| #Q001 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Public Notice of Proposal for Notification/Response Levels | drinking water | Effective January 1, 2021, Health and Safety Code 116456 requires public notice, including specific information about the studies relied upon, and an informational item at a State Water Board meeting when establishing or revising notification and response levels. | when establishing or revising notification and response levels | high |
| #Q002 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | Timely Notification of Exceedance | drinking water | State law (Health and Safety §116455) requires timely notification by drinking water systems whenever a notification level is exceeded in drinking water that is provided to consumers. | whenever a notification level is exceeded in drinking water that is provided to consumers | high |
| #Q003 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | Wholesale Water Systems Notification | drinking water | wholesale water systems, who must notify their governing bodies and the water systems that are directly supplied with that drinking water. | whenever a notification level is exceeded | high |
| #Q004 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | Retail Water Systems Notification | drinking water | retail water systems, who must notify their governing bodies and the governing bodies of any local agencies (i.e., city or county, or a city and county) whose jurisdictions include areas supplied with their drinking water. | whenever a notification level is exceeded | high |
| #Q005 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | CPUC Regulated Water Systems Notification | drinking water | wholesale and retail water systems regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission, who must also notify the commission | whenever a notification level is exceeded | high |
| #Q006 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | PFAS Response Level Exceedance - CCR Reporting | drinking water | When a confirmed detection exceeds the response level, a community water system or a nontransient noncommunity public water system is required to: report that detection in the water system's annual consumer confidence report. | When a confirmed detection of perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances with notification levels exceeds the response level | high |
| #Q007 | corrective_action | operational | mandatory | PFAS Response Level Exceedance - Source Removal or Notification | drinking water | When a confirmed detection exceeds the response level, a community water system or a nontransient noncommunity public water system is required to: take a water source where detected levels exceed the response level out of use or provide public notification (as specified in Health and Safety §116378) within 30 days of the confirmed detection. | When a confirmed detection of perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances with notification levels exceeds the response level | high |
| #Q008 | reporting | reporting | recommended | Customer Information Recommendation for Notification Level Exceedance | drinking water | If a chemical concentration is greater than its notification level in drinking water that is provided to consumers, DDW recommends that the utility inform its customers and consumers about the presence of the chemical, and about health concerns associated with exposure to it. | If a chemical concentration is greater than its notification level | high |
| #Q009 | reporting | reporting | guidance | Consumer Notice Method Guidance | drinking water | To provide consumer notice, the utility may want to consider using its annual Consumer Confidence Report, a separate mailing, or other method. | | high |
| #Q010 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | PFAS Reporting of Notification Level Exceedance for Ordered Systems | drinking water | For perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances with notification levels (i.e. PFOA and PFOS), Health and Safety Code 116378 requires the public water system issued an Order to report the detection if the level exceeds the notification level. | If the level exceeds the notification level | high |
| #Q011 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | PFAS Detection CCR Reporting for Ordered Systems | drinking water | Additionally, if any monitoring undertaken pursuant to an order issued under section 116378 results in a confirmed detection of PFAS for any analyte tested for per order, the water system shall report the detection in the water system's annual Consumer Confidence Report. | If monitoring results in a confirmed detection of PFAS | high |
| #Q012 | corrective_action | operational | recommended | Source Out of Service Recommendation for Response Level Exceedance | drinking water | If a chemical is present in drinking water that is provided to consumers at concentrations considerably greater than the notification level, DDW recommends that the drinking water system take the source out of service. | Concentrations considerably greater than the notification level (reaching the response level) | high |
| #Q013 | corrective_action | operational | mandatory | PFAS Response Level Mandatory Remediation Options | drinking water | For perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances with response levels where detected levels of a substance exceed the response level (i.e. PFOA and PFOS), Health and Safety Code 116378 requires the public water system issued the Order, the water system shall either (1) take the source out of service immediately; (2) utilize treatment or blending (see question below for details); or (3) provide public notification of the response level exceedance within 30 days of being notified by the laboratory of the exceedance to take the water source out of use or provide public notification within 30 days of the confirmed detection. | Where detected levels of a substance exceed the response level | high |
