Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) by Water Systems
March 2023

GENERAL EAR INFORMATION
  1. When is this year's report due?
  2. As an eAR reporter. What user guidance is available?
  3. What is new in this year’s eAR?
NAVIGATION AND ACCESS
  1. Can multiple users register for a water system to complete the eAR?
  2. What contact information should be reported – contact information at the end of calendar year or current as of the time of reporting?
  3. Can I submit the report in hard copy?
  4. Can I view last year’s eAR?
  5. When I create a new 2023 eAR, some information has already been entered into the report. Where did this information come from?
  6. Can I clear and reset the 2023RY eAR?
  7. How can I print the final report?
  8. How do I report problems with the eAR or make suggestions?
  9. Why can’t I access all historical eAR’s and modify past uploaded documents?
BACKGROUND
  1. Under what authority does the Division of Drinking Water (DDW), require public water systems to submit an Electronic Annual Report (EAR)?
  2. Why is the EAR Portal needed?
  3. When did DDW develop the online electronic reporting format?
REVISION AND COMPLETION PROCESS
  1. How do I know if my EAR submission was accepted or rejected?
  2. Can I change any information once the report is submitted?
  3. My EAR was returned for revision. How can I ensure it is accepted when revised and resubmitted?
END USES OF DATA
  1. Does the public have access to this information?
  2. How does DDW process the data?
  3. What are additional applications for the data?
GENERAL EAR INFORMATION
  1. When is this year's report due?
    The EAR is due sixty (60) days following the release of the new report each year to water system staff and EAR Reporters. Notifications are emailed to associated EAR Reporters, Water System AC Contacts, and all individuals registered to the Lyris subscription list. In addition to these methods, DDW provides public posting of report deadline on its Water Board website.
  2. As an EAR reporter. What user guidance is available?
    • User Guidance Instructions
      Insert Future URL
      1. New EAR Website
      2. Login, Register, Reset password
      3. Unapproved EAR Reporter Homepage
      4. My Profile – Contact Information
      5. Manage My Water Systems
      6. Water System Staff Approval Process
      7. Approved EAR Reporter Homepage
      8. My EAR Reports, Start an EAR, Save & Exit
      9. Continuing an EAR, “Details” View
      10. Completing an EAR, Revision/Completion Process
      11. Checking on the Status of an EAR, Editing a Completed EAR
      12. Uploading a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
      13. Uploading a Water Quality Emergency Notification Plan (WQENP)
      14. Lead Service Line Inventory Document Management
      15. Disadvantaged Certification Document Management
      16. Historical EAR Reports
      17. Resources (PWS FAQ, HelpTips, Feedback)

    • EAR 2023 Reporting Year (2023RY) HelpTips
      https://ear.waterboards.ca.gov/Content/2023EARHelp.htm
      1. Introduction
      2. Contacts
      3. Population
      4. Connections
      5. Sources
      6. Water Supply &
      Delivery
      7. Recycled Water
      8. Customer Charges,
      Income, & Affordability
      9. Water Quality       		10. Backflow
      11. Certification
      12. Improvements
      13. Complaints
      14. Treatment Plants
      15. Distribution System
      16. Emergency
      17. Conservation
      18. Climate Change
      19. Lead Service Line
      20. Finalize

    • Water Boards EAR Website
      https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/ear.html
      • - Schedule
      • - Section Descriptions
      • - Responses to EAR Input Forum
      • - Technical Financial Assistance Application
      • - EAR Help
        • Section 8 water system examples
      https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/docs/example_residential_rate_structure_table_a18.pdf

  3. What is new in this year’s EAR?
    1. New Formatting Features
      • Calendar Prompt for Question-Answer Dates
      • Please note: Loading Times for some pages may vary
      • Conditionally mandatory fields are now highlighted in salmon color. Mandatory fields are highlighted in yellow color. Missed answers to mandatory and conditionally-mandatory questions are flagged in the last page – FINALIZE section.

    2. Tips for completing the EAR
      All section pages are provided with “Need Help Completing the EAR. Click HERE” hyperlink. This link will connect you to the State Waterboard’s EAR help website. A list of required question-answer is now available in the EAR website for reporters to preview.

