Effective May 6, 2002, Public Water Systems must comply with the revised Public Notification Regulations ( 40 CFR 141, Subchapter Q ). This revision requires that notices must be sent within 24 hours, 30 days or one year depending upon the tier in which the violation is assigned. The "time-clock" for notification starts when the public water system learns of the violation or the violation awareness date.

¹MCL: maximum contaminant level   

²MRDL: maximum residual disinfectant level

³SMCL: secondary maximum contaminant level

Notice requirements are outlined in all violation letters.  An example notice and a public notification certification form are also included with the letters.

Where the PWS serves 30 percent or more non-English speaking customers, the system must provide information in the appropriate language(s) on the importance of the notice or on how to get assistance or a translated copy.

PWSs that sell or otherwise provide drinking water to other public water systems are required to give public notice to the owner or operator of the purchasing system.  The purchasing system is responsible for providing public notification to the persons it serves.  Notices must be provided to all persons served (not just billing customers.)

Systems have 10 days after completing the initial public notification to send the Public Notification Certification Form and a copy of the completed notice to the: Public Notification Rule Manager, Compliance Services Branch, 1634 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1634.

Contact the Public Notification Rule Manager for more information

Public Notification Certification Form [MS Word ] [PDF]

The following templates contain the ten elements (see the check list on the Public Notification Certification Form) required by the Revised Public Notification Rule.  If you alter the format of the template in any way, you are still required to include all ten elements which includes the mandatory language shown in bold italics on each notice template.   A separate certification form must be submitted if the system does not use the preformatted notice/certification forms provided.

ABBREVIATIONS USED: 

MCL:  maximum contaminant level violation 

MRDL:  maximum residual disinfectant level 

CWS: community water system  
M/R: monitoring/reporting violation
OCCT:  optimal corrosion control treatment
NC: non-community water system

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Tier 3 Monitoring and Reporting Notice/Certification Form
generic for ALL contaminant groups except for those listed below
Word                    PDF

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Webmaster's Note:  Notices listed below in red print are not available on-line at this time.

CONTAMINANT     

FORMAT

FORMAT

Asbestos:

            Asbestos MCL

Bacteriological:

Bacteriological Monitoring and Reporting

Total Coliform MCL

Fecal/E. Coli MCL

Fecal/E. Coli MCL (Spanish version for posting only)

Disinfection Byproducts:

            Bromate/Bromide MCL

Chloramines MRDL                

Chlorine Dioxide MRDL (Tier 1 Violation)

Chlorine Dioxide MRDL (Tier 2 Violation)

Chlorine MRDL Violation 

Chlorine/Chloramines (Disinfection Byproducts) Monitoring  and Reporting

Chlorite MCL Violation 

Haloacetic Acid (HAA5) MCL  (Single Sample)  

Haloacetic Acid (HAA5) MCL  (Running Annual Average)  

Total Organic Carbon (TOC) MCL (Running Annual Average)

Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Monitoring and Reporting

Total Trihalomethane (TTHM) MCL (Single Sample)

Total Trihalomethane (TTHM) MCL (Running Annual Average)

Inorganic:

Antimony MCL

Arsenic MCL   

Barium MCL    

Beryllium MCL 

Cadmium MCL

Chromium MCL   

Cyanide MCL  

            Fluoride MCL  

            Fluoride SMCL (Tier 3)  

Mercury MCL  

Selenium MCL 

Thallium MCL  

Lead and Copper:

Failure to Submit OCCT Recommendation for:

Copper

Lead

Lead & Copper

Lead & Copper (with past exceedance)

Lead Public Education Failure 

Nitrate/Nitrite:

       Nitrate MCL    

           Nitrate MCL  (Spanish version for posting only)

       Nitrite MCL    

Radionuclides:

Combined Radium (Radium 226 & Radium 228) MCL

Gross Alpha MCL      

Gross Beta MCL

Uranium MCL 

Surface Water Treatment Rules:

Failure to Meet Treatment  Technique Requirements for Disinfectant  Contact Times

Failure to Meet Treatment  Technique Requirements for Disinfectant Residual Levels

Treatment Techniques (Other):

Acrylamide MCL 

Epichlorohydrin MCL    

Turbidity (Effective January 1, 2005):

95% Exceedance Turbidity MCL  

Turbidity MCL (single sample) - Tier 2 Violation 

Turbidity MCL (single sample) - Tier 1 Violation

Turbidity Exceedance of both 95% and Single

           Sample MCL - Tier 1 Violation

Synthetic Organic Chemicals (SOCs):

2,4,5-TP (Silvex) MCL   

2,4-D MCL     

Alachlor MCL 

Atrazine MCL   

Benzo(a)pyrene MCL  

Carbofuran MCL 

Chlordane MCL

Dalapon MCL   

Dibromochloropropane (DBCP) MCL 

Di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate MCL 

Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate MCL 

Dinoseb MCL  

Endrin MCL 

Ethylene Dibromide (EDB) MCL 

Heptachlor Epoxide MCL 

Heptachlor MCL  

Hexachlorobenzene MCL 

Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MCL 

Lindane MCL   

Methoxychlor MCL  

Oxamyl(vydate) MCL 

PCB's MCL     

Pentachlorophenol MCL 

Picloram MCL 

Simazine MCL 

Toxaphene MCL

Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs):

1,1,1-Trichloroethane MCL  

1,1,2-Trichloroethane MCL 

1,1,-Dichloroethylene MCL

1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MCL

1,2-Dichloroethane MCL

1,2-Dichloropropane MCL

Benzene MCL

Carbon Tetrachloride MCL

Chlorobenzene MCL

Cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MCL

Dichloromethane MCL

Ethylbenzene MCL

o-Dichlorobenzene MCL

p-Dichlorobenzene MCL

Styrene MCL

Tetrachloroethylene MCL

Toluene MCL

Trans-1,2,-Dichloroethylene MCL

Trichloroethylene MCL

Vinyl Chloride MCL

Xylenes (Total) MCL