INTRODUCTION
The America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) was signed into law in 2018. One section of the AWIA was titled “Improved Consumer Confidence Reports.” According to this section, within two years of the AWIA being signed into law (i.e., by October 2020), EPA was to adopt regulations for Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) that do the following:
- Improve the “readability, clarity, and understandability” of CCRs,
- Improve the “accuracy of information presented, and risk communication” in CCRs,
- Provide information on corrosion control and lead Action Level exceedances, and
- Require public water systems serving over 10,000 people to deliver CCRs two times each year.
NDWAC CCR COMMITTEE FORMED
To provide guidance on these issues, EPA has formed a CCR Rule Revision Working Group under the National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC). Here is a copy of EPA’s Charge to the CCR Working Group (epa-charge-to-the-ndwac-on-consumer-confidence-report-rule-revision), which states EPA is seeking advice and recommendations on the following:
- Addressing accessibility challenges, including translating CCRs and meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
- Advancing environmental justice and supporting underserved communities.
- Improving readability, understandability, clarity, and accuracy of information and risk communication of CCRs.
- CCR delivery manner and methods, including electronic delivery.
Last week the CCR Rule Revision Working Group held an orientation/planning meeting (agenda ndwac-ccr-working-group-agenda_session-1_0). The schedule for future meetings has not been posted (the agenda for last week’s meeting indicates a schedule of August through December for the Working Group). The Working Group will provide their recommendations for consideration by the full NDWAC which will then provide its recommendations to EPA. A copy of the CCR Working Group roster is here (ccr-rule-revision-working-group-roster).
