How to Understand the CCR
(Consumer Confidence Report)

The CCR (Consumer Confidence Report)

Even though the reports are written for the public to be understood, because of the technical nature of the reports, they seem like ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics to read. There are numerous familiar and unfamiliar contaminants cited, using various kinds of measurements to quantify their presence in the water. Add to this the numerous abbreviations and the average person doesn't even try to understand them, let alone use the information for their own good.

Hence the reason for the creation of this page. I will try to explain it in "Simple English" and indicate how to find the information of most value for making decisions about the quality of your drinking water.

Why the U.S. Government Requires the Issuing of the Annual CCR?

The reason for the annual quality of water report being sent to each paying consumer of the utilities water is to protect the public. The aim of the CCR is expressed clearly by Jane Frankenberger and Natalie Carroll published on the www.engineering.perdue,edu site:

Do not assume water is safe to drink just because it is clear and tastes good. Most contaminants have no taste, odor, or color. Your assurance that the water is safe should be based on the results of laboratory testing. The water quality report tells you what tests have been done, what levels of contaminants have been detected, and whether the levels detected violate any drinking water standards.

There are six pieces of basic information that each CCR is to give, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

• The source of the water. The company is to let you know the actual source or sources of the water they deliver to you. Does it come from a river, a lake, a reservoir, a well or some combination of them?
• The level of any contaminants found in the water. The level can be the average level over the past year or the range from the lowest to the highest.
• The likely source of contaminants found in the water. Does it likely come from nature or industrial waste or human waste, or fertilizers, or what?
• The Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) set by the Environmental Protection Agency as the level above which the contaminant is considered to be potentially harmful. This permits one to compare the actual level with the potentially harmful level.
• Any violation of drinking water rules. The report is to specifically point out those contaminants which have not met the standard and are potentially harmful. What they are doing to change this and what they recommend to the consumer is to be explained.
• An educational statement regarding Cryptosporidium and the need for certain members of the population to avoid exposure to this parasite.

What to Look for in the CCR?

If you come to the CCR with specific questions in mind, it is much easier to read and for you to go away with the information you need even if you don't understand all of the technical hieroglyphics.

1. What are the sources of my tap water? Knowing the source of water may give you hints regarding the kinds of contaminants to expect. For example, if your water comes from a river which travels through pasture land, you need to be alert to the possibility of cryptosporidium.

2. What contaminants are you particularly concerned about? Check the report for the presence of those contaminants and their level in the water. For example, you may be particularly concerned about lead in drinking water. If it's too high for your comfort, you may opt for a water filter that is guaranteed to remove lead from water.

3. How does the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) compare with the actual level found? Which contaminants surpass the MCL and which are close to it. The MCLG will tell you the ideal level, or "Goal" level, proposed by the EPA.

4. What contaminants are cited in the notes at the end of the chart as not meeting the EPA standards? The report is required to specifically point out the standards they have not been able to realize and what they are doing about it or what you should do about it.

How to Understand the CCR?

There are certain abbreviations and terms that need to be understood in order to read the CCR with understanding. These are all defined in the report, but for the sake of simplifying it, let me explain a few of the essential ones. The different units of measurement and kinds of measurement are rather confusing and not necessary to understanding, unless you are a chemist.

MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level. This is the level of the contaminant that is allowed and still considered to be safe.

MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal. This is the desired level. Sometimes the most desired level is not feasible and impossible for a water company to realize without great expense. This desired level says, "there is no known or anticipated health threat from that contaminant to a person who consumes the water."

AL: Action Level. This applies only to lead or copper in water and is the level at which certain actions are to be taken. Violation of the AL does not require public notification as violation of the MCL does. Most high levels of lead and cooper are due to household plumbing.

NA: Not Analyzed. There may be various reasons for not analyzing a particular contaminant. Certain ones, for example, are not required to be tested annually if they have had a good record in the past.

Let me give you an example of what a contaminant report might look like and explain the meaning of the different columns.

Column 1 gives the contaminant being measured.

Column 2 states whether or not the standard has been met.

Column 3 gives the Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) or the level below which there are no known health risks.

Column 4 gives the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or the standard level set by the EPA and required to be met by the water utility.

Column 5 gives the Level Found or the level of the contaminant found in the water. It may be stated as the average of all the times the water was tested or as a range giving the lowest and highest test figures.

Column 6 gives the possible sources of this contaminant in the local water.

How to Use the CCR to Insure Clean Drinking Water?

There are various ways of using the information you get from your annual quality of water report. For example, you might identify particular contaminants that you are concerned about. You may find the contaminant that concerns you to be above the EPA standard or you may find it met their standard but it's still too high for your comfort. At this point, you could decide to look for the kind of filter that would remove those specific contaminants. The NSF International can tell you which filters have been certified by them as being effective in removing those particular contaminants. On the page to which this link takes you, you can put a check next to the contaminants you want to be sure to reduce, and then find those filters which will reduce them effectively.

You may simply conclude that your water utility is doing a great job and that your water is safe for drinking.

Increasingly we are finding that the current state of most tap water in the United States is not what it needs to be. The water purifying plants are outdated. The distribution systems are old and breaking down. There are new contaminants which didn't exist previously, new chemical and pharmaceutical products, that are now found in our tap water. Add to this resistant parasites like giardia and cryptosporidium which can get past the filters and disinfectants used by local water utilities.

What we thought was the cure-all for disease causing microorganisms, namely chlorine as a disinfectant, is now found to produce by-products that risk causing cancer after many years of drinking chlorinated water. All of this points to the wisdom of using water filters to improve the quality of our drinking water.

A third possible response to the CCR is to say, "I want a filter that will eliminate as many contaminants as possible to the lowest level possible." if this is your point of view, you are looking for a quality filter that removes the most contaminants possible, and especially the particular contaminants you are concerned about.

Other sections of this site that may be of help to you are "How to Choose a Water Filter" detailing the considerations you need to keep in mind in deciding, and "Best Water Filters" which gives you information on filters that are certified by NSF International.

For more information on the Consumer Confidence Report and on specific contaminants go to "CCR".