| #Q014 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | PFAS Response Level Exceedance CCR Reporting | drinking water | Additionally, the exceedance of the response level must be reported in the annual consumer confidence report. | When detected levels exceed the response level | high |
| #Q015 | operational | operational | mandatory | Quarterly Running Annual Average Calculation | drinking water | To determine whether monitoring shows an exceedance of a response level, the water system must calculate a quarterly running annual average (QRAA). | To determine whether monitoring shows an exceedance of a response level | high |
| #Q016 | reporting | reporting | recommended | Local Governing Body Notification Above Response Level | drinking water | Notification of the local governing body (i.e., city council or board of supervisors, or both) that indicates water is being provided that exceeds the chemical's response level, and the reason for the continued use of the source. | When a drinking water system does not take a source out of service despite the presence of a contaminant in drinking water at a level confirmed to be greater than the response level | high |
| #Q017 | reporting | reporting | recommended | Customer Notification Above Response Level | drinking water | Notification of the water system's customers and other water consumers that the contaminant is present in their drinking water at a concentration greater than its response level, the level at which source removal is recommended by DDW, and the reason for the continued use of the source. | When a drinking water system does not take a source out of service despite the presence of a contaminant in drinking water at a level confirmed to be greater than the response level | high |
| #Q018 | reporting | reporting | recommended | Public Notice Target Population | drinking water | Whenever such a public "right-to-know" notice occurs, it should be provided to customers and to the water-consuming population in the affected area that would not directly receive such information, including renters, workers and students. | When a public right-to-know notice occurs | high |
| #Q019 | reporting | reporting | recommended | Direct Provision of Notification | drinking water | Notification should be provided directly to consumers, for example by posted notices, hand-delivered notices, and water bill inserts. | | high |
| #Q020 | reporting | reporting | recommended | Press Release for Response Level Exceedance | drinking water | A press release from the water system should also be issued to the local media. | When water is served above the response level | high |
| #Q021 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Monthly Sampling Recommendation | drinking water | Thereafter, DDW recommends the following: (1) Monthly sampling and analysis of the drinking water supply for as long as the contaminant exceeds its response level, and quarterly sampling for 12 months, should the concentration drop below the response level. | When a drinking water system does not take a source out of service despite the presence of a contaminant in drinking water at a level confirmed to be greater than the response level | high |
| #Q022 | reporting | reporting | recommended | Quarterly Notification Recommendation | drinking water | (2) Quarterly notification of the water system's customers and other water consumers for as long as the contaminant is present at a concentration greater than its response level, using the methods described above. | When a drinking water system does not take a source out of service despite the presence of a contaminant in drinking water at a level confirmed to be greater than the response level | high |
| #Q023 | operational | operational | mandatory | Facility Regulatory Compliance | other | Facilities must be sited, designed, constructed, operated, closed and maintained according to the regulations. | | high |
| #Q024 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Groundwater Monitoring Requirement | other | monitoring is required, especially groundwater monitoring, to detect a release of waste constituents as soon as possible. | | high |
| #Q025 | reporting | health | mandatory | Release Reporting and Cleanup | drinking water, other | If waste is released to groundwater, it must be reported and cleaned up. | when waste is released to groundwater | high |
| #Q026 | corrective_action | operational | mandatory | Corrective Action Requirement | other | Corrective action is required when a release occurs. | when a release occurs | high |
| #Q027 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Financial Assurances Requirement | other | Financial assurances are required for closure, post-closure, and corrective action. | | high |
| #Q028 | prohibition | operational | mandatory | Geographic Area Limitation for General Permits | wastewater | General permits may only be issued to dischargers within a specific geographical area such as the following: City, County, or State boundary; Designated planning area; Sewer district; Standard metropolitan statistical area; State highway system; Urbanized area | Applies to the issuance of general permits for point sources | high |
| #Q029 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | General Permit Coverage Application | wastewater | How to apply for coverage under a general permit - see the" Notice of Intent" (NOI) form | | high |
| #Q030 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | General Permit Rescission Request | wastewater | How to request rescission from coverage - see the "Notice of Termination" (NOT) form | | high |
| #Q031 | administrative | operational | recommended | Permit Transferability Verification | wastewater | How to transfer ownership - some permits are not transferable so please read the permit carefully | When seeking to transfer ownership | high |