      All section pages are provided with “To view last year’s report, click here” hyperlink.

      Additional help tips (indicated by ) were added to help explain the questions and define the answers.

      At the bottom of each section page, “Email for Help on this page” hyperlink is provided to facilitate the email to State Waterboard district staff for help. Please be aware that the response may take three to five business days, help requests in the order they are received.
    3. Changes to EAR Content
      Section 1 Introduction
      • Disadvantaged community (DAC) certification for reduction of fees is not shown for non-community water systems and LPA-regulated systems.
      • Only Large Community WS (1000 SC and/or 3,300 population) with reduced fees are required to re-certify DAC status annually.
      • The EAR Reporter who begins the EAR is prefilled along with contact information into the associated Introduction fields.

      Section 2 Public Water System Contacts
      • Addition of “No Changes” checkbox to help indicate to the State Waterboard the current contact information stays the same. If there are minor changes to existing contact, leave the “No changes” box unchecked.
      • First Name and Middle Initial are to be entered in a separate field from Last Name

      Section 3 Population Served
      • Large water systems now see all population types (residential, transient and non-transient). If wholesaler, wholesale population will be shown.

      Section 4 Number of Service Connections
      • The service connection types are no longer pre-filled, refer to prior year EAR for reference (“To view last’s report, click here” hyperlink)

      Section 5 Source Inventory
      • For small water systems, all existing sources are prefilled from the State Waterboard’s database (SDWIS).
      • For large water systems, total number of sources for each type are pre-filled from SDWIS. Pending (proposed) sources are now shown and prefilled from SDWIS.

      Section 6 Water Supply & Delivery
      • Unifies all water use and delivery questions into a single section.
      • Relocated Maximum Day Demand questions to below Water Supply table.
      • New instructions for reporting estimated water production if only total annual production is available.
      • Addition of “No Water Deliveries” check box to skip (hide) the Water Deliveries Table if not applicable.

      Section 7 Recycled Water Use
      • Recycled water questions are not shown if not applicable.

      Section 8A-C Customer Charges, Income and Affordability
      • Community water systems provide data on water rates, income and affordability
      • For non-community water systems, Section 8A, 8B and 8C are not applicable and are NOT shown. Use the header buttons or select “Next” three times to skip over to Section 9.
      • Section 8a. Customer Charges Residential and non-residential customer charges, rate structures, and other service fees borne by customers to support the water system.
      • Section 8b. Income (NEW) Annual revenues and incurred expenses. This information is used to assess the financial resiliency of water systems.
      • Section 8c. Water Affordability Residential shut-offs due to non-payment; information, if any, on customer assistance programs designed to address customer affordability challenges.

      Section 9 Water Quality
      • Addition of an in-survey upload hyperlink for WQENP for all types of PWS.
      • Direct Additives table grid is now properly prefilled for the previous EAR.
      • The table grid is editable including the “Click here to upload an Excel spreadsheet” option for bulk data download/upload Direct Water Quality Additives.
      • Addition of hyperlink to display previous CCRs to CWS and NTNC. That in-survey link now also allows upload of the CCR and CERTIFICATE.

      Section 10 Backflow-Cross Connection Control
      • The entire table grid for reporting number backflow devices and testing are now required to have answers. If not applicable, enter zero.

      Section 11 Operator Certification
      • Questions for Both Distribution and Treatment Operator Certifications are conditionally mandatory to provide answers.
      • The table grid is editable including the “Click here to upload an Excel spreadsheet” option for bulk data download/upload Shift Operators.

      Section 12 Water System Improvements – NO CHANGE

      Section 13 Complaints Reported
      • Complaints table grid is now mandatory. Must answer zero if there are no complaints.

      Section 14 Treatment Plants and Disinfection Plan
      • Groundwater and Surface Treatment Plant tables are prefilled from SDWIS excluding groundwater chlorination treatment plants. The table grid is editable.

