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Water Systems Recognized for Excellence in Drinking Water Reporting

Release Date: 01/27/2006
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, 404-562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

(Atlanta, GA – January 27, 2006) The 2005 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Awards were announced today for water systems in the southeast. The awards are given to water systems for excellence in informing citizens about the quality of their drinking water. The award categories are based on system size. The winners are:

Small Surface Water System - Town of Blowing Rock Water System, Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Small Ground Water System - Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority, Beaufort-Jasper, South Carolina
Medium Surface Water System - Simpson County Water District, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Medium Ground Water System - Deltona North Water Treatment Plant, DeLand, Florida
Large Surface Water System - Pinellas County Utilities, Clearwater, Florida
Large Ground Water System - City of Tallahassee, Tallahassee, Florida

The criteria for the awards include: listing the source of drinking water (surface water, groundwater, or a combination); the system’s susceptibility to contamination based on a completed Source Water Assessment (SWA) and information on how to obtain a copy of the SWA; a list of likely sources and potential health effects of detected contaminants; compliance with state and federal standards; water utility phone number and meeting dates; the Safe Drinking Water Act Hotline number; a table with appropriate conversions; and explanations for detected contaminants. Extra points are given for community outreach and education activities.

The CCR rule requires community water systems to provide an annual report to their customers on the quality of their drinking water for the previous calendar year. These reports tell customers the source of their drinking water, drinking water tests performed throughout the year, and how they, as customers, can protect it. The CCR Rule is a result of the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act.