Consumer Confidence Report: How to Read Yours

Short answer: A Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is the annual water quality report your water system must send you by July 1 each year. It tells you where your water comes from, which contaminants were detected during the previous calendar year, how those levels compare to the legal limit (the MCL) and the health goal (the PHG or MCLG), and whether the system had any violations.

If a number in the “level detected” column is at or below the MCL and the report shows no violation, the water met that drinking water standard. This guide explains how to read each column, what the extra health statements mean, and where to find your own report.

What is a Consumer Confidence Report?

A CCR is also called an annual water quality report. Federal rules (40 CFR Part 141, Subpart O) require one from every community water system, meaning a system that serves the same people year-round, such as a city utility or water district. California goes further: under Title 22, California Code of Regulations, section 64480, nontransient-noncommunity systems, such as schools and workplaces with their own water supply, also prepare one. The State Water Board cites Health and Safety Code section 116470 as the state law behind it.

The report covers the previous calendar year. Your 2026 report, delivered by July 1, 2026, covers testing from January 1 through December 31, 2025.

If your home is served by a private well, there is no CCR. These rules apply to public water systems.

When is the CCR due?

Rule	Deadline	Source
Annual report to customers	By July 1 each year	40 CFR 141.152(b); 22 CCR 64480(a)
New water system	By July 1 of the year after its first full calendar year in operation	40 CFR 141.152(c); 22 CCR 64480(b)
Wholesale seller to buyer system	By April 1 each year, or a date set in their contract	22 CCR 64480(c)
Second report for systems serving 10,000 or more people	By December 31, under the federal revisions	40 CFR 141.155(j)

A change is coming in 2027. The U.S. EPA revised the CCR rule in 2024. Under 40 CFR 141.152(a), systems follow the revised requirements starting January 1, 2027. One change residents will notice: systems serving 10,000 or more people must distribute the report twice a year, with the second delivery due by December 31. The State Water Board has said it is updating its CCR guidance documents to reflect the federal revisions.

How is the CCR delivered?

Your water system must mail or directly deliver one copy to each customer (22 CCR 64483(a)). The State Water Board allows electronic delivery, such as an email with a direct link to the report or with the report attached. Under the federal rule, a system that delivers electronically must provide a paper copy if you ask for one.

Renters and others who do not get a water bill are covered too. Systems must make a good faith effort to reach people who are served but do not pay the bill, using methods such as posting the report online, posting in public places, publishing in local newspapers, or delivering multiple copies to apartment buildings and large employers (22 CCR 64483(b)). Every system must also make the report available to anyone who asks (64483(e)).

How to read the water quality table

The table is the heart of the report. Most CCRs present detected contaminants in one or more tables with these columns.

Column	What it means
Contaminant	The substance that was detected, such as nitrate, arsenic, or a disinfection byproduct
Units	How the result is measured; results are reported in the same units as the MCL
MCL	The legal limit
PHG or MCLG	The health goal
Level detected	The result used to judge compliance, often an average
Range	The lowest and highest results during the year
Sample date	Shown when a contaminant is tested less often than once a year
Violation	Whether the system exceeded the standard
Typical source	Where the contaminant likely comes from

MCL: the legal limit

The Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) is defined in the report as “the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water” (22 CCR 64481(b)). It is enforceable. The required definition also explains that primary MCLs are set as close to the health goals as is economically and technologically feasible.

There are two kinds:

Primary MCLs protect health.
Secondary MCLs protect the odor, taste, and appearance of drinking water.

PHG and MCLG: the health goals

The Public Health Goal (PHG) is “the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.” PHGs are set by the California Environmental Protection Agency. The Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) has the same definition but is set by the U.S. EPA. California reports list the PHG for each primary MCL, or the MCLG if no PHG exists (64481(d)).

Health goals are not legal limits, and they are often lower than the MCL. A result above the PHG but at or below the MCL means the water met the standard. California systems with more than 10,000 service connections that detect contaminants above PHGs must prepare a PHG report every three years and hold a public hearing on it, according to the State Water Board.

Level detected and range

The level detected is the number compared to the MCL. Depending on the contaminant, it may be a single result, an average of samples, a highest running annual average, or a locational running annual average, which is used for the disinfection byproducts TTHM and HAA5 (64481(d)). The range shows the spread of individual results. A single high sample within the range does not by itself mean a violation, because many MCLs are judged on an average.

Some contaminants are tested less than once a year. For those, the report shows the date and results of the most recent sampling and states that the data are from the most recent testing.

