Your Right to Know
What You Are Legally Entitled To
Safe Drinking Water Act: Consumer Confidence Reports
Every public water system serving 25 or more people is required to publish an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). This report must include the levels of all detected contaminants, including PFAS tested under EPA’s UCMR5 monitoring rule, which ran from 2023 to 2025 and required testing for 29 PFAS compounds.
If your utility has detected PFAS above EPA’s maximum contaminant levels, they are required to notify you within 30 days. Search your CCR at epa.gov/ccr by zip code, or contact your utility directly and request the most recent report in writing.
UCMR5 Data: Your Right to See the Test Results
EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 required public water systems serving more than 3,300 people to test for 29 PFAS compounds between 2023 and 2025. All results are publicly available at epa.gov/dwucmr. The EWG Tap Water Database at ewg.org/tapwater presents the same data in a more accessible format.
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)
EPCRA gives communities the right to know what hazardous chemicals are being stored and released by industrial facilities in their area. Under EPCRA’s Toxics Release Inventory program, facilities that use or release PFAS above reporting thresholds must report that data annually to the EPA. As of January 2025, 205 PFAS compounds are on the TRI reporting list.
Search TRI data by zip code or facility name at epa.gov/tri.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
FOIA gives you the right to request records held by any federal agency, including the EPA, the Department of Defense, and the FDA. This includes internal studies, site assessments, contamination data, enforcement correspondence, and regulatory documents related to PFAS. Most states have equivalent open records laws that apply to state agencies.
Submit a FOIA request to the EPA at epa.gov/foia. Agencies have 20 business days to respond.
State Rights
State and Local Protections
State law often goes further than federal law on PFAS disclosure. These states have additional rights beyond federal requirements.
STATE
What You Are Entitled To
Maine
Maine’s PFAS in Products law requires manufacturers to disclose intentionally added PFAS. You have the right to request this information from manufacturers. Maine also funds PFAS testing for private wells near known contamination sites.
Michigan
Michigan has some of the most extensive PFAS testing and disclosure requirements in the country. Residents near identified sites are entitled to free bottled water and testing under state programs.
Minnesota
Minnesota requires notification of residents and well owners near PFAS contamination sites. Private well owners in affected areas are entitled to state-funded testing.
New Hampshire
One of the earliest state PFAS drinking water standards. Utilities that exceed state MCLs must notify affected customers and provide information on alternative water sources.
New Jersey
New Jersey has set MCLs for multiple PFAS beyond the federal six. Utilities detecting PFAS above state MCLs must notify customers and report to the NJ DEP.
Vermont
Vermont requires water systems to test for PFAS and notify customers. The state publishes all PFAS monitoring data online and has a groundwater contamination notification program for private well owners.
Washington
Washington’s PFAS regulations require disclosure in multiple product categories and give residents the right to request information about PFAS use from manufacturers of covered products.
How to File a Complaint
Your Right to Act
Knowing about contamination is the first step. Acting on it is the second. Government agencies are required to log and respond to formal complaints. Elected officials answer to constituents.
01
Document What You Know
Gather your water test results, CCR data, UCMR5 results, or any other evidence. Write down dates, levels detected, and sources. A written record makes your complaint more credible and harder to dismiss. Keep copies of everything you send.
02
Contact Your State Drinking Water Agency First
State agencies enforce both federal and state drinking water standards and have authority to require your utility to test, treat, and notify customers. A complaint to your state agency creates an official record. Find your state agency at epa.gov/drink/local-drinking-water-information.
03
File with the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline
The EPA hotline accepts complaints about violations of federal drinking water standards including PFAS MCL exceedances. Call 1-800-426-4791 or submit online at epa.gov/sdwa-hotline.
04
Report Industrial PFAS Releases
If you believe a nearby facility is releasing PFAS into the environment, file a complaint with EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance at epa.gov/enforcement/report-environmental-violations.
05
Contact Your Local Health Department
Local health departments have authority to investigate environmental health complaints and can escalate to state and federal agencies on your behalf.
Contact Elected Officials
Who Has Influence and How to Reach Them
Elected officials at every level have direct influence over PFAS regulation, funding for cleanup, and accountability for contaminated sites. A constituent contact is logged and tracked.
Senate committees oversee EPA funding, drinking water legislation, and Department of Defense cleanup programs. Two senators represent you regardless of where you live.
Your House member controls EPA appropriations and can request Government Accountability Office investigations into specific contamination sites.
State legislators control state environmental agency budgets, can pass stronger PFAS disclosure and cleanup laws, and can appropriate funds for private well testing programs.
State AGs have filed the most active PFAS enforcement actions against manufacturers. Several state AG offices have PFAS-specific complaint intake processes.
Sample Letter
Request PFAS Testing Information
Adapt this letter to contact your water utility, state environmental agency, or elected official. Keep it factual, specific, and dated. Request a written response.
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, ZIP]
[Date]
[Name of Recipient]
[Title]
[Agency or Organization]
[Address]
Dear [Name or Title],
I am a resident of [City/Town] and a customer of [Water Utility Name, if applicable]. I am writing to request information about PFAS testing and contamination levels in my drinking water supply.
Specifically, I am requesting: (1) the most recent Consumer Confidence Report for my water system, (2) all PFAS test results conducted under UCMR5 or any other monitoring program, and (3) written confirmation of whether any PFAS compounds have been detected at levels above EPA maximum contaminant levels or state action levels.
If PFAS have been detected above regulatory limits, I am also requesting information on what steps are being taken to address the contamination and what timeline residents should expect for remediation or treatment.
I request a written response within 30 days.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Key Resources
Quick Reference Links
Your water utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report by zip code.
Full PFAS test results for public water systems nationwide.
PFAS results by zip code in a consumer-friendly format.
PFAS releases by facility and location.
Contact your state attorney general’s office about PFAS enforcement.
Filter Your Water