      Section 15 Distribution System and Storage Tanks
      • Systems Problems table grid is now mandatory. Must answer zero if there are no system problems.
      • Dead end table grid is now conditionally mandatory. Total number of dead ends are now prefilled from previous EAR. If a dead end exists, flushing volume and units of measure are now required.
      • All water systems are now able to report Dead-End (C1), Flushing Operations (C2), Valve Exercise Program (D), and Storage Tank Reservoir Inspection Cleaning Program (E).
      • Storage Tank/Reservoir Inspection/Cleaning program table grid is now properly prefilled for the previous EAR. The table grid is editable.
      • The table grid is editable including the “Click here to upload an Excel spreadsheet” option for bulk data download/upload Storage Tank/Reservoir Inspection/ Cleaning Program.

      Section 16 Emergency Preparedness and Response
      • For non-community water systems, the Emergency Response Plans questions are not shown. EAR reporters may skip Section 17 thru 19 when reporting for non-community water systems. Users may select FINALIZE in the section header buttons to advance.

      Section 17 Water Conservation and Drought
      • For non-community water systems, Section 17 is not applicable and is not shown.
      • For small community water systems, questions for Urban Retail Water Supplier are not displayed.

      Section 18 Climate Change Adaptation and Resiliency
      • For non-community water systems, Section 18 is not applicable and is not shown.
      • Unified former subsections (A) Climate Threats and (B) Sensitivity and Magnitude of impacts.

      Section 19 Lead Service Line Replacement
      • For non-community water systems, Section 19 is not applicable and is not shown.
      • Updated information available for systems that completed a timeline for replacement plan.
      • No longer collecting inventory data in-survey.
      • A hyperlink to LSLR uploads page is available.

      Section 20 Finalize
      • Errors are shown at the top of the page.
      • Each error is prefixed with the Section name. Scroll down the page, click on the Section tab to go back to the section page and fix the error(s).
      • Unified Acknowledge and Finalize sections
NAVIGATION AND ACCESS
  1. How can multiple users register for a water system to complete the EAR?
    ANSWER: Yes, a water system can have multiple registered users, and they can input information into the EAR at the same time provided they are not working on the same section of the EAR. The EAR sections are separated by tabs at the top of the page, and changes are saved section by section as the user navigates through the report. If working in separate tabs, multiple people can input information at the same time and each person’s edits will be saved. Please be aware that no further changes may be made to an EAR once the submit button has been pressed (unless the EAR is returned to the water system for revision).
  2. What contact information should be reported – contact information at the end of calendar year or current as of the time of reporting?
    ANSWER: PWS reporters should report current contact information at the time of reporting for the EAR.
  3. Can I submit the report in hard copy?
    ANSWER: Hard copy submittal is not encouraged. If a water system does not have access to the internet, such as in some remote locations, DDW or the LPA may accept a hard copy submittal of the information required by the EAR. DDW or the LPA will then input this information via the EAR Portal on behalf of the water system. Please contact your district or LPA office to receive a mailing address to send a hard copy of the report.
  4. Can I view last year’s EAR?
    ANSWER: There are two ways you can view last year’ s report.
    • Once you are registered and logged in, click on “Your Historical” EAR Reports” to allow you to view previous years’ reports. Simply click on “View” or “Summary” on the page to view reports from previous years.
    • While in process of completing the EAR, a hyperlink “To view last year’s report, click here” is available at the top of each page of the EAR.

  5. When I create a new 2023 EAR, some information has already been entered into the report. Where did this information come from?
    ANSWER: Question-answers in the EAR pre-filled with information may be populated from the Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), or prior year EAR. The section pages include a footer button to “prefill this section” for use if the user accidently selects to “Clear & Reset” the section. For questions about missing or incorrect prefilled data, please contact your local DDW regulating agency.

