National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Consumer Confidence Reports

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Parts 141 and 142</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0260; FRL 8464-01-OW]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2040-AG14</RIN> <SUBJECT>National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Consumer Confidence Reports</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule in accordance with America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018 (United States, 2018) and is requiring States, territories, and Tribes with primary enforcement responsibility to report compliance monitoring data (CMD) to the EPA. The revisions will improve the readability, clarity, and understandability of CCRs as well as the accuracy of the information presented, improve risk communication in CCRs, incorporate electronic delivery options, provide supplemental information regarding lead levels and control efforts, and require systems who serve 10,000 or more persons to provide CCRs to customers biannually (twice per year). The final rule requirements for States to submit to the EPA CMD for all National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) will improve the EPA's ability to fulfill oversight responsibilities under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective on June 24, 2024. The compliance date for the revisions to 40 CFR part 141, subpart O is set forth in § 141.152. The compliance date for States (as defined in § 142.2) to report CMD is set forth in § 142.15(b)(3). </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> The EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0260. All documents in the docket are listed on the <E T="03">http://www.regulations.gov</E> website. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, <E T="03">e.g.,</E> Confidential Business Information or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available electronically through <E T="03">http://www.regulations.gov.</E> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> <E T="03">For technical information contact:</E> Sarah Bradbury, Drinking Water Capacity and Compliance Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number (202) 564-3116; email address: <E T="03">bradbury.sarah@epa.gov.</E> <E T="03">For general information contact:</E> The EPA at <E T="03">OGWDWCCRrevisions@epa.gov</E> or visit the agency's website at: <E T="03">https://www.epa.gov/ccr/consumer-confidence-report-rule-revisions,</E> for general information about the Consumer Confidence Report Rule Revisions. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <E T="03">Preamble acronyms and abbreviations.</E> Throughout this document the use of “we,” “us,” or “our” is intended to refer to the EPA. We use acronyms in this preamble. For reference purposes, the EPA defines the following acronyms here: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ALE Action Level Exceedance</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">AWIA America's Water Infrastructure Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CCR Consumer Confidence Report</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CCT Corrosion Control Treatment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CFR Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CMD Compliance Monitoring Data</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CWS Community Water System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DW-SFTIES Drinking Water State-Federal-Tribal Information Exchange System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EJ Environmental Justice</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EPA Environmental Protection Agency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">GAO Government Accountability Office</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ICR Information Collection Request</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LCRR Lead and Copper Rule Revisions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LEP Limited English Proficiency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LSL Lead Service Line</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MCL Maximum Contaminant Level</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MRDL Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levels</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NDWAC National Drinking Water Advisory Council</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NPDWR National Primary Drinking Water Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OCCT Optimal Corrosion Control Treatment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PFAS Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PN Public Notification</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ppb Parts per billion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ppm Parts per million</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ppt Parts per trillion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PWS Public Water System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PWSS Public Water System Supervision</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">QR Quick Response</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SDWIS Safe Drinking Water Information System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TT Treatment Technique</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UCMR Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UMRA Unfunded Mandates Reform Act</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. General Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. What are the EPA's final revisions?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Does this action apply to me?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. What is the Agency's authority for taking this action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. What action is the Agency taking?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Why is the Agency taking this action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Overview of Consumer Confidence Report Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Overview of Compliance Monitoring Data Requirements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Applicability</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Consultations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Content of Consumer Confidence Reports</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Report Summaries</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Contaminant Data Section</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. False and Misleading Statements</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Risk Communication</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Corrosion Control Efforts, Action Level Exceedances Information in CCRs, and Other Lead Related Provisions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Translation Assistance</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Translation Support Requirements for CWSs and States</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Recipient and Subrecipient Meaningful Access</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Language Access Plans</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Consumer Confidence Report Delivery</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Biannual Delivery</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Electronic Delivery</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Posting Online</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Delivery Certification</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Good Faith Delivery</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Compliance Monitoring Data</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. CMD Reporting Requirement</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Scope and Administrative Burden of CMD Reporting</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Other Revisions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Housekeeping</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VIII. Rule Implementation and Enforcement</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Compliance Date</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Special Primacy</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IX. Economic Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Estimates of the Total Annualized Cost of the Final Rule Revisions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Program and Administrative Costs for CCR and CMD</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Revisions to Consumer Confidence Report Requirements Costs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Compliance Monitoring Data (CMD) Requirement Costs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Qualitative Benefits</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">X. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive Order 14094: Modernizing Regulatory Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Paperwork Reduction Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health and Safety Risks</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Executive Order 13211: Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution or Use</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2"> J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations and Executive Order 14096: Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Congressional Review Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">XI. Severability</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">XII. References</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. General Information</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. What are the EPA's final revisions?</HD> The EPA is promulgating revisions to the Consumer Confidence Report Rule (CCR) that strengthen public health protection by improving access to and clarity of drinking water data so that customers of community water systems (CWS) can have a more complete picture of water quality and water system compliance. The EPA is requiring primacy agencies to report compliance monitoring data (CMD) to the EPA to support the agency's oversight responsibilities by providing the EPA a more complete and accurate understanding of water system compliance with National Primary ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 256k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━