Consumer Confidence Reports

Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs)
2024 CCR Templates are available for download.

All Public Community Water Systems are required to provide Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs) to their customers by July 1, 2025.

The EPA requires Wholesalers to provide information contained in their CCR to corresponding Consecutive System(s) by April 1st annually. Consecutive water systems MUST ensure that they deliver the information in the Wholesaler’s CCR to their own customers.

The electronic CCR templates are designed to help Public Community Water Systems create individual CCR’s for the previous Calendar Year. Please remember that almost all the information included in the template is required. You can change how the CCR looks and add additional content, however, be sure not to omit any required information.  CCRs in ascending order by Water System Identification number (WSID #) are presented here:

Instructions for using the template above to create a CCR for your Water System users:

*Note recent content changes you might see in your template*

• Review the information below to learn about important information including delivery methods/requirements, consecutive water system requirements and how to document and certify completion with the Vermont Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Division. 
• Click on your water systems CCR template above and save it to your computer. Changes cannot be made to the file online.
• Please read it carefully as there are sections that must be completed and the accuracy of information verified before distributing the CCR. If you believe the information in the CCR template is incorrect, please contact Jeff Girard at jeff.girard@vermont.gov so the change can be verified.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Vermont Water Supply Rule require all the data, and nearly all of the information provided in the template, to be included in the CCR. A CCR that is incomplete or reports incorrect information may result in the need to issue an addendum and the Water System may also incur a reporting violation. Please visit https://www.epa.gov/ccr for more information about CCR requirements and online resources for helping consumers understand the report.

• You can add additional information such as a summary promoting confidence in the use of the drinking water that is provided, good news items, or additional local information. The CCR is an excellent tool for promoting water efficiency and conservation as well as to convey recent water system information such as the hiring of new employees, noting employee accomplishments, recent water system improvements, rate information, or explaining the need for updated treatment facilities.
• Once the template has been completed and all information contained in the report validated, distribute the CCR to all customers (via direct delivery and “good faith efforts”), no later than July 1, 2025.

Some of the recent changes you might see in your CCR template:

• The “distribution paragraph” is required to be included in all CCRs.  Please do not remove it from your CCR.  It encourages sharing the CCR with individuals who may not have received it directly.  This was previously at the end of the templates and is now located on the first page.
• There is a required statement in all CCR templates regarding how individuals can access the lead service line inventory. We are working to make the lead service line inventories available through the Drinking Water Database Search tool and hope to have that completed in 2025.  
• The PFAS contaminant table is a requirement of the Vermont Water Supply Rule and requires all data, even if non-detect, to be reported for the previous five years as opposed to just the most recent year.  
• The disinfection byproducts table now identifies each location that had a detection.  This makes it clear where a locational running annual average exceedance (if any) is from to meet the reporting requirements.
• If there is a significant deficiency reported in the CCR, the table identifies if it was from a Sanitary Survey or an RTCR Assessment.  Note that all significant deficiencies are required to be reported even if they are not past due.
• If an RTCR Assessment was triggered during the reporting year, a required paragraph will be populated in the template that needs to be completed prior to distribution.  Specifically, the number of corrective actions required and the number completed need to be added.
• The standard lead health information paragraph in every CCR template has been updated to meet new federal regulations.
• If a lead action level exceedance (ALE) occurred during the reported year, there will be a note under the data table informing the reader about a notice included in the CCR with additional information about the ALE.  This will be a copy of the same notice that was originally distributed following the lead ALE and has required information to be included in the CCR.
   

CCR Distribution Methods:

Direct Delivery Options to Reach All Customers – at least one option must be used:

1. Mail – paper copy (traditional method). Water Systems mail a paper copy of the CCR to each bill-paying customer.
2. Hand Delivery. Water System directly delivers a copy of the CCR to all accessible customers.
3. Electronic Delivery. (see examples below). Three elements must be met in order to use electronic delivery to comply with the requirement to “directly deliver” the CCR. Electronic delivery may be used in conjunction with other delivery methods.
   • Electronic delivery must provide the CCR in a manner that is “direct.” Paper or electronic communication (e.g. email, water bill, postcard notification) can identify a specific URL which must bring the customer directly to the entire CCR. The link cannot bring a customer to a location where they will need to select another link to open the CCR.
   • If a customer is unable to receive a CCR by the chosen electronic method, the CCR must be provided by an alternative method allowed by the Rule.
   • If using an electronic delivery, a prominently displayed message and the direct URL must be included in ALL notifications of CCR availability. 

Examples of Electronic Delivery

1. Email or mail a notification which includes a direct URL to the CCR. The Water System emails or mails all bill-paying customers a notification that the CCR is available and provides the direct URL to the CCR on a publicly available site on the internet.
2. Email the CCR as an attachment. The Water System emails the CCR to all bill-paying customers as an attachment (e.g. as a PDF).
3. Email all the content of the CCR. The Water System emails all bill-paying customers with the CCR included in the body of the email (i.e. not as an attachment).

For detailed information and examples, please refer to EPA’s January 2013 Safe Drinking Water Act – Consumer Confidence Report Rule Delivery Options Memo at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-12/documents/ccrdeliveryoptionsmemo.pdf

“Good Faith Efforts” Delivery Options to Reach Non-Bill Paying Customers.

In addition to distributing the CCR to bill-paying Customers, Public Community Water Systems must make “good faith” efforts to reach all customers beyond mailing to billing addresses of the water system. Students, renters, and workers are examples of the kinds of customers who must be reached by “good faith” efforts. Examples to meet the “good faith” efforts include:

• Posting a direct link to the CCR on the water systems or municipalities website.
• Advertising availability of the CCR in news media.
• Posting the CCR in public places such as libraries, schools, town offices or post offices
• Deliver multiple copies for distribution by a single bill-paying customer such as an apartment building owner or private employers.
• Hand-deliver to renters and/or workers.
• Deliver extra copies of the CCR to community organizations. 

Consecutive Systems

Consecutive Water Systems must ensure that the Wholesaler’s CCR is distributed to the Consecutive System’s users in addition to the Consecutive System’s CCR. Wholesalers are not responsible for providing data on contaminants that Consecutive Systems must monitor (coliform, lead and copper, and DBPs) unless there is a prior written agreement between the Wholesaler and Consecutive System that specifies that the Wholesaler will include the Consecutive System’s information.

All Water Systems must keep a copy of the CCR on file for a minimum of three (3) years.

Completed CCR and Certification of Delivery Submittal: 

After the CCR has been completed and distributed to all users, Water Systems must provide a copy of both the CCR and completed Certificate of Delivery (included in the template) to the Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Division no later than July 1, 2025.

Use ONE of the submittal options below:

1. *NEW* Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Certificate (ANROnline Form)
2. Email directly to jeff.girard@vermont.gov  
3. Fax to 802-828-1541
4. Mail to:
   ATTN: Jeff Girard
   Agency of Natural Resources
   Department of Environmental Conservation
   Drinking Water & Groundwater Protection Division
   One National Life Drive- Davis 4
   Montpelier, VT  05620-3521

If you have any questions, having trouble downloading a copy of your CCR template, or need assistance in preparing your CCR, please contact Jeff Girard at Jeff.Girard@vermont.gov.