Generating a DMR or an MER

In the Essential Water module, you can generate a Federal, West Virginia, or Illinois Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR), or a Texas Monthly Effluent Report (MER) for a water outfall during a defined period of time. Reports are populated with water permit and sampling information previously entered into your Essential database. The quality of the reports generated depends on the quality of the data that you enter into the database. You must establish the following information before you can generate a meaningful DMR/MER that accurately reflects your operations:

• Reporting entity information.

• Permit information for any federal and state permits to be listed on the DMR/MER.

• Process units that represent the reporting outfalls (emission points).

• Information for monitored parameters.

• Outfall parameter information for the parameters you have identified.

• Outfall parameter limits, if required by permits.

• Process data for parameters you are monitoring.

• Outfall reporting information, as it should appear on the DMR/MER.

• Parameter reporting information, as it should appear on the DMR/MER.

• Outfall parameter reporting information, as it should appear on the DMR/MER.

Refer to the online help available for the specific forms involved with establishing information required to generate a DMR/MER, when necessary.

For additional instruction on generating a DMR/MER, click the following links or use the scroll bar to scan the page.

Overview of DMR/MER Processing

Use the DMR/MER Setup form to select outfalls or groups of outfalls for the report, define a reporting time period, and specify the method of loading for loading calculations. The Straight Average method uses daily average values of quality and quantity monitoring parameters to calculate loading for that day. Only days with both quality and quantity values will be used. The Time Averaged method considers the number of hours a value has been valid. The calculation assumes a value remains constant over time until a new value is entered.

You can preview report data and modify the following values on the DMR Modification form for the current instance of the report before you print:

• Frequency of analysis (“Measurement Frequency” on the West Virginia DMR)—the value entered in the Monitoring Parameters section on the Outfall form is the default.

• Comments—the comment entered in the DMR Comments section on the Outfall form is the default.

• Analyst—the value entered on the Outfall Report Information form is the default.

• Laboratory—the value entered on the Outfall Report Information form is the default.

Generally, you cannot change information that is stored in the Essential database at the time you set report parameters for a DMR/MER. However, you can make changes to the analyst, laboratory, and comments information on the DMR Modification form, and save the changes to the Essential database. If you note any errors or omissions in your other reporting data, correct the data in Essential before regenerating the DMR/MER.

You can also preview a supplemental report of raw operational data before you print your DMR/MER.

Both the supplemental report and actual DMR/MER are displayed in separate windows as Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files. Options are available to print the report, save it to your desktop or another local destination, and send it as an email attachment.

Note:  An Electronic Discharge Monitoring Report (eDMR) can be generated to satisfy filing requirements for the State of Illinois and an electronic DMR can be generated for the State of Texas and National NetDMR applications. Refer to Electronic DMR.

Defining Report Parameters

Use the DMR/MER Setup form to select outfalls or groups of outfalls for the report, define a reporting time period, and specify the method of loading for loading calculations. The Straight Average method uses daily average values of quality and quantity monitoring parameters to calculate loading for that day. Only days with both quality and quantity values will be used. The Time Averaged method considers the number of hours a value has been valid. The calculation assumes a value remains constant over time until a new value is entered.

You can also select the Print Supplemental Data Report option on the DMR/MER Setup form.

To define report parameters

Tip:  The steps below apply to all DMRs/MERs unless otherwise noted. (An additional step is required for the West Virginia DMR and the Texas MER.)

1. Click Reports > DMR Reports and the report to be generated in the Navigation Tree.
   
   The DMR/MER Setup form is displayed.

2. Click the Select Outfalls button.

3. Select the appropriate Entity from the list.
   
   All outfalls associated with the entity are displayed as line items.

4. Select the applicable outfalls by clicking the check box for each one and clicking OK. Click the Select All check box to quickly choose all of the outfalls displayed.
   
   The DMR/MER Setup form is displayed with all of the selected outfalls listed as line items in the Outfalls and Outfall Groups section.

5. Select the appropriate outfall(s) by clicking the check box for each one. Select just one outfall to generate a Supplemental Data report or to modify report data.

6. Expand the Time Period section when necessary and enter the appropriate Year.

7. Use the following guidelines to specify the reporting Period:

1. • Select a month from the list for the Period field and select the Monthly or Quarterly option. When reporting quarterly, choose the first month of the quarter for the Period field.

   • When the reporting permit involves a non-standard date range, click the Use defined range check box and enter the Start and End date. The Calendar buttons are available to select the dates.

   • Change the Report Date when applicable. Click the Calendar button to select a new date.

8. Expand the Calculation Method section and click the Assume no discharge check box when there are no sample results to report during the monitoring period.

