Build a public notice with the right parts.
Pick a tier, fill in your system's details, and get a draft that includes the core required elements a drinking water public notice needs under 40 CFR § 141.205 — ready to finalize with your primacy agency (add your system's business address before you send).
Public notice builder
TIER 1 — DISTRIBUTE WITHIN 24 HOURS (ACUTE RISK) [WATER SYSTEM NAME] 1. WHAT HAPPENED: [describe the violation/situation and the contaminant], on or around [date]. 2. HEALTH EFFECTS: [INSERT the mandatory health-effects language for this contaminant, verbatim, from Appendix B to 40 CFR Part 141, Subpart Q. This language is required and must not be paraphrased.] 3. WHO IS AT RISK: Our customers. [Note any subpopulations at particular risk — e.g., infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.] 4. WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: [actions consumers should take, including when to seek medical help] 5. ALTERNATIVE WATER: [whether an alternative water supply should be used] 6. WHAT WE ARE DOING: [the actions the system is taking to correct the situation] 7. WHEN WE EXPECT TO RESOLVE: [when the system expects to return to compliance] 8. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact [name] at [phone], [business address]. Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. [Confirm the required standard language, delivery method, and deadline for your tier with your primacy agency before distributing.]
This builder produces a draft, not a filed notice. The mandatory health-effects language and certain standard statements must be inserted verbatim from 40 CFR § 141.205 and its appendices — do not paraphrase them. Delivery method and certification requirements vary by state, and states may set more stringent timing than the federal baseline. Always review the final notice with your primacy agency before distributing it.
Public notification — common questions
- U.S. EPA — Public Notification Rule, 40 CFR § 141 Subpart Q (§ 141.201–.205, Appendices A–C).
Want the full generator — with your state’s verbatim language and Spanish?
We’re building a generator that drops in the mandatory § 141.205 language for your contaminant, in English and Spanish, wired to your sampling results. Tell us where to reach you.
A generator that drops in your state's verbatim language — coming soon.
1water is building a public-notification generator with the mandatory § 141.205 language and Spanish, wired to your sampling results. Want early access?