It’s time to start paying attention to the inserts that accompany your water bill!  Every year by July 1st, local water companies must provide their customers with the latest drinking water quality report, also known as the Consumer Confidence Report.  If you’re like most people, you probably don’t read this report, but there are some good reasons to pay attention to this report and all of the other pamphlets that the water company sends you.

1. Know where your water comes from

City water supplies can come from local or remote surface waters such as lakes or streams, from deep wells, or from a combination of these sources. The water quality in many cities will change over the course of the year as water is sourced from different locations during the dry summer months. Knowing where your water comes from will both take the mystery out of water quality changes, and give you a deeper respect for your local bodies of water.

2. Learn about challenges affecting your water system

Reading your water quality report can provide you with answers for things that you notice but can’t explain. Periodic bouts of discolored water, strange odors, or water pressure issues are often explained in the consumer confidence report.

3. Be informed about improvements to your water system

It’s good to know where your tax dollars are going, right? Reading your water quality report will often keep you up to date on any new or planned improvements to your water system, so you’ll know when new water wells have been dug, when repairs are being planned, or if a new disinfection process is in use.

4. Learn helpful tips for saving water and protecting your water supply

Your water company is in the unique position of being able to provide you with region-specific tips on water conservation. Water companies in some arid areas of the country will request that your lawn go without water during the summer months to conserve water. Others are more concerned about how accidental backflow, stormdrain dumping or fertilizer run-off affect the water that will eventually reach your tap. Reading the enclosed pamphlets in your water bill will teach you how to be a good steward of the natural resources in your area.

5. Know how your city treats your water supply

In addition to disinfection processes that are meant to keep water safe, many cities will treat water for things such as iron, sulfur and hardness minerals. Knowing how your city treats your water will help you make the best decision on the type of water treatment you’d like to use in your own home.

6. Know your water plant’s contact information

Water quality reports will never answer every question. Keeping your water quality report handy will give you immediate access to your water company’s customer service line, billing department and emergency service, should the need ever arise.

If you haven’t received your water quality report and you’re not sure where your water comes from, visit this great online EPA resource that will help you and in many cases provide you with an electronic copy of your water quality report. If your city has not listed their water quality report, their contact information will be listed so you can contact them directly. After you get your questions answered, encourage your city to make their Consumer Confidence Report public!