    TIP: You can compare the current report with your responses in the previous year’s report by clicking “To view last year’s report, click here” link provided on top of each page of the report.
  6. Can I clear and reset the 2023RY EAR?
    ANSWER: Once the EAR has been started, but before it has been submitted, you may clear and reset the responses entered for the entire survey. From the EAR Reporter home page, under the “MY EAR Reports” identify your water system, and on the right of the row, select “Details”. Once the new webpage opens, select the option to “Clear and Reset Entire Survey” and follow the warning prompt.
  7. How can I print the final report?
    ANSWER: Once the EAR has been submitted, it will be listed under the “MY EAR Reports” link along with all other EAR’s that have been submitted by the user (or previous water system representatives). On the right side of this section is the “Summary” link for the reports. Left click on the Summary link and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click “Show as PDF” to download the report and to print it.
  8. How do I report problems with the EAR or make suggestions?
    ANSWER: Any problems identified in the functionality of the EAR Portal should be reported to the EAR administrator at ddw-ear@waterboards.ca.gov. Additionally, you can also click on the “Email for help on this page” link at the bottom of the page of each section. Suggestions are welcomed and should be provided via the PRIVATE COMMENTS field included on the INTRO tab of the 2023 EAR.
  9. Why can’t I access all historical EAR’s and modify past uploaded documents?
    ANSWER: Historical records are available in the DRINC Portal until all records are made available in the new EAR Portal. The EAR Portal retains all historically uploaded documents, and allows editing beginning with 2023 reporting year.
BACKGROUND
  1. Under what authority does the Division of Drinking Water (DDW), require public water systems to submit an electronic Annual Report (EAR)?
    ANSWER: Section 116530 of the California Health and Safety Code (CHSC) specifies that a public water system shall submit a technical report to the DDW when requested. DDW has established a requirement for every public water system under DDW jurisdiction or Local Primacy Agency (LPA) jurisdiction (i.e., County Environmental Health Departments) to annually submit a technical report specifying contact and operational information for the prior calendar year.
  2. Why is the EAR Portal needed?
    The EAR Portal serves as a method to upload documents and complete the required annual report including information necessary for legislative policy making, regulatory compliance, and sanitary inspections.
  3. When did DDW develop the online electronic reporting format?
    ANSWER: To improve the efficiency of information sharing and analysis, DDW first used online reporting for water conservation information as part of the 2008 EAR. This was called “Part A – Drought, Usage and Emergency Information.” The full annual report was intended to be submitted electronically via the DRINC portal beginning with the 2009 annual report. Due to functionality problems on the DRINC portal, many of the 2009 annual reports were submitted in other formats. Changes implemented with the 2010 EAR resulted in a significant increase in the number of annual reports submitted electronically through DRINC, and the number continued to increase with each subsequent release of the EAR. The 2019 Reporting Year is the last EAR collected on DRINC Portal as Water Boards introduces the new EAR Portal March 2021. DDW is continuing to improve the process of electronic data gathering.
REVISION AND COMPLETION PROCESS
  1. How do I know if my EAR submission was accepted or rejected?
    ANSWER: You can check the status of your EAR by clicking the MY EAR REPORTS link at the Home Page and checking the STATUS column. If the status is “Submitted”, the EAR has not yet been reviewed by district/LPA staff. If the status is “Completed”, the EAR has been reviewed by district/LPA staff and deemed complete. If the EAR is rejected and requires revision, an email will be sent to the PWS reporter(s) informing them of the status change. The status of the EAR in the PWS ALL EAR List will change to “Needs Revision”.
  2. Can I change any information once the report is submitted?
    ANSWER: Once the EAR has been submitted, a reporter cannot modify or add to the information in the report. If you need to make changes or the report was not complete when submitted, contact your local regulatory office and request that they return the EAR for revision. Once you have revised the EAR it can be resubmitted.
  3. My EAR was returned for revision. How can I ensure it is accepted when revised and resubmitted? ANSWER: When the EAR is returned for revision, the response steps generally include:
    • Email to the reporter(s) informing them that an EAR needs to be revised.
    • EAR Portal provides district/LPA staff with a comment field for the reviewer.
    • The reviewer uses the comment field to provide instructions for what additional information or changes are needed to resubmit for completion. If additional information is needed, it is suggested the EAR reporter contact the district or LPA representative serving the PWS.
END USES OF DATA
  1. Does the public have access to this information?
    ANSWER: Some information gathered and/or updated via the EAR is available to the public via the Public Drinking Water Watch page, located here: http://sdwis.waterboards.ca.gov/PDWW. All information submitted via the EAR is public information (except for confidential locational information and personally identifiable information) and can be accessed through a Public Records Act Request. Information provided on the registration page (name and title, email address, and work phone number) are disclosable report information that may be obtained through the Public Records Act.
  2. How does DDW process the data?
    ANSWER: DDW and LPA representatives update the primary database, Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) including: contact information, changes in population and changes in service connections. Additional review items include changes to source status, water system relationships, and four year average of water production for fee billing purposes. Any findings in the following sections may lead to additional correspondence and/or actions between the water system and representatives reviewing EAR. We actively look to improve our data handling process. In fact, in 2019 DDW provided a centralized location to share EAR data for public access at the new website: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/eardata.html

