Section 611.885  Report Delivery and Recordkeeping

a)         Except as provided in subsection (g), each CWS must directly deliver a copy of the report to each customer.

1)         Suppliers must use at a minimum, one of the following forms of delivery:

A)        Mail or hand deliver a paper copy of the report;

B)        Mail a notification that the report is available on a website via a direct link;

C)        Email a direct link or electronic version of the report; or

D)        Another direct delivery method approved in writing by the primacy agency.

2)         Suppliers using electronic delivery methods in subsection (a)(1)(B), (C), or (D) of this section must provide a paper copy of the report to any customer upon request. The notification method must prominently display directions for requesting such copy.

3)         For suppliers that choose to electronically deliver the reports by posting the report to a website and providing a notification either by mail or email:

A)        The report must be publicly available on the website at time notification is made;

B)        Notifications must prominently display the link and include an explanation of the nature of the link; and

C)        Suppliers may use a web page to convey the information required in Sections 611.883, 611.884, and 611.886.

4)         Suppliers that use a publicly available website to provide reports must maintain public access to the report for no less than 3 years.

b)         The CWS must make a good faith effort to reach consumers who do not get water bills, using a means approved by the Agency.  A good faith effort to reach consumers includes a mix of methods to reach the broadest possible range of persons served by the supplier such as but not limited to:  Posting the reports on the internet, mailing reports or postcards with links to the reports to all service addresses or postal customers; using an opt in notification system to send emails or texts with links to the reports to interested consumers; advertising the availability of the report in the news media and on social media; publication in a local newspaper or newsletter; posting a copy of the report or notice of availability with the links or equivalent, such as Quick Response(QR) codes in public places such as cafeterias or lunch rooms of public buildings; delivery of multiple copies for distribution by single-biller customers such as apartment buildings or large private employers; delivery to community organizations; holding a public meeting to educate consumers on the reports.

1)         Where a supplier is aware that it serves a substantial number of non-bill paying consumers, the supplier is encouraged to directly deliver the reports or notices of availability of the reports to service addresses.

2)         Where a supplier is aware of a substantial number of bill-paying consumers without access to electronic forms of the report, the supplier should use at least one non-electronic form of delivery.

c)         No later than 10 days after the date the CWS is required to distribute the report to its customers, each CWS must provide a copy of the report to the Agency, and a certification that the report(s) has/have been distributed to customers, and that the information is correct and consistent with the compliance monitoring data previously submitted to the Agency.

d)         No later than the date the CWS is required to distribute the report to its customers, each CWS must deliver the report to any other agency or clearinghouse identified by the Agency.

e)         Each CWS must make its reports available to the public upon request. Suppliers should make a reasonable effort to provide the reports in an accessible format to anyone who requests an accommodation.

f)         Each CWS serving 50,000 or more persons must post its current year's report to a publicly-accessible site on the internet.

g)         The Governor or their designee or the Tribal Leader where the Tribe has met the eligibility requirements contained in 40 C.F.R. § 142.72 for the purposes of waiving the mailing requirement, can waive the requirement of subsection (a) for CWSs serving fewer than 10,000 persons. In consultation with the tribal government, the USEPA Regional Administrator may waive the requirement of Section 611.855(a) in areas in Indian country where no tribe has been deemed eligible.

1)         The CWS must:

A)        The CWS must publish the report in one or more local newspapers or on one or more local online news sites serving the county in which the CWS is located;

B)        The CWS must inform the customers that the reports will not be mailed, either in the newspapers in which the report is published or by other means approved by the Agency; and

C)        The CWS must make the report available to the public upon request.

2)         Systems serving 500 or fewer persons may forgo the requirements of subsections (g)(1)(A) and (g)(1)(B) if they provide notice that the report is available upon request at least once per year to their customers by mail, door-to-door delivery, or by posting in one or more locations where persons served by the supplier can reasonably be expected to see it.

h)         Any system subject to this Subpart U must keep copies of its consumer confidence report for no less than three years.

i)          Suppliers serving 100,000 or more persons, must develop a plan for providing assistance to consumers with limited English proficiency. The supplier must evaluate the languages spoken by persons with limited English proficiency served by the supplier, and the supplier's anticipated approach to address translation needs. The first plan must be provided to the Agency with the first report in 2027. Plans must be evaluated annually and updated as necessary and reported with the certification required in subsection (c).

j)          Delivery timing and biannual delivery:

1)         Each CWS must distribute reports by July 1 each year. Each report distributed by July 1 must use data collected during, or prior to, the previous calendar year using methods described in subsection (a).

2)         Each CWS serving 10,000 or more persons must distribute the report biannually, or twice per calendar year, by December 31 using methods described in subsection (a).

3)         Suppliers required to comply with subsection (j)(2), with a violation or action level exceedance that occurred between January 1 and June 30 of the current year, or have received monitoring results from required monitoring under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule in 40 C.F.R § 141.40, must include a 6-month update with the second report with the following:

A)        A short description of the nature of the 6-month update and the biannual delivery.

B)        If a supplier receives an MCL, MRDL, or treatment technique violation, the 6-month update must include the applicable contaminant section information in Section 611.883(d)(4), and a readily understandable explanation of the violation including: the length of the violation, the potential adverse health effects, actions taken by the supplier to address the violation, and timeframe the supplier expects to complete those actions. To describe the potential health effects, the supplier must use the relevant language of appendix A to this subpart.

C)        If a supplier receives any other violation, the 6-month update must include the information in Section 611.883(f).

D)        If a supplier exceeded the lead action level following monitoring conducted between January 1 and June 30 of the current year, the supplier must include information identified in Section 611.883(d)(4)(F) and (d)(8).

E)        For suppliers monitoring under 40 C.F.R. § 141.40 that become aware of results for samples collected during the reporting year but were not included in the reports distributed by July 1, the supplier must include information as required by Section 611.883(d)(7).

BOARD NOTE:  Derived from 40 CFR 141.155.

(Source:  Amended at 50 Ill. Reg. 2531, effective February 17, 2026)