Water Records Help Center
Understanding Your Utility's Official Records
Practical answers to common questions about what official water monitoring records show, what they don't show, and what to do next.
10 help articles across 5 topics
Understanding Water Records
What official records mean and how to read them correctly.
What to Do After Reading Your Utility's Water Records
After reviewing a utility's records on Water Utility Report, the most useful next step is to check which record types are present, verify the official source, and decide whether household-specific testing makes sense.
Boil-Water Advisory vs. Water Quality Violation: What's the Difference
A boil-water advisory is a local emergency notice issued by a utility or health agency. A water quality violation is a regulatory compliance record in federal databases. These are different record types and are not always correlated.
PFAS and Sampling Records
PFAS detections, UCMR 5 monitoring, and what sampling records show.
PFAS Detection in Water Records: What It Means and What to Check Next
A PFAS detection in official monitoring records means a compound was measured above the minimum reporting level at a utility sampling point. It is not automatically a regulatory violation.
No PFAS Record Found: What That Means for Your Utility
No PFAS record found on Water Utility Report means no PFAS sampling data appeared in the federal datasets Water Utility Report aggregates for this system. It does not mean PFAS is absent from the water supply.
Violations and Reporting Records
The difference between health-based violations and monitoring/reporting records.
What a Monitoring or Reporting Violation Record Means
A monitoring or reporting violation in official records means a utility failed to collect, analyze, or report required samples on schedule — not that a contaminant exceeded a health-based limit.
What a Health-Based Violation Record Means
A health-based violation record in official databases means a utility was officially found to have exceeded a regulatory Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or treatment technique requirement during the recorded period.
Testing and Household Next Steps
When and how to test your own water, and what to look for.
What to Test for After Reviewing Your Utility's Records
Whether to test your water and what to test for depends on your water source, your utility's records, and your household situation. Utility records are a starting point — they describe sampling at official monitoring points, not at every tap.
Private Well vs. Public Water Records: What Applies to You
Public water utility records on Water Utility Report apply to public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. If your household uses a private well, those records do not describe your water supply.
Utility Contact and Source Verification
How to find your utility, request records, and verify source data.
How to Contact Your Water Utility About Official Records
Your water utility is the authoritative source for current records, service area information, and recent notices. Most utilities respond to direct inquiries about Consumer Confidence Reports, PWSID, and current compliance status.
Consumer Confidence Report Not Found: What to Do
If no Consumer Confidence Report link appears on a utility's page, it does not mean the utility has not published one. CCR links may be missing from Water Utility Report's records due to data lag, format differences, or utilities publishing outside EPA-tracked systems.
Important
Water Utility Report summarizes official records and source data. It does not determine whether water is safe to drink. For current guidance, check your utility, state drinking water agency, local health department, or a certified laboratory. Full disclaimer