(a) This subpart establishes the minimum requirements for the content of annual reports that community water systems must deliver to their customers. These reports must contain information on the quality of the water delivered by the systems and characterize the risks (if any) from exposure to contaminants detected in the drinking water in an accurate and understandable manner.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of §141.3, this subpart applies only to community water systems.

(c) For the purpose of this subpart, customers are defined as billing units or service connections to which water is delivered by a community water system.

(d) For the purpose of this subpart, detected means: at or above the levels prescribed by §141.23(a)(4) for inorganic contaminants, at or above the levels prescribed by §141.24(f)(7) for the contaminants listed in §141.61(a), at or above the levels prescribed by §141.24(h)(18) for the contaminants listed in §141.61(c), at or above the levels prescribed by §141.131(b)(2)(iv) for the contaminants or contaminant groups listed in §141.64, and at or above the levels prescribed by §141.25(c) for radioactive contaminants.

(e) A State that has primary enforcement responsibility may adopt by rule, after notice and comment, alternative requirements for the form and content of the reports. The alternative requirements must provide the same type and amount of information as required by §§141.153 and 141.154, and must be designed to achieve an equivalent level of public information and education as would be achieved under this subpart.

(f) For purpose of §§141.154 and 141.155 of this subpart, the term “primacy agency” refers to the State or tribal government entity that has jurisdiction over, and primary enforcement responsibility for, public water systems, even if that government does not have interim or final primary enforcement responsibility for this rule. Where the State or tribe does not have primary enforcement responsibility for public water systems, the term “primacy agency” refers to the appropriate EPA regional office.

[63 FR 44526, Aug. 19, 1998, as amended at 71 FR 483, Jan. 4, 2006]