How long must a public water system wait to notify consumers about a Tier 3 violation?

In the context of public water systems, a Tier 3 violation refers to a situation where the violation does not pose an immediate risk to public health but still requires notification to consumers. The regulation mandates that once a Tier 3 violation occurs, the water system has an obligation to notify consumers within 30 days. This timeframe ensures that consumers are made aware of the violation in a reasonable period while also allowing the water system to address the issue appropriately.

In the case of other options, waiting for just 3 days would be too quick for a violation that may not require immediate action but still needs to be communicated to ensure consumer awareness. Similarly, a 12-day delay does not align with the established guidelines for notification periods, which are intended to provide adequate time for both monitoring and consumer education regarding the violation. Lastly, a 12-month delay would be excessively long, as it would leave consumers uninformed about potential ongoing issues in their water supply, which is contrary to public health objectives. Thus, 30 days is the correct and necessary time frame for notifying consumers about a Tier 3 violation.