Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Preparation: California Water Utility Guide
Who must prepare a California CCR, the July 1 deadline, required Title 22 contents, delivery methods, DDW certification, and uploading through the eAR.
Short answer: Every California community and nontransient-noncommunity water system must prepare a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) and deliver it to customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year’s water quality data (Title 22, California Code of Regulations, section 64480). On or before the distribution date, the system sends a copy to the State Water Board, followed within three months by a certification that the report was delivered and is accurate (section 64483(c)). For the 2025 CCR, the State Water Board set those dates as July 1, 2026, for distribution and October 1, 2026, for certification.
The CCR is required by Health and Safety Code section 116470 and Title 22, Division 4, Chapter 15, Article 20 (sections 64480 through 64483), which carry out the federal rule in 40 CFR Part 141, Subpart O. It draws on the same monitoring records as the rest of your annual water reporting. For the wider set of Title 22 obligations, see our complete guide to water system compliance in California.
Who must prepare a CCR?
| System type | CCR required? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Community water system | Yes | 22 CCR 64480(a); 40 CFR 141.151 |
| Nontransient-noncommunity (NTNC) system, such as a school or workplace with its own supply | Yes, in California | 22 CCR 64480(a) |
| New community or NTNC system | First report by July 1 of the year after its first full calendar year of operation | 22 CCR 64480(b) |
| System that sells water to another community or NTNC system | Must give the buyer the required data by April 1, or a date set in their contract | 22 CCR 64480(c) |
California’s inclusion of NTNC systems goes beyond the federal rule, which applies only to community water systems.
When is the CCR due?
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Wholesaler data to purchasing systems | April 1, or the contract date |
| Deliver the CCR to customers | July 1 |
| Send a copy to the State Water Board (and the CPUC, for privately owned systems) | On or before the distribution date |
| Certify distribution and accuracy | Within 3 months of sending the copy; October 1, 2026, for the 2025 CCR |
| Keep copies | At least 3 years |
The State Water Board directs the certification to the DDW District Office or Local Primacy Agency that oversees your system.
Federal changes starting in 2027
The U.S. EPA revised the federal CCR rule in 2024. Under 40 CFR 141.152(a), systems follow the requirements as codified July 1, 2023, through December 31, 2026, and the revised requirements starting January 1, 2027. The revised federal rule includes:
- Twice-a-year delivery for systems serving 10,000 or more people, with the second distribution due by December 31 (40 CFR 141.155(j)).
- Certification to the primacy agency within 10 days after the distribution deadline (141.155(c)).
- Website posting for systems serving 50,000 or more people (141.155(f)).
As published on Cornell LII when we reviewed it, Title 22 section 64483 still states the three-month certification window and a 100,000-person website threshold. The State Water Board says its CCR preparation documents are being updated to reflect the federal revisions, so check its CCR page before preparing your 2026 report, which is due in 2027.
What must the CCR contain?
Section 64481 sets the required contents. The State Water Board also publishes a CCR Reference Manual and Word templates for small water systems on its CCR page.
1. Water sources
The type of water (surface water or groundwater), the commonly used name and location of each source, and whether a source water assessment has been completed, including its date, how to get a copy, and a summary of the source’s vulnerability (64481(a)).
2. Required definitions
The report must define the terms it uses with the wording in 64481(b), including Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), Public Health Goal (PHG), Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG), Primary Drinking Water Standard, regulatory action level, treatment technique, MRDL and MRDLG, variances and exemptions, and Level 1 and Level 2 assessments.
3. Detected contaminant tables
Report detected regulated contaminants, unregulated contaminants that required monitoring, microbial contaminants, and sodium and hardness (64481(c)). For each detected regulated contaminant, the table must show (64481(d)):
- the MCL, expressed as a number equal to or greater than 1.0;
- the PHG, in the same units, or the U.S. EPA MCLG if no PHG exists;
- the treatment technique, action level, or MRDL and MRDLG where there is no MCL;
- the result used for compliance: a single result, an average and range, a highest running annual average, or a locational running annual average for TTHM and HAA5, with separate rules for turbidity, lead and copper, and E. coli;
- the likely source, or a typical source from Appendix 64481-A or 64481-B; and
- any violation, clearly identified in the table.
For contaminants monitored less than once a year, include the date and results of the most recent sampling with a statement that the data are from the most recent testing. Unregulated contaminants are reported as an average and range.
4. Other monitoring results
Summaries of Cryptosporidium monitoring that indicates its presence, and radon results if radon was detected in finished water (64481(e) and (f)).
5. Violations, variances, and exemptions
Violations of monitoring, treatment, lead and copper, recordkeeping, special monitoring, or the terms of an order or variance, with the length of each violation, health effects language, and the corrective steps taken (64481(g)). Variances and exemptions need the reason, issue date, status of corrective steps, and opportunities for public input (64481(h)). Coliform and E. coli results need the prescribed Level 1 and Level 2 assessment language (64481(n)).
6. Required statements
- the four standard paragraphs on water sources, contaminants that may be present, regulation, and the presence of contaminants (64481(i));
- the prominently displayed statement for people who may be more vulnerable to contaminants (64481(j));
- hexavalent chromium language, where it applies, for reports issued after October 1, 2024 (64481(p)); and
- the additional health information in section 64482 when arsenic is above 0.005 mg/L but at or below the MCL, nitrate is above 5 mg/L as nitrogen but below the MCL, or lead exceeds the action level at more than 5 percent and up to 10 percent of sampled sites.
