Reading reports · Utah Water Quality

How to read your water-quality report.

Confirm the provider, check the testing dates, and read each result alongside its unit and compliance explanation.

Start with the system on your water bill

A Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) describes one community water system. Match its name and public water system ID (PWSID) with your bill. Your city or ZIP can include several providers. Utah DEQ recommends requesting the report from your supplier.

Use our address lookup or city directory to narrow the possibilities, then confirm the provider before relying on its results.

Check the report year and the sample dates

EPA requires community systems to deliver an annual report by July 1. An annual summary is not a live tap reading. Read the sampling period beside each result; some substances are monitored less frequently. For an issue happening now, check the utility’s current notices.

Read the detected value and the limit together

A detection alone does not establish a violation. Read the result, unit, applicable standard, and violation column together. CDC’s report guide explains the information a CCR contains.

Common labels in drinking-water reports
Label	Meaning
MCL	Maximum Contaminant Level: an enforceable limit for public water systems.
MCLG	Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: a non-enforceable health goal.
TT	Treatment Technique: a required treatment process.
AL	Action Level: a level that triggers specified system actions under the applicable rule.
ND	Not detected at the test’s reporting level; it does not prove absolute absence.

Keep the compliance calculation in view

EPA’s drinking-water standards use different limits and treatment requirements. A range, an average, and a single high result can mean different things. Keep the units together and read the report’s notes before interpreting a comparison.

Lead can enter water through service lines or household plumbing. A system-level result cannot describe every faucet. If that is your concern, follow EPA’s lead guidance and ask about a properly collected home sample.

Choose a next step that answers your question

Missing report or unclear violation? Contact the provider named in the report.
Question about your own tap? Read when and how to test.
Considering treatment? Match the treatment to the measured concern.
Using a private well? Start with the Utah private-well testing guide.

Official sources

Report years and sample dates may differ from the review date of this guide. Follow the issuing utility or health authority for an active advisory.