The annual water quality report, explained
A consumer confidence report, or CCR, is a yearly report on the quality of the tap water a utility delivers. EPA requires every community water system to deliver one to its customers. You may also see it called an annual drinking water quality report or simply a water quality report. They are the same document.
The rule behind it dates from August 19, 1998, when EPA published the final Consumer Confidence Reports rule. Its goal is the Safe Drinking Water Act's "right-to-know" idea: people should be able to see what is in the water they drink.
The report is written by your utility, not by EPA. States can add their own requirements, but every report must include the basic information the federal rule lists.
- Who must send itEvery community water system, to its customers
- DeadlineBy July 1 each year
- Other namesAnnual drinking water quality report, water quality report
- Federal rule sinceAugust 19, 1998
The parts every report must have
EPA lists what a report must contain. The order and design change from one utility to the next, but these parts are always there.
Reading the numbers without guessing
The results table is the heart of the report. Each row is one contaminant that was found. The columns usually include the detected level (often an average or the highest result), the range of results, the units, the MCL and the MCLG, whether there was a violation, and the likely source.
The MCL, or maximum contaminant level, is the legal limit. The MCLG, or maximum contaminant level goal, is the level at which EPA expects no known or expected health risk. For some contaminants the goal is zero while the legal limit is higher, because the limit also weighs what treatment and testing can achieve.
Units matter. Most results are in parts per million (ppm, the same as milligrams per liter) or parts per billion (ppb, micrograms per liter). One ppm equals 1,000 ppb, so check the unit before comparing two numbers.
Lead and copper are reported differently. Instead of an average, the report usually shows the 90th percentile of the homes sampled and how many samples were above the action level. That describes the system's sampling, not your own home.
- If A row says "Yes" under violationRead the health effects wording and the system's explanation of what it did. Call the utility if anything is unclear.
- If A level is under the MCL but above the MCLGIt meets the legal limit. The MCLG is the health goal, so you can compare the level against both.
- If A contaminant isn't in the tableIt was either not detected or not tested for. The report alone may not say which.
- If The lead row shows a 90th percentileThat is a snapshot of the system's sampled homes. Your tap depends on your own pipes and fixtures.
A result below the MCL meets the federal rule. That is a legal question. Whether a level matters for your household's health is a separate question, which is why the report also lists the MCLG.
The limits of a system-wide report
A CCR describes the water a system delivers. It cannot see what happens between the water main and your glass. Lead and copper mostly come from service lines, pipes and fixtures inside or near the home, so a clean system report does not cover your own plumbing.
A CCR is also a once-a-year summary. Results are often averages or ranges, so a single high reading can sit inside a low average.
It mainly covers regulated contaminants. Substances without a federal limit may appear only if your utility chose to include them or was part of EPA's unregulated contaminant testing.
Private wells don't get a CCR at all. If your water comes from your own well, no utility tests it for you, and testing is up to you.
The only way to know what comes out of your own faucet is to test it.
Revised rules for clearer reports
On May 15, 2024, EPA announced final revisions to the Consumer Confidence Report rule. Starting in 2027, reports are meant to be easier to read, support translations into appropriate languages, and carry more information about lead in drinking water.
Systems serving more than 10,000 people will have to send reports twice a year instead of once. EPA is also encouraging electronic delivery, such as by email or a link on your bill. Congress asked for these changes in America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.
Four ways to get your CCR
If your report never reached you, or you threw it away with the junk mail, it is easy to find.
- Check your water bill or the utility's website
Many utilities print a link to the report on the bill or post it on their website, often under "water quality".
- Use EPA's CCR search tool
EPA keeps a search tool at epa.gov/ccr where you can look up reports by state, city or ZIP code. Not every utility’s report is listed there.
- Call your water supplier
The number is on your bill. Ask for the most recent consumer confidence report.
- Open your water system on PurityMap
Each water system page shows its EPA record. When we have the utility's report, the contact section links it as "Read the report". When we don't, the page says so plainly, and your bill or the utility's website is the next place to look.
- Find my waterLook up the public water system behind your tap by city, ZIP code or water system ID.Find my water →
- Water quality by ZIP codeSee the water systems on record for your ZIP and what their records show.Look up a ZIP →
- Water systems directoryBrowse every public water system on PurityMap by state.Browse systems →
- Read your own test resultsAlready tested your tap? Compare your numbers against EPA limits and standards.Read my results →
From the report to your own tap
Read your report next to the EPA record for your system. If a row raises a question, call the utility: it wrote the report and can explain it.
If you want to know about your own faucet, especially for lead in an older home, test your tap. Our guide on how to test your tap water at home explains the options, and our guide to lead in tap water explains how to read lead numbers. If a result comes back as "not detected", our explainer on what a non-detect really means covers what that does and doesn't tell you. If you are thinking about a filter, start with choosing a water filter by contaminant, so it matches what your water actually has.
- How to test your tap water at homeLab kits, test strips and what each can tell you.Read the guide →
- Lead in tap water: how to read the numbersAction levels, the 90th percentile and your own home.Read the guide →
- What a non-detect really meansWhy "not detected" is not the same as zero.Read the explainer →
- Choosing a water filter by contaminantMatch a filter's certification to what your water contains.Read the guide →
This article explains what a consumer confidence report contains, based on public information from EPA and CDC. It is not medical advice. If you have a health concern about your water, talk to a healthcare provider and contact your water utility or local health department.