Now that initial inventories are complete, the next steps for Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) compliance are still uncertain as potential changes to the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) unfold. While you take interim actions and wait for clarity, keeping your community informed is key to maintaining trust. Updating your website with clear, accurate, and current information will help show your commitment to safe drinking water while preparing your community for future lead and copper related actions.

The following steps aim to help your website acknowledge the completion of your inventory while outlining how you’ll keep your community safe moving forward and what they can do to help you.

Here are 8 tips to update your website:

1. Put specific asks up front: If you need your customers’ help within your program, like reporting their service line materials or signing up for replacements, make those requests and how to fulfill them at the top of the web page. Someone should know what steps to take with just a quick glance at your content.
2. Stay up to date with changing rules: Update your website with the latest regulatory information, keeping in mind that requirements may change. Instead of only listing past Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) milestones, make sure your content includes the proposed LCRI compliance date of November 1, 2027, and notes the rule is evolving.
3. Link to your inventory: Put a link to your public service line inventory in an obvious place that is easily accessible on your web page. When you talk about inventory in web page content, include a link to the inventory, so the viewer can easily access the inventory after reading content that mentions it.
4. Revise tense: Change the tense in content to reflect that the inventory phase is complete and adjust words in the future tense accordingly.
5. Reframe proactivity: Avoid calling the required actions “proactive" and highlight true proactive efforts. For example, creating a replacement plan is not proactive. Initiating replacements ahead of the 2027 deadline is proactive.
6. Refresh FAQs: Add answers to common questions raised by consumers after they received their notifications. Update your FAQs to address timely compliance efforts.
7. Provide details: Give specific information about your replacement program (for example, the timeline for replacements). If details aren’t available yet, let customers know when they can expect to learn more.
8. Include customer letters: Consider including copies of your notification letters with explanations of what they mean.
• If they received a letter: What should they do next (e.g., fill out a survey, sign up for a replacement)?
• If they didn’t receive a letter: Reassure them that their line isn’t lead.

Keep your website accurate, clear, and actionable to strengthen your community’s confidence in your commitment to public health and regulatory compliance.

If you need help writing or revising content for your website, our public communications team can help.