If you are on a public water system in the United States, your utility must publish a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) — often called a water quality report — every year. This guide explains what a CCR is, how to find yours, how to read MCL vs MCLG numbers, what common contaminants mean, and which NSF/ANSI filter standards map to which reduction claims. It does not recommend a specific Amazon product.
Start with these FWW hubs: What’s in your water? Start here · PFAS in drinking water · Best water filter pitchers · Best under-sink RO systems
What a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, community water systems must deliver a CCR to customers by July 1 each year. The report summarizes where your water comes from, which regulated contaminants were detected, whether the system met EPA health standards, and educational notes on topics such as lead, nitrate, arsenic, and Cryptosporidium when relevant. Source: U.S. EPA — Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) and CCR information for consumers.
Where to find yours
- Check mail, email, or your utility’s website — many systems post the latest CCR online.
- Call your water utility’s customer service number (often on your water bill).
- Use EPA’s consumer CCR tools linked from epa.gov/ccr (“Find Your Consumer Confidence Report” / CCR search). Coverage varies; EPA notes it does not keep every local CCR on file, so the utility is still the source of truth.
MCL vs MCLG (and why both appear)
- MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) — the highest level of a contaminant EPA allows in drinking water delivered by public systems. MCLs are enforceable standards.
- MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal) — a non-enforceable health goal. EPA sets MCLGs at levels where no known or expected adverse health effects occur, with a margin of safety. For some carcinogens the MCLG is zero even when the MCL is higher, because of treatment and measurement limits.
On a CCR, compare the “detected level” (or range) to the MCL. A detection below the MCL can still matter for personal choice (for example taste, or wanting a filter certified for that contaminant), but it is not by itself a violation.
Common EPA numbers (check your CCR footnotes)
These are the national figures most readers look up. Always confirm against your utility’s CCR and current EPA tables — units and footnotes matter.
| Contaminant | EPA figure (plain language) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrate (as Nitrogen) | MCL 10 mg/L | NPDWR primary standard. |
| Arsenic | MCL 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) | NPDWR primary standard. |
| TTHM (total trihalomethanes) | MCL 0.080 mg/L (80 ppb) | Disinfection byproduct; NPDWR. |
| HAA5 (haloacetic acids) | MCL 0.060 mg/L (60 ppb) | Disinfection byproduct; NPDWR. |
| Fluoride | MCL 4.0 mg/L; SMCL 2.0 mg/L | MCL is the enforceable health standard; SMCL is a secondary (nuisance) standard. |
| Lead | Action level 0.015 mg/L (15 ppb) now; revised action level 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) under LCRI with compliance date 1 Nov 2027 | Lead uses an action level / treatment technique, not a simple MCL row like nitrate. |
| PFOA / PFOS | MCL 4.0 ppt each (Apr 2024) | May 2025 EPA path forward: keep PFOA/PFOS MCLs and extend compliance toward ~2031; other PFAS MCLs under reconsideration. |
Sources: EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations; Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI); EPA secondary standards (SMCL); EPA PFAS drinking-water rules.
Common contaminants and what they usually mean
Exact health language belongs on the EPA contaminant pages and your CCR’s footnotes. In plain terms:
- Lead — usually from corrosion of household plumbing and service lines, not from the treatment plant itself. CCRs include educational language about lead. Action levels and sampling rules differ from a simple MCL table row (see numbers above).
- Chlorine / chloramine — disinfectants used to keep water microbiologically safe in the distribution system. They often drive taste and odor complaints.
- Nitrate / nitrite — linked to fertilizer and septic influences; sensitive for infants (blue baby syndrome risk notes appear when levels warrant).
- Arsenic — can be natural in groundwater or from industrial sources; long-term health concern at elevated levels.
- PFAS (“forever chemicals”) — some systems now report PFOA, PFOS and related compounds as monitoring expands under newer federal rules (4.0 ppt MCL for PFOA and PFOS; compliance timeline extending toward ~2031 per EPA’s May 2025 path forward). See FWW’s PFAS hub for how to read those claims.
- TTHMs / HAA5 — disinfection byproducts formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter.
- Coliform / E. coli — microbial indicators; a CCR violation note here is a signal to follow utility boil-water or corrective guidance, not to “fix” microbes with a pitcher.
Well owners (no CCR)
Private wells are not required to issue a CCR. If you are on a private well, treat lab testing as your “report.” Use a state-certified drinking-water laboratory (your state health or environmental agency publishes certified-lab lists). Test at least for bacteria, nitrate, and locally common metals; add PFAS, arsenic, or radon where regional risk is high. Filters do not replace a sanitary well and proper disinfection when bacteria are present.
Which NSF/ANSI standard covers which reduction claim?
Certification is claim-specific: a filter “certified to NSF/ANSI 53” is only proven for the contaminants listed on its certification — not every contaminant in the standard. Always open the NSF, WQA, or IAPMO listing for the exact model. Look up listings in the NSF Drinking Water Treatment Unit listings; NSF materials also describe how PFAS claims moved from protocol P473 into NSF/ANSI 53 and 58.
| Contaminant / concern (examples) | Typical NSF/ANSI standard for reduction claims | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorine taste & odor, particulates (aesthetic) | NSF/ANSI 42 | Aesthetic effects — not a health-effects standard by itself. |
| Lead, mercury, cysts (Crypto/Giardia), many VOCs, some pesticides; Total PFAS / PFOA-PFOS claims (carbon/AEX devices) | NSF/ANSI 53 | Health effects. PFAS claims were incorporated into 53 (P473 retired as a standalone consumer claim path). |
| Reverse osmosis systems (TDS required; optional metals, fluoride, nitrate, PFOA/PFOS, etc.) | NSF/ANSI 58 | RO-specific. Check the listing for each optional claim. |
| Emerging / incidental compounds (e.g. some pharmaceuticals, BPA, DEET, microplastics as listed) | NSF/ANSI 401 | Up to a defined set of emerging compounds — not a catch-all. |
| Historical PFOA/PFOS protocol | NSF P473 (legacy) | Methods folded into NSF/ANSI 53 (POU carbon/AEX) and 58 (RO). Prefer current 53/58 listings. |
| Softening (hardness / ion exchange) | NSF/ANSI 44 | Water softeners — different from drinking-water “filter” standards 42/53/58. |
| Ultraviolet (UV) microbiological treatment | NSF/ANSI 55 | UV systems — Class A vs Class B matter; not a chemical-reduction standard. |
| Shower filtration (aesthetic free available chlorine claims) | NSF/ANSI 177 | Shower filters — typically aesthetic claims for free available chlorine; check the exact listing. |
How to turn a CCR into a filter shortlist
- Highlight contaminants that are detected or that your household cares about (lead service line notice, PFAS, chlorine taste, hardness is often separate from the CCR).
- Match each concern to a standard in the table above.
- Open certification listings for candidate pitchers, faucet filters, or RO systems and confirm the exact claim — then use FWW roundups for research-based comparisons: pitchers, under-sink RO, and the PFAS hub.
Disclaimer
This page is educational research by Ree Fonteyn for Filtered Water Wise. It is not medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Always verify figures on your utility’s CCR and on current certifier listings. No Amazon product links appear on this page.
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