Treatment technique, action level, and MRDL

Some contaminants do not have an MCL. The report then uses other terms, each defined in the report itself:

Treatment technique: a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant.
Regulatory action level: the concentration which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements. Lead and copper are reported this way.
MRDL and MRDLG: the limit and the goal for disinfectants such as chlorine added to the water.

Violations

If the system violated a standard or a monitoring rule during the year, the report must say so clearly and explain how long the violation lasted, the potential health effects, and what the system did to correct it (64481(d) and (g)). Read this section separately from the table. Violations can include missed monitoring, not only high results.

Extra health statements to look for

California requires additional language in some situations (22 CCR 64482):

Arsenic above 0.005 mg/L but at or below the MCL: a statement that the water meets the standard but contains low levels of arsenic.
Nitrate above 5 mg/L (as nitrogen) but below the MCL: a statement about risks to infants under six months, with advice for pregnant women and people with certain enzyme deficiencies.
Lead above the action level at more than 5 percent and up to 10 percent of sampled sites: a statement that infants and young children are more vulnerable, that home plumbing can raise lead levels, and that residents can flush their taps.

Every report also includes a prominently displayed statement for people who may be more vulnerable to contaminants, such as people with weakened immune systems (64481(j)).

Keep in mind what the report measures. The results describe the water the system delivers. Plumbing inside your building can affect what comes out of your tap, which is why the lead statement mentions home plumbing.

Other sections in the report

Water sources: the type of water (surface water or groundwater), its name and location, and whether a source water assessment was completed and how to get it.
Contact number: the system’s telephone number for questions (64481(k)).
Spanish language information: every California CCR must explain the report’s importance in Spanish or give a number or address for Spanish-language help. Other languages are required where a non-English-speaking group exceeds 1,000 residents or 10 percent of the community (64481(l)).
Public participation: times and places of board meetings or other ways to comment (64481(m)).

Where to find your Consumer Confidence Report

Check your mail and email around July 1. Systems deliver either the report itself or a notice with a direct link to it.
Search your water supplier’s website for “consumer confidence report” or “water quality report.” California systems serving 100,000 or more people must post the current report online (22 CCR 64483(f)).
Call your water system and ask for a copy. Systems must provide it on request.
Use the U.S. EPA’s Find Your Consumer Confidence Report tool. The State Water Board notes that many California CCRs are on the EPA website.
Not sure who your water supplier is? The State Water Board’s CCR page links to a Drinking Water Supply Service Area Lookup Tool and to the Drinking Water Watch database of public water systems.

For water systems

If you prepare a CCR rather than read one, see our utility guide to Consumer Confidence Report preparation in California. It covers required contents, delivery, certification, and the eAR. Exodus Water Services prepares annual CCRs in DDW-compliant format, ready to distribute and certify, as part of our compliance program management. Call (805) 991-7333 or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Consumer Confidence Report? An annual water quality report from your water system. It lists the contaminants detected during the previous calendar year, compares them to state and federal standards, and reports any violations.

When do water systems send the CCR? By July 1 each year. Under federal revisions that take effect January 1, 2027, systems serving 10,000 or more people must also send a second report by December 31.

What is the difference between an MCL and a PHG? The MCL is the enforceable legal limit for a contaminant. The PHG is a health goal set by the California Environmental Protection Agency: the level below which there is no known or expected risk to health. PHGs are not enforceable and are often lower than MCLs.

Is my water unsafe if a result is above the PHG? A result above the PHG but at or below the MCL meets the drinking water standard. Check the violation column and the violations section, and contact your water system with health questions.

Why does the table show a range? The range shows the lowest and highest individual results. Compliance for many contaminants is based on an average, so one high result in the range is not by itself a violation.

I rent. Will I get a CCR? Water systems must make a good faith effort to reach people who do not receive a bill, such as renters, by posting the report online, in public places, or delivering copies to apartment buildings. You can also request a copy from the water system.

Where can I find my water quality report online? On your water supplier’s website, or through the U.S. EPA’s Find Your Consumer Confidence Report tool. California systems serving 100,000 or more people must post the current report online.

Last reviewed: October 30, 2026.

Sources

U.S. EPA, 40 CFR Part 141, Subpart O, Consumer Confidence Reports: sections 141.151, 141.152, 141.153, and 141.155
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
State Water Board, Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs)
U.S. EPA, Consumer Confidence Reports

How to Read Your Consumer Confidence Report: A Guide for California Residents