United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
TALKING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS ABOUT CHRONIC CONTAMINANTS
IN DRINKING WATER A A
A BEST PRACTICES GUIDE
This fact sheet will help you understand the importance of communicating with the
public about chronic contaminants — both regulated and unregulated. It also describes
effective strategies for getting your message out.
What Are Chronic Contaminants?
Drinking water contaminants that can cause health effects after continuous long-term exposure at
levels greater than the maximum contaminant level (MCL) are considered "chronic" contaminants.
Examples of chronic drinking water contaminants regulated by EPA include inorganic
contaminants like arsenic, cadmium, and copper; organic contaminants such as pesticides and
industrial chemicals; and radiological contaminants like radium and uranium.
In contrast, "acute" contaminants can cause short-term health effects within hours or days
of exposure. Microbes such as E. coli and Cryptosporidium are examples of contaminants
that can cause an acute health risk. Some chronic-type contaminants can also fall in this
category if they are present at high enough concentrations to cause immediate health effects.
For example, nitrate levels over the MCL can cause "blue-baby" syndrome in children less
than 6 months.
What Do My Customers Want To Know About Chronic
Contaminants?
Your customers are likely to wonder:
• What types of chronic contaminants are in my drinking water?
• How do they get into my drinking water?
• Should I be concerned?
• What are the health effects?
• What is EPA's standard for these contaminants?
• What is my drinking water utility doing to reduce or remove these contaminants?
EPA's Web site has extensive information on each regulated contaminant and has several
fact sheets on chronic contaminants that you can print out or order for your customers.
For more information on the contaminants that are currently regulated by EPA, go to the
EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/.
Why Should I Talk To My
Customers About
Chronic Contaminants?
It is important that the public
understands that there are no
immediate health risks from
consuming drinking water
containing a regulated chronic
contaminant at levels below the
MCL. Customers should be
aware that chronic contaminant
levels exceeding the MCL
could cause cancer, liver or
kidney problems, reproductive
difficulties, or other health
effects. In addition, sensitive
groups of people, such as the
young, elderly, pregnant women,
and cancer patients may be
more susceptible to adverse
health effects at any level of
exposure.
Every communication with the
public provides an opportunity to:
• Build the public's trust;
• Develop closer ties to your
community;
• Explain your utility's
commitment to delivering
safe drinking water;
• Prepare the public for future
communication about health
risks; and
• Gain support for investment
in their water system.
How Are Chronic Contaminants Regulated?
drinking water provided by public water systems. TheSDWA, which was amended in 1986 and 1996, directs EPA to establish non-
enforceable health goals called maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs) which reflect the level at which no adverse health effects
are expected from a particular contaminant. Once an MCLG is established, EPA sets enforceable standards for contaminants called
maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). MCLs are set as close to the health goals as possible considering cost, benefits, and the ability
of public water systems to detect and remove contaminants using appropriate treatment technologies. When there is no reliable
rather than an MCL. EPA continues to assess the occurrence of unregulated contaminants through the Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Regulation (UCMR). Information about the UCMR can be found at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ucmr/.
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What Kind of Public
Notification about
Chronic Contaminants
is Required?
EPA published a revised Public
Notification Rule on May 4,
2000 to make it easier and more
effective to communicate with
consumers. Public notification is
required for any of the following
SDWA violations:
• Exceedances of maximum
contaminant levels (MCLs) or
maximum residual disinfectant
levels (MRDLs);
• Violation of treatment
techniques;
• Monitoring and testing
procedure violations; and
• Failure to comply with the
schedule of a variance or
exemption.
Other situations (not violations)
that require public notification
include:
• Operation under a variance or
exemption;
• Occurrence of a waterborne
disease outbreak or other
waterborne emergency;
• Exceedance of the secondary
maximum contaminant level
for fluoride;
• Availability of unregulated
contaminant monitoring
results;
• Exceedance of the nitrate
MCL in non-community
systems that have been
granted permission by the
primacy agency to continue to
exceed the nitrate MCL of 10
mg/l (although they must not
exceed 20 mg/l).
More information on public
notification requirements can be
found at http://www.epa.gov/
safewater/publicnotification/.
How Can I Talk To My Customers?
When proactively engaging the public about chronic contaminants, public water
systems have many options. In addition to providing required annual Consumer
Confidence Reports, other avenues for communication may include:
• Host public meetings;
• Invite the public on facility tours;
• Publish articles in local newspapers;
• Provide interviews on local television and radio
programs;
• Host a Web-based discussion forum;
• Post notices in places groups congregate (grocery
stores, community centers, health clinics, etc.);
• Use bill inserts; and
• Partner with local government officials, healthcare providers, religious institutions,
elder care providers, and other community leaders to share information.
What Are Some Best Practices For Effective Communication
About Chronic Contaminants?
If you expect that your public water system will exceed EPA's standard for a contaminant
or that the costs of compliance may require public funding, communicate early and
often. The most effective communication efforts follow these simple steps:
• Provide simple, straightforward, and consistent messages;
• Describe potential adverse health effects and populations at risk;
• Describe actions you are taking to correct the situation and when you anticipate
it will be resolved;
• Describe actions the consumer can take such as using alternate water supplies
and when to seek medical help;
• Provide links to useful information resources such as EPA's Web site.
• Use graphics, photographs, maps, charts, and drawings to illustrate your
messages;
• Assume that consumers will only read the top half of the notice or what can be
read in ten seconds;
• Display important elements in bold and/or large type in the top half of the
notice;
• Communicate in multiple languages to meet the needs of your non-English
speaking consumers; and
• Include contact information for further information in all communications.
Where Can I Learn More About Chronic Contaminants and
Communication?
To learn more about chronic contaminants, visit EPA's Safe Drinking Water Web
site at http://www.epa.gov/safewater or call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at
1-800-426-4791-
A useful primer on health risk communication can be found at
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/risk/riskprimer/.
Office of Water
www.epa.gov/safewater
EPA816-F-07-022
October 2007
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