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EPA 2027 Consumer Confidence Report Rule Revisions

Information and resources to help Public Water Systems and consumers understand the revisions made to the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule and requirements, beginning January 1st, 2027.

Information and resources to help Public Water Systems and consumers understand the revisions made to the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule and requirements, beginning January 1st, 2027.

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Background Information

The EPA has revised the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) regulation, creating new requirements for Community (COM) Public Water Systems that will go into effect on January 1st, 2027. The resources and information available on this webpage aim to encourage your COM PWS to start preparing for these changes, and to reach out to MassDEP’s Drinking Water Program for any technical assistance to expedite the public health protection intent of the upcoming CCR revisions.

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Information for Massachusetts Consumers

EPA requires Community (COM) Public Water Systems to deliver a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), also known as an annual drinking water quality report, to their customers. These reports provide Americans information about their local drinking water quality. CCRs must be sent by your water supplier each year by July 1st.

What type of information is in the report?

  • The lake, river, aquifer, or other source of your drinking water;
  • A summary of the risk of contamination of the local drinking water source;
  • The regulated contaminant(s) found in local drinking water;
  • The potential health effects of any contaminant detected in violation of an EPA health standard;
  • An accounting of the system's actions to restore safe drinking water;
  • An educational statement for vulnerable populations about avoiding Cryptosporidium;
  • Educational information on nitrate, arsenic, or lead in areas where these contaminants may be a concern;
  • Phone numbers of additional sources of information, including water system contact information;

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline number 1-800-426-4791.

Information for Public Water Systems

Major Changes and New Requirements for COM PWSs

EPA has identified the following changes to the CCR for COM Public Water Systems (PWSs) that will be required as of 1/1/2027:

  • Report Delivery

    All COM PWSs serving 10,000 or more people must distribute the report twice per calendar year. The 1st report must be delivered by July 1st, 7/1/2027, and include an annual summary of previous calendar year. The 2nd report must be delivered by December 31st, 12/31/2027, and include an annual summary of previous calendar year. If applicable, the report must also include a 6-month update for COM PWSs that had violations, action level exceedances, or received results from the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR). COM PWSs serving less than 10,000 people must continue to provide a CCR to their consumers annually by July 1st.

  • Direct Delivery to Consumers

    COM PWSs must send CCRs to consumers by mail or an electronic delivery method. COM PWSs using electronic delivery must provide a paper copy of the report to consumers upon request.

  • Good Faith Delivery

    Good Faith Delivery now includes the following examples:

    • Bulk delivery of postcards with direct links to CCRs.
    • Opt-in notification system to send email and/or texts notifying the availability of the CCRs.
    • Advertise the availability of your CCR on social media.
    • Holding a public meeting to educate community members of CCR availability.

  • Wholesalers and Consecutive Systems

    COM PWSs that sell water to another COM PWS must deliver applicable information by April 1st and October 1st, if required to deliver reports twice per year.

  • Certification

    COM PWSs must submit a copy of the report and certification to MassDEP no later than the date the COM PWS is required to distribute the reports to consumers.

    • PWSs serving more than 100,000 persons are required to provide the state (MassDEP/DWP) with a Language Access Plan (LAP) and must include the LAP and any subsequent updates to their LAP with their certification.

  • Recordkeeping

    COM PWSs serving 50,000 or more people must post its current year's report to a publicly accessible site on the Internet. Any COM PWSs posting their CCR on a website must maintain its availability for at least 3 years.

Changes to Improve Readability, Clarity, and Understandability

  • Contaminant Data Tables

    COM PWSs must present contaminant data in a clear and understandable format, which may include, but is not limited to, one or more tables.

  • Use of Definitions

    In addition to the definitions in the current rule, the revised rule requires CCRs to include definitions of ‘contaminant’, ‘pesticide’, and ‘herbicide’. 

  • Summary

    COM PWSs must include a summary of the key information at the beginning of the reports.

    • Examples of key information include COM PWS contact information and, when applicable, a brief description of violations and a note that public notices are included in the CCR.

  • CCR Translation Access

    In communities with a large proportion of consumers with limited English proficiency CCRs must contain either:

    • Information where consumers can obtain a translated copy of the report, or
    • Assistance in the appropriate language.

    For COM PWSs serving over 100,000 people, COMs are required to develop Language Access Plans (LAP).

  • Accessiblity

    COM PWSs must make a reasonable effort to provide the reports in an accessible format to anyone who requests an accommodation.

Changes to Improve Accuracy and Risk Communication

  • Arsenic and Nitrate

    Revised educational information on health effects of nitrate and arsenic for COM PWSs that detect the contaminants above half the MCL but are not in violation of the MCL.

  • Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR)

    All COM PWSs must include updated standard language for the Revised Total Coliform Rule compliance in the reports.

  • Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR)

    COM PWSs must include a brief explanation of the reasons for monitoring for unregulated contaminants.

Information about Lead in Drinking Water

  • Lead Action Level Exceedances

    COM PWSs that have exceeded the lead action level during the monitoring period covered by the CCR must clearly identify the exceedance in the contaminant data section. In addition, they must include an explanation of the exceedance, the steps consumers can take to reduce their exposure to lead in drinking water, and a description of any corrective actions the COM PWS has or will take to address the exceedance.

  • Explanation of Corrosion Control Efforts (New requirement)

    CCRs must include template language to explain their corrosion control efforts.

What MassDEP/DWP doing to get ready for these CCR changes

In preparing for the revised CCR requirements, we encourage all COM PWSs to plan ahead and identify cost saving measures, support consumer transparency and accessibility and expedite these important public health protection safe drinking water updates. By the Fall of 2026, MassDEP/DWP expects all COM PWSs to be ready to comply with the upcoming CCR changes.

Note on Non-Community (NC) PWS: Even though not required by EPA, MassDEP/DWP plans to continue to provide electronic water quality reports for all non-community systems.

Please look for regular updates in our In The Main Newsletter  and you may contact us at MassDEP/DWP at program.director-dwp@mass.gov, Subject CCR or 617-292-5770 with any questions or requests for technical assistance regarding these CCR updates.

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Contact

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MassDEP Drinking Water Program Email MassDEP Drinking Water Program at program.director-dwp@mass.gov
Date published: March 2, 2026
Last updated: March 2, 2026

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