Drinking Water_Content Page_Instructions for creating and customizing a Consumer Confidence Report using DNR’s CCR generator

Instructions for creating and customizing a Consumer Confidence Report using DNR’s CCR generator

Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) are required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The CCR must be prepared and distributed by all Community Water Systems in order to provide information concerning water quality for the previous monitoring year. The report identifies detected contaminants, compliance with drinking water rules, and educational language, and is based on information reported to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). While it is not required that you use DNR’s generator, using it will help to ensure that you have a CCR that complies with the CCR Rule by providing data already reported to us as well as required health effects and educational language required by EPA. You can save the report created by the generator and modify it if you wish to present it in a different format.

Steps to Create a Consumer Confidence Report

Each year on March 1, you can begin using the generator for compiling data from the previous year to be used in your annual CCR. While you will still be able to access the generator prior to March 1, you will only be able to look at data that may have been included in previous years’ CCR’s.

A Consumer Confidence Report and Certification form must be prepared and distributed to water consumers and the DNR by July 1 of each year.

Example: The year shown on the CCR is for the monitoring year. Therefore, a 2013 CCR is due by July 1, 2014, and covers the monitoring year 2013.

What is required?

What else is recommended?

  1. Water Supply system owners and operators are strongly encouraged to thoroughly review all information generated by this program.
  2. If you find errors or believe information to be incomplete, contact your Regional DNR Representative prior to including these tables in your CCR.
  3. For any MCLs, consider attaching a copy of the Public Notice to the CCR or using the same explanation you used in the Public Notice.

To access the DNR’s Public Water System Consumer Confidence Report Generation tool

  1. Go to our CCR Report Generation page
  2. Read the information at the top for an understanding of how the data is to be used. Also read the “Note” in the lower box in order to be prepared to complete the CCR generation. Note that you will need to complete all information in one session, so have your additional information specified in the "Note" area handy.
  3. Enter either the PWS ID or a portion of the PWS Name and click the “Find” button.
  4. Select your system.
  5. Provide information as indicated and use the buttons to move to additional screens. When you're finished providing data, use the buttons to get the CCR Document and the CCR Certification.

The information displayed on subsequent screens is created from data submitted to the Wisconsin DNR and maintained in our data system. It also includes general health and educational information that must be a part of every CCR. However, the DNR does not maintain all of the system information that is required to be in every CCR, so each water system can customize their report to include the additional required information. The CCR can then be saved to a Microsoft Word document, where you may do any final editing, save, and print out a final copy of your report.

Customizing your Consumer Confidence Report

You will need to provide additional information in order to prepare a complete CCR. DNR does not capture and store in its database all of the information required in a report (e.g., opportunities for public participation in decisions that may affect the quality of the water, specific steps your water system has taken to correct violations, etc.). You will be given the opportunity to add this information, so be sure to check the instructions for the generator and make sure you have all information on hand in order to complete the CCR in one session. IMPORTANT: Once you close your Internet browser, you will need to start over if you have not completed all of the information required to generate a CCR.

Saving/editing your Consumer Confidence Report

After viewing the data provided by our database and providing information we don’t maintain, you can produce a Microsoft Word file of the CCR. Save it to your computer, because the document will not be automatically stored anywhere. You may add additional information to the CCR, but you should not remove any that initially appears in the CCR, without first talking with your DNR Representative.

Certifying your Consumer Confidence Report

You are required to sign a certification form indicating when and how you distributed the CCR. This form will also help you determine appropriate methods for distributing the CCR to your water consumers, and you need to indicate on the form which method(s) you used. The certification form is available in the generator. Complete the certification form, sign it, and return it to your Regional DNR Representative shown on the top of the certification form, along with a copy of your completed CCR by July 1 of each year.

Questions?

Please contact your Department of Natural Resources Regional representative to help answer any questions you may have concerning your Consumer Confidence reporting requirements.

EPA resources