Environmental Progress - Winter-Spring 2004

eDMR: electronic Discharge Monitoring

Electronic reporting will reduce paperwork, increase efficiency

More than 2,600 facilities in the state, primarily wastewater treatment plants can now submit electronically the required monthly reports that show whether treated wastewater discharged into Illinois waterways comply with permitted limits.

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit holders, such as municipalities and industrial wastewater treatment facilities and water treatment plants, submit approximately 3,500 signed Discharge Monitoring Report forms to the Illinois EPA on a monthly basis. Each permit holder is required to sample and analyze surface water discharges and report the results to the Agency under the terms of their permit.

The electronic Discharge Monitoring Report (eDMR) system was developed so that NPDES permittees with a computer and an Internet connection can complete, sign, submit, edit, and re-submit eDMR forms on-line. This initiative was entirely funded through federal grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. With this grant, the Illinois EPA developed a system to change the old way of mailing in paper reports into a paperless, electronic submission process. The eDMR project will provide the capability for the regulated facilities to submit completed and signed DMRs required by their NPDES permits electronically. The system went online in April.

While participation in the electronic DMR project will be completely voluntary, the Illinois EPA will be strongly encouraging its NPDES permittees to use this convenient reporting method. NPDES permit holders who choose to use the eDMR system will not have to type monitoring data onto hardcopy DMR forms. In addition, there will be reduced paperwork, improved speed and accuracy in reporting, and convenient form completion. The eDMR system will benefit NPDES permit holders required to submit DMRs and will also benefit the Illinois EPA by reducing time needed to review the reports, eliminating inputting by hand and easier and more convenient storage of information.

The eDMR project will make e-commerce technology available to regulated facilities in the Illinois EPA's wastewater monitoring and compliance tracking program, saving them time and resources.

This electronic submission is accomplished with the security and procedures in place to ensure that the DMR data and the electronic signature remain unaltered throughout the process.

In addition, in a related action, the IEPA also is encouraging private laboratories that process community drinking water samples to submit the required analyses electronically to the IEPA, increasing efficiency and reducing paperwork. The system was piloted by a laboratory in Peoria and about 25 other labs around the state are now eligible to take advantage of it as well.

For more information about the eDMR system or to obtain registration materials, access the Illinois EPA's eDMR web site or contact the Agency's eDMR Coordinator at 217-782-9720.