Check the source before using a local water report
This checklist explains how to assess the evidence behind an educational snapshot. It does not certify that every AWQ page has completed these checks.
Current advisory status is not verified here. For an urgent concern, contact your supplier or local health department and follow the instructions for your address. AWQ does not provide real-time emergency monitoring.
1. Confirm the water system
Check the supplier name and public water system ID (PWSID) against your water bill or the utility’s confirmation. A city name, ZIP code or nearby supplier is a starting point, not a verified service boundary. Do not substitute public-system results for a private well.
Review the supplier details needed for a request. A requester’s confirmation is an assertion to review, not independent verification.
2. Keep the original source attached
Look for the utility report or official agency notice, the exact table or page supporting the statement, and the supplier it describes. A link by itself does not establish that a number, unit, location or conclusion is correct.
For a numerical result, record the contaminant, value, unit, sample period and the type of statistic used. If those details are missing or conflict, keep the conclusion unresolved rather than guessing.
3. Separate the dates
| Date | What to record |
|---|---|
| Report year | The year or edition stated on the report. |
| Sampling period | When the measurements supporting the specific result were collected. Do not infer this from the report year. |
| Publication date | When the utility or agency published the document, if provided. |
| Retrieval date | When a copy was downloaded or a page was fetched. Record it separately; retrieval alone does not establish the source’s accuracy or today’s water conditions. |
| Source checked | When the original source was actually reviewed for the claim. A page edit, download or link check alone is not factual verification. |
If a date is unknown, label it unknown. An old source can describe a historical finding; it does not establish today’s conditions. A new publication date does not make every sample new.
4. Keep uncertainty visible
A public supplier report does not establish the condition of an individual tap. Missing results do not establish the absence of a contaminant, and a clean automated scan does not certify factual accuracy. Avoid a safety grade when the supplier, sample period or evidence is unresolved.
For an advisory, check the affected area, issue date, and a notice lifting or replacing it. Do not infer that an old notice is active or lifted merely because its page remains online.
Product links are separate from source evidence. An affiliate relationship does not verify a water result or an exact product’s contaminant-reduction certification.
Original-source resources
EPA explains what utility reports contain and how to request one in its consumer report guide. Its private well resources address wells separately from community-system reports.
These links support finding the right kind of source; they do not verify a local result or today’s advisory status.