§ 141.202 - Tier 1 Public Notice—Form, manner, and frequency of notice.

§ 141.202 Tier 1 Public Notice—Form, manner, and frequency of notice.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 86663, Oct. 30, 2024.

(a) Which violations or situations require a Tier 1 public notice? Table 1 of this section lists the violation categories and other situations requiring a Tier 1 public notice. Appendix A to this subpart identifies the tier assignment for each specific violation or situation.

(1) Violation of the MCL for total coliforms when fecal coliform or E. coli are present in the water distribution system (as specified in § 141.63(b)), or when the water system fails to test for fecal coliforms or E. coli when any repeat sample tests positive for coliform (as specified in § 141.21(e)); Violation of the MCL for E. coli (as specified in § 141.63(c));

(2) Violation of the MCL for nitrate, nitrite, or total nitrate and nitrite, as defined in § 141.62, or when the water system fails to take a confirmation sample within 24 hours of the system's receipt of the first sample showing an exceedance of the nitrate or nitrite MCL, as specified in § 141.23(f)(2);

(3) Exceedance of the nitrate MCL by non-community water systems, where permitted to exceed the MCL by the primacy agency under § 141.11(d), as required under § 141.209;

(4) Violation of the MRDL for chlorine dioxide, as defined in § 141.65(a), when one or more samples taken in the distribution system the day following an exceedance of the MRDL at the entrance of the distribution system exceed the MRDL, or when the water system does not take the required samples in the distribution system, as specified in § 141.133(c)(2)(i);

(5) Violation of the turbidity MCL under § 141.13(b), where the primacy agency determines after consultation that a Tier 1 notice is required or where consultation does not take place within 24 hours after the system learns of the violation;

(6) Violation of the Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR), Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (IESWTR) or Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT1ESWTR) treatment technique requirement resulting from a single exceedance of the maximum allowable turbidity limit (as identified in appendix A), where the primacy agency determines after consultation that a Tier 1 notice is required or where consultation does not take place within 24 hours after the system learns of the violation;

(7) Occurrence of a waterborne disease outbreak, as defined in § 141.2, or other waterborne emergency (such as a failure or significant interruption in key water treatment processes, a natural disaster that disrupts the water supply or distribution system, or a chemical spill or unexpected loading of possible pathogens into the source water that significantly increases the potential for drinking water contamination);

(8) Detection of E. coli, enterococci, or coliphage in source water samples as specified in § 141.402(a) and § 141.402(b);

(9) Other violations or situations with significant potential to have serious adverse effects on human health as a result of short-term exposure, as determined by the primacy agency either in its regulations or on a case-by-case basis.

(10) Exceedance of the Action Level for lead as specified in § 141.80(c).

(b) When is the Tier 1 public notice to be provided? What additional steps are required? Public water systems must:

(1) Provide a public notice as soon as practical but no later than 24 hours after the system learns of the violation;

(2) Initiate consultation with the primacy agency as soon as practical, but no later than 24 hours after the public water system learns of the violation or situation, to determine additional public notice requirements; and

(3) Comply with any additional public notification requirements (including any repeat notices or direction on the duration of the posted notices) that are established as a result of the consultation with the primacy agency. Such requirements may include the timing, form, manner, frequency, and content of repeat notices (if any) and other actions designed to reach all persons served.

(c) What is the form and manner of the public notice? Public water systems must provide the notice within 24 hours in a form and manner reasonably calculated to reach all persons served. The form and manner used by the public water system are to fit the specific situation, but must be designed to reach residential, transient, and non-transient users of the water system. In order to reach all persons served, water systems are to use, at a minimum, one or more of the following forms of delivery:

(1) Appropriate broadcast media (such as radio and television);

(2) Posting of the notice in conspicuous locations throughout the area served by the water system;

(3) Hand delivery of the notice to persons served by the water system; or

(4) Another delivery method approved in writing by the primacy agency.

[65 FR 26035, May 4, 2000, as amended at 67 FR 1836, Jan. 14, 2002; 71 FR 65652, Nov. 8, 2006; 78 FR 10350, Feb. 13, 2013; 86 FR 4309, Jan. 15, 2021]