The Public Notification Rule (PN) is part of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The rule ensures that consumers will know if there is a problem with their drinking water. These notices alert consumers if there is risk to public health. They also notify customers:
In 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the existing Public Notification Rule. The revisions matched the form, manner, and timing of the notices to the relative risk to human health. The revised rule makes notification easier and more effective for both water systems and their customers.
The Public Notification Rule (PN) was revised in 2000. The revision requires faster notice in emergencies and fewer notices overall. The revised notices provide better communication of potential health risks from drinking water violations. The revised notices also include information on how to avoid risks.
Water systems are able to better target notices to the seriousness of the risk. This makes the existing notification process less burdensome for water systems. The revised notices are also easier for consumers to read and understand.
Each time a new drinking water regulation is promulgated the PN Rule is updated to reflect the requirements for each regulation.
This page provides information about the PN rule for primacy agencies and drinking water system owners and operators.
Public water systems must notify their customers when:
Water systems test regularly for approximately 90 contaminants. The monitoring ensures identification of regulated contaminants at levels which may pose a risk to human health.
Unfortunately, water quality can sometimes change. Despite the efforts of water suppliers, problems with drinking water can and do occur. When problems arise, consumers have a right to know what happened and what they need to do. The public notice requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act require water suppliers to provide this notice.
EPA sets strict requirements on the form, manner, content, and frequency of public notices.
There are 10 required elements in a public notice. Notices must contain:
Public Notice: Notification Tiers
EPA specifies three categories, or tiers, of public notification. The delivery timeframe of PN depends on what tier a violation or situation falls into. Each tier has different required methods to deliver the notice depending on water system type. The following table summarizes the differences between PN Tiers:
Tier 1
Any time a situation occurs where there is the potential for human health to be immediately impacted, water suppliers have 24 hours to notify people who may drink the water about the situation.
Water suppliers must use media outlets such as television, radio, and newspapers, post their notice in public places, personally deliver a notice to their customers, or an alternative method approved by the primacy agency.
Tier 2
(Notice as soon as possible)
Any time a water system provides water with levels of a contaminant that exceed EPA or state standards or that hasn't been treated properly, but that doesn't pose an immediate risk to human health, the water system must notify its customers as soon as possible, but within 30 days of the violation.
Notice may be provided via the media, posting, or through the mail.
Tier 3
When water systems violate a drinking water standard that does not have a direct impact on human health (for example, failing to take a required sample on time) the water supplier has up to a year to provide a notice of this situation to its customers.
Tier 3 PN must be delivered the same way as Tier 2 PN. The extra time gives water suppliers the opportunity to consolidate these notices and send them with Annual Water Quality Reports (Consumer Confidence Reports).