7. Contact, language, and participation
A telephone number for questions (64481(k)); information in Spanish about the report’s importance, or a contact for a Spanish translation or Spanish assistance, plus the same for any other non-English-speaking group of more than 1,000 residents or 10 percent of the community (64481(l)); and opportunities for public participation, such as board meeting times and places (64481(m)).
Systems with more than 10,000 service connections that detect contaminants above PHGs also prepare a separate PHG exceedance report every three years and hold a public hearing on it, according to the State Water Board.
How must the CCR be delivered?
Each system must mail or directly deliver one copy to each customer (64483(a)). The State Water Board allows electronic delivery under its electronic delivery guidance. Its January 2026 certification form lists these options:
- a mailed notice that the CCR is available, with a direct URL to the report;
- an emailed notice with a direct URL;
- the CCR sent as an email attachment;
- the CCR text and tables embedded in the body of an email; and
- another electronic method, which requires prior DDW review and approval.
The form also asks how the system reaches customers who cannot receive electronic delivery.
Good faith efforts. Systems must also try to reach people who are served but do not receive a bill, such as renters and employees (64483(b)). Methods include posting the CCR online, mailing to postal patrons in the service area, advertising in news media, publishing in a local newspaper, posting in public places, delivering multiple copies to apartments, businesses, and schools, and delivering to community organizations.
Other delivery rules:
- Systems serving 100,000 or more persons must post the current CCR on a publicly accessible website (64483(f)).
- Every system must make the CCR available on request (64483(e)).
- Privately owned systems must also send a copy to the California Public Utilities Commission by the distribution date (64483(d)).
How do you certify the CCR?
The certification states that the CCR was distributed to customers, that appropriate notices of availability were given, and that the information is correct and consistent with the compliance monitoring data previously submitted to the Division of Drinking Water (64483(c)). The State Water Board’s CCR Certification Form (revised January 2026) may be used to meet this requirement. It records the distribution date, the delivery methods and good faith efforts used, the website URL for systems serving at least 100,000 persons, and CPUC delivery for privately owned utilities. Systems using electronic delivery complete the form’s second page.
Keep the CCR, the certification, and your delivery records for at least three years (64483(g)).
How does the CCR connect to the eAR?
The electronic Annual Report (eAR) is the State Water Board’s yearly survey of public water systems, completed through the eAR portal. Section 9 (Water Quality) of the eAR includes reporting on the status of your Consumer Confidence Report, and the State Water Board’s eAR resources include a tutorial on uploading your CCR or CCR certification. In 2026, the eAR was released on February 1 and due April 1. Because the CCR certification states that the report matches data already submitted to DDW, check the two against each other before you sign.
A practical CCR timeline
- January to March: pull last year’s monitoring results and request wholesaler data.
- By April 1: wholesalers deliver data to purchasing systems.
- April to June: draft from the current State Water Board template, check every MCL, PHG, and unit, add any 64482 statements, and arrange translations and delivery.
- By July 1: deliver to customers, complete good faith efforts, and send a copy to the State Water Board.
- By October 1 (for a July 1 delivery): certify, and upload the CCR and certification as directed by your DDW District Office.
How Exodus helps
Exodus Water Services prepares annual CCRs in DDW-compliant format, ready to distribute and certify, as part of our Consumer Confidence Report preparation service. We compile monitoring data, cross-check it against MCLs and PHGs, and support delivery and certification, along with eAR preparation. If your customers ask how to read the report, point them to our resident guide, how to read your Consumer Confidence Report. Call (805) 991-7333 or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Who must prepare a Consumer Confidence Report in California? Every community water system and every nontransient-noncommunity water system, under 22 CCR 64480. New systems deliver their first report by July 1 of the year after their first full calendar year of operation.
When is the California CCR due? By July 1 each year for delivery to customers. A copy goes to the State Water Board on or before the distribution date, followed within three months by the certification. For the 2025 CCR, certification was due October 1, 2026.
Can a CCR be delivered by email? Yes. The State Water Board allows electronic delivery, including an emailed or mailed notice with a direct URL, an email attachment, or the report embedded in an email body. Other electronic methods need prior DDW review and approval.
Does a CCR have to be posted online? California systems serving 100,000 or more persons must post the current CCR on a publicly accessible website. For smaller systems, posting online is one of the good faith methods for reaching people who do not receive a bill.
What languages must a California CCR include? Every CCR must include Spanish-language information about the report’s importance or a contact for Spanish assistance. The same is required for any other non-English-speaking group of more than 1,000 residents or 10 percent of the community.
What changes in 2027? The revised federal CCR rule applies starting January 1, 2027. It requires systems serving 10,000 or more people to deliver the report twice a year, with the second delivery by December 31, and shortens the federal certification window. Watch the State Water Board’s CCR page for updated California guidance.
Last reviewed: October 30, 2026.
Sources
- Cornell LII, 22 CCR 64480, Applicability
- Cornell LII, 22 CCR 64481, Content of the Consumer Confidence Report
- Cornell LII, 22 CCR 64482, Required Additional Health Information
- Cornell LII, 22 CCR 64483, Consumer Confidence Report Delivery and Recordkeeping
- U.S. EPA, 40 CFR Part 141, Subpart O, Consumer Confidence Reports: sections 141.151, 141.152, and 141.155
- State Water Board, Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs)
- State Water Board, Electronic Annual Report (eAR)