and the turbidity level of a

system’s combined filter effluent must not

exceed 1 NTU at any time. Systems subject

to the IESWTR using technologies other than

conventional, direct, slow sand, or

diatomaceous earth filtration must meet

turbidity limits set by the primacy agency.

9. The bacteria detected by heterotrophic

plate count (HPC) are not necessarily

harmful. HPC is simply an alternative

method of determining disinfectant residual

levels. The number of such bacteria is an

indicator of whether there is enough

disinfectant in the distribution system.

10. SWTR and IESWTR treatment

technique violations that involve turbidity

exceedances may use the health effects

language for turbidity instead.

11. The bacteria detected by heterotrophic

plate count (HPC) are not necessarily

harmful. HPC is simply an alternative

method of determining disinfectant residual

levels. The number of such bacteria is an

indicator of whether there is enough

disinfectant in the distribution system.

12. Millions fibers per liter.

13. Action Level = 0.015 mg/L

14. Action Level = 1.3 mg/L

15. Millirems per years

16. Picocuries per liter

17. Surface water systems and ground

water systems under the direct influence of

surface water are regulated under Subpart H

of 40 CFR 141. Supbart H community and

non-transient non-community systems

serving ≥ 10,000 must comply with DBP

MCLs and disinfectant maximum residual

disinfectant levels (MRDLs) beginning

January 1, 2002. All other community and

non-transient noncommunity systems must

meet the MCLs and MRDLs beginning

January 1, 2004. Subpart H transient noncommunity systems serving 10,000 or more

persons and using chlorine dioxide as a

disinfectant or oxidant must comply with the

chlorine dioxide MRDL beginning January 1,

2002. Subpart H transient non-community

systems serving fewer than 10,000 persons

and systems using only ground water not

under the direct influence of surface water

and using chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant

or oxidant must comply with the chlorine

dioxide MRDL beginning January 1, 2004.

18. The MCL of 0.10 mg/l for TTHMs is in

effect until January 1, 2002 for Subpart H

community water systems serving 10,000 or

more. This MCL is in effect until January 1,

2004 for community water systems with a

population of 10,000 or more using only

ground water not under the direct influence

of surface water. After these deadlines, the

MCL will be 0.080 mg/l. On January 1, 2004,

all systems serving less than 10,000 will have

to comply with the new MCL as well.

19. The MCL for total trihalomethanes is

the sum of the concentrations of the

individual trihalomethanes.

20. The MCL for haloacetic acids is the

sum of the concentrations of the individual

haloacetic acids.

21. MRDLG—Maximum residual

disinfectant level goal.

22. MRDL—Maximum residual

disinfectant level.

Appendix C to Subpart Q of Part 141—List

of Acronyms Used in Public Notification

Regulation

CCR Consumer Confidence Report

CWS Community Water System

DBP Disinfection Byproduct

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

HPC Heterotrophic Plate Count

IESWTR Interim Enhanced Surface Water

Treatment Rule

IOC Inorganic Chemical

LCR Lead and Copper Rule

MCL Maximum Contaminant Level

MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal

MRDL Maximum Residual Disinfectant

Level

MRDLG Maximum Residual Disinfectant

Level Goal

NCWS Non-Community Water System

NPDWR National Primary Drinking Water

Regulation

NTNCWS Non-Transient Non-Community

Water System

NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Unit

OGWDW Office of Ground Water and

Drinking Water

OW Office of Water

PN Public Notification

PWS Public Water System

SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act

SMCL Secondary Maximum Contaminant

Level

SOC Synthetic Organic Chemical

SWTR Surface Water Treatment Rule

TCR Total Coliform Rule

TT Treatment Technique

TWS Transient Non-Community Water

System

VOC Volatile Organic Chemical

PART 142—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for Part 142

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 300f, 300g–1, 300g–2,

300 g–3, 300g–4, 300 g–5, 300 g–6, 300 j–4,

300 j–9, and 300 j–11.

2. Section 142.10 is amended by

revising paragraph (b)(6)(v) to read as

follows:

§ 142.10 Requirements for a determination

of primary enforcement responsibility.

(b) * * *

(6) * * *

(v) Authority to require public water

systems to give public notice that is no

less stringent than the EPA

requirements in Subpart Q of Part 141

of this chapter and § 142.16(a).