    Following the website instructions, you successfully download and begin processing the following items:
    • Machine Readable Datasets by Reporting Year
    • Printable EAR Templates by Reporting Year (RY)
    • EAR Data Dictionary for Datasets 2013-2019 RY
    • Regulating Agency and Water System Inventory
    • Import Error List

  3. What are additional applications for the data?
    ANSWER: Agencies use EAR information to drive their business processes.
    1. DDW is developing Lead Service Line Interactive GIS Map https://gispublic.waterboards.ca.gov/portal/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=7adcfc6473614ada9c0b9c351362a656
    2. Division of Administrative Services (DAS) utilizes EAR information for fee billing https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/resources/fees/drinking_water/
    3. Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) uses the information in the Operator Certification Unit https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/occupations/DWopcert.html
    4. Safe Drinking Water (SAFER) utilize the data for drinking water risk indicators and more. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/programs/safer_drinking_water/
    5. Water Board’s Open Data Initiative provides links to additional uses including public engagement around datasets provided. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/resources/data_databases/
    6. Office of Research, Performance, and Planning (ORPP) use the EAR information for the following:
      1. Supporting the development of regulatory criteria and policy analysis
        1. EAR data will continue to inform the work of water affordability and water accessibility in compliance with the Human Right to Water statute
        2. EAR data (connections, population, production/deliveries, and conservation) is used in support of conservation-related rulemaking. ORPP, in coordination with DWR, uses eAR data to support a number of programs and regulations, including the Urban Water Management Program, Bay-Delta Office, Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and the implementation of Water Efficiency Legislation AB 1668 and SB 606 (2018).
      2. Publications & Programs
        1. The AB 401 report and Affordability (see https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/conservation_portal/assistance/) uses information from EAR Section 6A (water rates).
        2. Climate Change https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/climate/ (note that users are referred to specific programs for details, e.g. water quality, water rights, drinking water, regions, etc.)
        3. Groundwater: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/groundwater/
        4. Implementation of Water Efficiency Legislation of 2018: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/conservation_portal/california_statutes.html
        5. Water Loss Control: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/conservation_portal/water_loss_control.html

g) Department of Water Resources (DWR) uses the EAR information with detail below.
  1. Uses:
    1. Development of the California Water Plan https://water.ca.gov/Programs/California-Water-Plan
    2. Urban Water Management Plan
      https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/Urban-Water-Use-Efficiency
    3. The Truckee River Operating Agreement (TROA)
      www.cd.water.ca.gov/cnwa/troa.cfm
    4. SGMA Groundwater Management
      https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Groundwater-Management/SGMA-Groundwater-Management
    5. Drought Risk Index
    6. County Drought Advisory Group or CDAG Project
      Appendix 2. Drought and Water Shortage Risk Scoring
      https://dwr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=3353b370f7844f468ca16b8316fa3c7b
  2. Where is it?
    1. The data is not published online; however, the data is public information and available upon request using the contact information provided online:
      https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/Land-And-Water-Use/Public-Water-Systems-Statistics-Surveys
  3. Background
    1. Since 2014, DDW has been collecting data for DWR collaborating to streamline redundant reporting for their Public Water System Statistics (PWSS) Survey.
    2. Since 2018, DDW has been collaborating with DWR to develop a drought risk index, part of which relies on data from the EAR. This is used to offer a Drought & Water Shortage Risk Explorer Tool for small water suppliers and other regional entities to support drought risk management.
    3. Generally, five sections of EAR data assist with state and regional planning: contact information, population, service connections, water production, and water deliveries.