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Consumer Confidence Report Rule 2027: What Changes and How to Reach Residents

Fluvio Team·October 8, 2026·7 min read

The Consumer Confidence Report rule 2027 changes are the biggest update to the annual water quality report in years. Starting with the reports due July 1, 2027, every CCR needs a plain summary up front and better lead information. Some communities also need translation help. Larger systems send the report twice a year.

None of this is hard to comply with. Emailing a link to a PDF already counts as delivery.

The harder problem is the one the rule can't fix. Most residents never read the report. And many utilities can't reach residents by email or text at all.

This post covers what changes, who sends twice a year, what electronic delivery really means, and a plan to put every required notice in one channel residents see.

This is not legal advice. Confirm the requirements for your system with your state primacy agency.

What the CCR rule changes in 2027

EPA finalized the Consumer Confidence Report Rule Revisions on May 15, 2024. The new requirements apply starting January 1, 2027. That makes the reports due July 1, 2027 (covering 2026 data) the first ones under the new rule, per EPA's rule crosswalk.

The main CCR rule changes, from the crosswalk and EPA's Q&A:

  • A summary at the top. Each report opens with a short summary. It covers violations, who to contact, and, if you deliver electronically, how to get a paper copy. EPA says it should be plain language and may use infographics.
  • Translation support. Your primacy agency decides if your community has a large share of residents with limited English. If it does, the report must tell them, in their language, where to get a translated copy or help. Systems serving 100,000 or more people must also write a language plan and update it every year.
  • More lead information. The report must say a service line inventory exists and how to see it. If the inventory is online, include the direct link.
  • Websites for bigger systems. Systems serving 50,000 or more people must post the current report online. If you deliver by web link, keep reports online for at least three years.
  • "Please share" language. The summary must ask readers to pass the report to people who didn't get it, like renters, nursing homes, schools, and businesses.

States had until May 25, 2026 to adopt the revised rule, per the same crosswalk. Some states add their own requirements on top. That's why the primacy agency check matters.

Who has to send the CCR twice a year

Community water systems serving 10,000 or more people must send the report twice each calendar year. The first goes out by July 1. The second goes out by December 31.

The second report isn't always new content. You add a "6-month update" if, between January 1 and June 30, you had a violation, a lead action level exceedance, or new unregulated contaminant results. If not, you send the first report again, so more people see it.

Systems serving fewer than 10,000 people stay on the once-a-year schedule.

One thing to check: the threshold counts people served, not connections. A utility with 4,000 connections may serve more than 10,000 people.

What electronic delivery means (and doesn't)

The rule lists the delivery methods. You must use at least one:

  • Mail or hand-deliver a paper copy.
  • Mail a notice that the report is online, with a direct link.
  • Email a direct link or an electronic copy.
  • Use another direct method your primacy agency approves in writing.

If you deliver electronically, you must give a paper copy to anyone who asks. The notice has to say how to ask. If you link to a website, the report must be live when the notice goes out. The link must be easy to see, with a short note on what it is.

Texting needs a careful note. A text with a link is not one of the standard methods. It counts as direct delivery only if your primacy agency approves it in writing. EPA does list opt-in email and text alerts as a "good faith" way to reach people who don't get a water bill, like renters.

So here's the honest version. If you already email customers a link to your CCR, your delivery method is likely covered. The rule does not require a portal, an app, or new software.

The real problem: you can't reach most residents

Compliance is the floor. The point of the CCR is that people read it. That's hard when:

  • You have email addresses for only some accounts, and the phone numbers on file may be landlines.
  • Renters pay through a landlord and never see a bill.
  • Lead line letters, boil-water notices, and leak warnings each go out a different way: door hangers, postcards, a Facebook post, a phone tree.

Under EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), systems must send an annual notice to people served by lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or unknown service lines, per EPA's LCRI fact sheet. The LCRI compliance date is November 1, 2027.

A caveat on LCRI. The American Water Works Association has challenged parts of the rule in federal court. EPA has signaled it will defend the rule, and a ruling is pending. Plan for the notices, but watch the case and your state's guidance.

Add it up and you owe residents several required messages a year, plus urgent ones like boil-water notices. Each is a reason to fix your contact list now.

A practical plan: one channel for every required message

1. Build the contact list first

Collect email, mobile number, and language preference everywhere you can: new service, paperless billing, portal sign-up, phone calls. For tactics that work, see how to drive portal sign-ups.

2. Get a clear opt-in for texts

Ask residents once, in plain words, if they want texts from the utility. Keep a record of the answer. A resident who opts in for leak alerts can get the CCR link and emergency notices in the same thread.

3. Send every notice from the same place

Use one sender name, one text number, and one email address. Send the CCR link in July and December. Send lead line notices to the affected addresses. Send boil-water notices to everyone in the affected area. Send leak and high-use alerts to individual accounts.

4. Lead with leak alerts

Residents ignore compliance mail. They don't ignore "We've seen water running at your home nonstop since 2 a.m." Useful, personal alerts are what get people to sign up. Then the CCR rides the same channel. See our leak alert setup guide.

5. Keep paper for those who need it

Electronic delivery means a paper copy on request. EPA also says systems with many bill-paying customers who lack electronic access should use at least one non-electronic method. Track who asked, and mail them.

6. Plan for Spanish

If your primacy agency flags a large limited-English population, your report needs translation help. That's easier when your notices already go out in English and Spanish.

Where Fluvio fits

Fluvio Resident is a resident portal that works with the billing system you already run. No billing system replacement.

Residents see their usage and get leak and high-use alerts. The utility sends notices by email and text, in English and Spanish. Residents can text the utility's number with questions ("Text the Town"), with no app needed. Fluvio AI adds a 24/7 AI phone line and SMS.

For the CCR, the list that gets leak alerts can also get the CCR link in July and December. The same list carries lead line notices and boil-water notices. You still write the CCR and confirm your delivery method with your state.

Fluvio is built by DB Utility, a water meter installation company, so it often goes in with a meter replacement project. If you're funding one, read how to fund a resident portal with meter and AMI grants. Pricing is published per meter per year on our pricing page.

Conclusion

The Consumer Confidence Report rule 2027 changes are manageable. You need a summary up front, translation help where your state says so, better lead information, and a second report each year if you serve 10,000 or more people. Emailing a link already meets the delivery requirement.

The bigger opportunity is reaching residents at all. Build one channel residents trust, and use it for the CCR, lead line notices, boil-water notices, and leak alerts. Start on the contact list this year, so you're ready before July 1, 2027.

Fluvio is work order, resident portal, and water-loss software for small and mid-size water utilities, built by DB Utility, a water meter installation company. Unlimited users, no Esri license required, live in weeks. Book a walkthrough at getfluvio.com →