Community Public Water Supply
Public Notification Information for Community Public Water Suppliers
Public notification ensures that consumers will know if there is a problem with their drinking water. These notices alert consumers if there is risk to public health. Some types of public notification are required under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Learn more at Public Notification Rule.
The documents below are intended to be helpful, but water systems should contact their district engineers in these situations. The engineers can provide additional templates and assistance.
Reaching All Customers
Community public water system (CPWS) customers with limited English proficiency should understand what actions to take during a drinking water advisory to protect their health. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Public Notification Rule requires CPWSs serving a large proportion of non-English speaking consumers to include in their notices, in the appropriate languages, information on the importance of the notice or a telephone number or address where persons served may contact the water system to obtain a translated copy of the notice or to request assistance in the appropriate languages. EPA encourages water systems to go beyond the minimum multilingual requirements in this rule, particularly for Tier 1 notice situations, and provide a fully translated copy of the notice on request or offer telephone assistance in the appropriate language. The Minnesota Department of Health recommends translation if a group with limited English proficiency has more than 1,000 members or makes up more than five to 10 percent of the target population. Contact your District Engineer for additional information.
Tier 1 Notification
Tier 1 notification is required to be issued as soon as practical but no later than 24 hours after the PWS learns of the violation or situation.
- Instructions for Tier 1 Public Notice (PDF)
- Delivery of Public Notice Certification (Word)
- Nitrate Public Notice Template (Word)
- E. coli Public Notice Template (Word)
Additional Notification Documents
- Boil Water Advisory due to Pressure Loss Template (Word)
- Notice of Chlorination Template (Word)
- Notice of Drinking Water Issue Corrected Template (Word)
Additional Resources
- Guidance for Responding to Water Main Breaks or Pressure Loss Events (PDF)
- Pressure Loss at Non-Municipal Community Public Water Systems (PDF)
- For community public water systems to notify customers of temporary water quality changes during construction projects or process changes.
- Community Drinking Water Advisories: Guidance for the General Public, Businesses, and Institutions (PDF)
- Information about public education related to lead and copper in drinking water: Lead and Copper Public Education
