Every community water system in the United States is required by federal law to send customers an annual water quality report. This document — called a Consumer Confidence Report, or CCR — summarizes what’s in your tap water and where it comes from. Most people throw it away without reading it. Here’s how to actually use it.
What Is a Consumer Confidence Report?
A Consumer Confidence Report is an annual water quality disclosure that every community water system must produce and distribute to its customers by July 1 each year, covering data from the prior calendar year. The requirement comes from the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended in 1996.
“Community water system” means any public water supply that serves at least 25 people or 15 service connections year-round — so cities, towns, mobile home parks, and many rural water districts are all covered. What’s not covered: bottled water, private wells, and most systems at hotels or campgrounds that serve transient populations. If you’re on a private well, your water is your own responsibility (more on that below).
The CCR must include your water source, all detected contaminants and their levels, any regulatory violations, and an explanation of health effects for any contaminant found above certain thresholds. Utilities must mail it to customers or, if allowed by state rules, notify customers where to find it online.
How to Find Your CCR
Your utility’s website. Most utilities post current and past CCRs under headings like “Water Quality,” “Annual Reports,” or “Compliance.” Search the site for “Consumer Confidence Report” or “CCR.”
EPA’s online search tool. The EPA maintains a CCR search at epa.gov/ccr where you can look up reports by utility name, city, or state. Coverage varies — some states manage their own databases and aren’t fully integrated — but it’s a reasonable starting point.
Call your utility. Every utility must provide a paper copy upon request. If you can’t find the report online, call the customer service number on your water bill. They’re legally required to provide it.
Your water bill itself. Some utilities include a summary of the CCR directly on the bill or include the full report as an insert.
Key Sections of the Report
CCRs are not standardized in format — each utility designs its own — but federal rules require the same categories of information to appear in every one.
Water source information. This section identifies where your water comes from: a river, reservoir, lake, aquifer, or a combination. It should also include a brief description of any source water assessment — a study of potential contamination threats to the source. Pay attention if the source is a river with significant upstream industrial or agricultural activity.
Detected contaminants table. This is the most important section. It lists every regulated contaminant that was detected in your water during the year, along with the measured levels and applicable standards. We’ll go deeper on this table below.
Violations section. Any regulatory violations that occurred during the reporting year must be disclosed here, with a plain-language explanation of what happened. Some violations are health-based (a contaminant exceeded a limit); others are procedural (a required test wasn’t run on time).
Required health effects language. If any contaminant was found above certain trigger levels, the CCR must include EPA-mandated language explaining potential health effects. This language is standardized and appears even when actual risk is low.
How to Read the Contaminants Table
The detected contaminants table is dense, but once you understand the column headers, it’s readable.
Units of measurement. Contaminant levels are reported in several units depending on the substance:
- ppm (parts per million) — equivalent to milligrams per liter (mg/L)
- ppb (parts per billion) — equivalent to micrograms per liter (µg/L)
- pCi/L (picocuries per liter) — used for radioactive contaminants like radium and radon
- NTU (nephelometric turbidity units) — used for turbidity (cloudiness), a measure of filtration effectiveness
A ppb is 1,000 times smaller than a ppm. When you see a contaminant at 0.004 ppm, that’s the same as 4 ppb.
MCL vs. MCLG. These two columns appear in nearly every CCR:
- MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) is the legally enforceable limit. Exceeding it is a violation.
- MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal) is the non-enforceable health goal set by EPA. For carcinogens, the MCLG is often zero — meaning no level is considered completely safe — while the MCL is set at a technically and economically feasible level above zero.
For example, the MCLG for arsenic is 0, but the MCL is 10 ppb. If your water tests at 8 ppb arsenic, it’s legally compliant but above the level EPA considers risk-free.
Detected level vs. range. Some tables show a single detected level; others show a range across multiple samples taken throughout the year. The range gives you a better picture — a high single result that was retested and found lower tells a different story than consistently elevated levels.
“ND” or “BDL.” These abbreviations — “not detected” or “below detection limit” — mean the contaminant wasn’t found at a measurable level. That’s good, but it doesn’t mean the contaminant is absent; it means it’s below the detection threshold of the test used.
What the Health Effects Language Actually Means
If a contaminant is detected above a certain level, the CCR must include a health effects notice written in EPA-approved language. These notices can sound alarming. Before you worry, understand their context.
This language is mandatory boilerplate — utilities must include it regardless of actual risk level. A notice about trihalomethanes (disinfection byproducts) at 40 ppb will use the same language whether the level is 5 ppb above the MCL or well below it. The language reflects potential long-term risk at elevated exposures, not a statement that your tap water is currently making you sick.
That said, don’t dismiss these notices. They exist for a reason. If a notice appears for lead, nitrates, or a contaminant with a low MCL, read it carefully and consider whether your household has elevated vulnerability (infants, pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals).
Red Flags to Watch For
Most CCRs show detected contaminants well below MCL thresholds. A few things are worth flagging:
MCL exceedances. If any contaminant exceeded its MCL, that’s a violation and must be disclosed. The report should explain what happened and what was done. One exceedance followed by a documented resolution is different from repeated exceedances over multiple years.
Recurring violations. Check the violations section and cross-reference with prior years’ reports if you can find them. A pattern of monitoring violations (failing to test on schedule) suggests an underfunded or poorly managed system.
Many detected contaminants at moderate levels. No single contaminant exceeds its MCL, but ten contaminants are detected at 60–80% of their limits. This is legal but worth noting, especially if you have vulnerable household members.
Lead. Lead has no safe level. The EPA action level is 15 ppb at the 90th percentile of sampled homes — meaning if 10% of homes tested exceed 15 ppb, action is required. But lead contamination is largely a plumbing issue in older homes, not a treatment failure, so utility-level data doesn’t tell you what’s coming out of your specific faucet.
What to Do If You Find Concerning Results
Contact your utility. Call the number on your water bill or CCR and ask specific questions: What was detected, when, at what level, and what is being done? Utilities are required to respond.
Request independent testing. Certified labs can test your tap water directly. This is particularly useful for lead, since lead contamination often originates in household plumbing rather than the treatment plant. The EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) can direct you to certified labs in your state.
Consider point-of-use filtration. Not all filters remove all contaminants. Look for NSF/ANSI certified filters matched to the specific contaminant you’re concerned about. A filter certified for lead removal won’t necessarily address PFAS, and vice versa.
Check CleanWaterIndex. Our site aggregates EPA violation data by city so you can quickly see your utility’s compliance history over time.
A Note on Private Well Owners
If your home uses a private well, you will not receive a CCR. The Safe Drinking Water Act does not cover private wells. No federal agency monitors your well water — that responsibility falls entirely to you as the property owner.
EPA recommends testing private well water annually for bacteria and nitrates at minimum, and more broadly if you’re in an area with known agricultural runoff, industrial sites, or naturally occurring contaminants like arsenic or radon. Contact your county health department or state environmental agency for guidance on what to test for in your area.