3. Section 142.14 is amended by

redesignating paragraph (f) as (g) and

adding a new (f), to read as follows:

§ 142.14 Records kept by States.

* * * * *

(f) Public notification records under

Subpart Q of Part 141 of this chapter

received from public water systems

(including certifications of compliance

and copies of public notices) and any

state determinations establishing

alternative public notification

requirements for the water systems must

be retained for three years.

* * * * *

4. Section 142.15 is amended by

revising paragraph (a)(1), to read as

follows:

§ 142.15 Reports by States.

* * * * *

(a) * * *

(1) New violations by public water

systems in the State during the previous

quarter of State regulations adopted to

incorporate the requirements of national

primary drinking water regulations,

including violations of the public

notification requirements under Subpart

Q of Part 141 of this chapter;

* * * * *

5. Section 142.16 is amended by

revising paragraph (a), to read as

follows:

§ 142.16 Special primacy requirements.

(a) State public notification

requirements.

(1) Each State that has primary

enforcement authority under this part

must submit complete and final requests

for approval of program revisions to

adopt the requirements of Subpart Q of

Part 141 of this chapter, using the

procedures in § 142.12(b) through (d).

At its option, a State may, by rule, and

after notice and comment, establish

alternative public notification

requirements with respect to the form

and content of the public notice

required under Subpart Q of Part 141 of

this chapter. The alternative

requirements must provide the same

type and amount of information

required under Subpart Q and must

meet the primacy requirements under

§ 142.10.

(2) As part of the revised primacy

program, a State must also establish

enforceable requirements and

procedures when the State adds to or

changes the requirements under:

(i) Table 1 to 40 CFR 141.201(a)(Item

(3)(v))—To require public water systems

to give a public notice for violations or

situations other than those listed in

Appendix A of Subpart Q of Part 141 of

this chapter;

(ii) 40 CFR 141.201(c)(2)—To allow

public water systems, under the specific

circumstances listed in § 141.201(c)(2),

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 87 / Thursday, May 4, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 26049

to limit the distribution of the public

notice to persons served by the portion

of the distribution system that is out of

compliance;

(iii) Table 1 of 40 CFR 141.202(a)

(Items (5), (6), and (8))—To require

public water systems to give a Tier 1

public notice (rather than a Tier 2 or

Tier 3 notice) for violations or situations

listed in Appendix A of Subpart Q of

Part 141 of this chapter;

(iv) 40 CFR 141.202(b)(3)—To require

public water systems to comply with

additional Tier 1 public notification

requirements set by the State

subsequent to the initial 24-hour Tier 1

notice, as a result of their consultation

with the State required under

§§ 141.202(b)(2);

(v) 40 CFR 141.202(c), 141.203(c) and

141.204(c)—To require a different form

and manner of delivery for Tier 1, 2 and

3 public notices.

(vi) Table 1 to 40 CFR 141.203(a)

(Item (2))—To require the public water

systems to provide a Tier 2 public

notice (rather than Tier (3)) for

monitoring or testing procedure

violations specified by the State;

(vii) 40 CFR 141.203(b)(1)—To grant

public water systems an extension up to

three months for distributing the Tier 2

public notice in appropriate

circumstances (other than those

specifically excluded in the rule);

(viii) 40 CFR 141.203(b)(2)—To grant

a different repeat notice frequency for

the Tier 2 public notice in appropriate

circumstances (other than those

specifically excluded in the rule), but no

less frequently than once per year;

(ix) 40 CFR 141.203(b)(3)—To

respond within 24 hours to a request for

consultation by the public water system

to determine whether a Tier 1 (rather

than a Tier 2) notice is required for a

turbidity MCL violation under

§ 141.13(b) or a SWTR/IESWTR TT

violation due to a single exceedance of

the maximum allowable turbidity limit;

(x) 40 CFR 141.205(c)—To determine

the specific multilingual requirement

for a public water system, including

defining ‘‘large proportion of nonEnglish-speaking consumers.’’

* * * * *

§ 142.16 [Amended]

6. Section 142.16(e) introductory text

is amended by removing ‘‘§ 141.32’’.

PART 143—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for Part 143

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.

§ 143.5 [Removed]

2. Part 143 is amended by removing

§ 143.5.

[FR Doc. 00–9534 Filed 5–3–00; 8:45 am]

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