Using the Freedom of Information Act to request information

Federal, State and Local Governments are required to make their records public (unless they fall under an exception).

In your state, you can get information about your water system from the system itself or from the agency (usually the state or territory environmental agency) that enforces the Safe Drinking Water Act.

You can request under the open records or state FOIA law information such as inspection reports, notices of violation, and other enforcement records (such as Agreed Orders, Judgments, Complaints, and Agency (or Secretary’s Orders).

Another key source of information about your water system is the Consumer Confidence Report, which does not require a Freedom of Information Act request.

Your water system is required to produce a Consumer Confidence Report annually, detailing source of water and any known exceedances of standards for water safety. That report will be mailed out, published in the newspaper, or made available on request, depending on the size of your water system. If your water system is owned or operated by a public entity (like a city, county, or public water district) you can request even more information from the system through freedom of information laws. Whether your system is public or private, you can obtain more information from the agency that enforces the Safe Drinking Water Act in your state.