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Stratus Consulting Study Purpose and Introduction For all three assessments, questionnaires were mailed to all of the nation's largest systems (roughly 1,000) and a portion ofthe medium-sized systems. The findings for large and medium systems were reported for each state (U.S. EPA, 2005). Recognizing that small systems generally lack the personnel and planning documents necessary to complete the Needs Survey questionnaire, EP A conducted site visits (in 1995 and 1999) for a portion of the approximately 45,000 small community water systems (540 and 599 visits, respectively; at least 6 per state) (U.S. EPA, 2001). EPA did not specifically identify results for PNPWSs, and it is unclear how many PNPWSs were interviewed. Because of the high cost of conducting site visits, it was not possible for EPA to visit enough small systems to accurately report the small systems needs at the state level. Instead, small system needs were assessed at the national level, and apportioned among the states based on the number of small systems in each stratum in each state (U.S. EPA, 2001). According to the EPA, the small system needs in 1999 were not significantly different from the 1995 needs, suggesting that needs do not change significantly over a four-year period. As a result, rather than conducting site visits in 2003, the EP A estimated small systems needs by adjusting the 1999 findings to 2003 dollars (U.S. EPA, 2005). 1.2.2 What were the overall funding needs identified? Total needs reported for the first Needs Survey were $138.4 billion (1995$) and $150.9 billion (1999$) for the second survey. The total needs reported in the 2003 Needs Survey were $276.8 billion, more than 80% of which were reported by large and medium-sized community water systems. The higher needs reported in 2003 most likely reflect the fact that the 2003 survey was redesigned to better capture capital needs that were underreported in previous assessments (U.S. EPA, 2007). Despite expectations that treatment would be the greatest needs category because of increased drinking water regulations, findings from all three Needs Surveys reveal that although treatment is generally the second largest needs category (in some cases storage needs and treatment needs are roughly equal), more than 50% of the total needs for all systems fell into the transmission and distribution category (U.S. EPA, 1997,2001,2005). The 2003 survey reports that 66% of total needs for all systems in the United States are related to transmission and distribution (U.S. EPA, 2005). Page 1-3 SCl1l99