The purpose of this handbook is to explain the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Public Notification Rule and provide examples of effective public notices. This handbook is designed to meet the needs of public water systems of all sizes, including suggestions and instructions targeted to very small community systems that serve 500 people or fewer. Suggestions, along with other useful hints for creating effective notices for all systems, are set aside in boxes throughout the handbook. The attached version reflects an update to the initial document released in 2007.