9. Using the following guidelines, select the Loading Calculation Method:

1. • The Straight Average method uses daily average values of quality and quantity monitoring parameters to calculate loading for that day. Only days with both quality and quantity values will be used.

   • The Time Averaged method considers the number of hours a value has been valid. The calculation assumes a value remains constant over time until a new value is entered.

10. For the West Virginia DMR only, select the applicable Options from the list for each field.

11. Click the Print Supplemental Data Report check box to view or print the raw operational data used to calculate the report values for the DMR/MER.

12. For the Texas MER only, select the Do Not Report Discharge Days check box when applicable.

13. Refer to Generating, Viewing, Saving, Printing, and Emailing Reports to continue.

Generating, Viewing, Saving, Printing, and Emailing Reports

The Preview and Print buttons on the DMR/MER Setup form activate the report generation process. Once the DMR/MER and/or Supplemental Data reports are generated, they are displayed in the separate windows as Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files. Options are available to print the report, save it to your desktop or another local destination, and send it as an email attachment.

To generate, view, save, print, and email reports

1. Click Reports > DMR Reports and the report to be generated in the Navigation Tree.

2. Specify report parameters as outlined in Defining Report Parameters and click the Preview button when only one outfall has been selected for the report or click the Bulk Preview button when multiple outfalls have been specified.
   
   The report is displayed as a .pdf document in a separate window. The Supplemental Data report is also displayed as a .pdf document in a separate window when that option was selected on the DMR/MER Setup form.

3. Use the buttons on the toolbar to view each page of the report, save the report to your desktop or another location, print the report, and email the report.
   
   Emailing capabilities are available with Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 7.0 or higher. As an alternative, you can save the report and add the file as an attachment when creating an email message.

Modifying Report Data

When you set up your Essential database, the information entered applies to every occurrence of a DMR/MER you generate. However, there may be times when you need to modify the information for an instance of the report, while maintaining the existing specifications for your permits and outfalls in Essential. For example, you might have set up the Concentration of Benzene parameter sampling frequency for an outfall as five times per month. If four samples were collected for the current month, you could modify the frequency to reflect the actual frequency for the current report month on the DMR Modification form. Likewise, if you use a different laboratory or analyst for the current reporting period, you can modify the information for this instance of the report.

The DMR Modification form can be used to make one-time changes to the following information:

• Frequency of analysis (“Measurement Frequency” on the West Virginia DMR)—the value entered in the Monitoring Parameters section on the Outfall form is the default.

• Comments—the comment entered in the DMR Comments section on the Outfall form is the default.

• Analyst—the value entered on the Outfall Report Information form is the default.

• Laboratory—the value entered on the Outfall Report Information form is the default.

You can make changes to the analyst, laboratory, and comments information on the DMR Modification form, and save the changes to the Essential database. If you note any errors or omissions in your other reporting data, correct the data in Essential before regenerating the DMR/MER.

To modify report data

1. Click Reports > DMR Reports and the report to be generated in the Navigation Tree.

2. Specify report parameters as outlined in Defining Report Parameters and click the Print button.

3. Click the OK button for the Modify report data prompt.
   
   The DMR Modification form is displayed.

4. Expand the Frequency Modification section when necessary and review the parameters assigned to the outfall.
   
   The Total Samples field displays the number of samples recorded on the Process Data Entry form and/or the Sample Quickfill form during the reporting period. The BDL Samples field contains the number of samples below the detection limit during the reporting period.

5. Use the following guidelines to change a parameter frequency:

1. • Click the Edit button adjacent to the parameter line item to display the Frequency Modification form.

   • Select a Frequency from the list that represents the interval you use to sample data for the parameter.

   • To enter a user-defined frequency for the report, click the User Defined check box and edit the User Defined Frequency. The default value is the number of actual samples entered for the parameter during the reporting period, and the report period, separated by a slash (/). For example, if 5 samples were entered for the parameter and the reporting period is monthly, "5/month" is the default value.

   • Click OK to save the changes and return to the DMR Modification form.

6. Expand the Comments and Analysis Modifications section when necessary.
   
   The Comments field displays the comments entered in the DMR Comments section on the Outfall form. The Laboratory and Analyst fields show values entered on the Outfall Report Information form.

7. Review existing comments and edit as necessary; or add comments when none exist.

8. Select a different Laboratory and/or Analyst from the list for each field.
   
   The laboratory must be set up via the Enterprise Entity form and designated as a Laboratory in the Entity Designation section. The analyst must be established on the Contacts and Personnel form.

9. Permanently change the comments, laboratory, and analyst values in your Essential database by clicking Update Essential EH&S Data.

10. Click Modify & Preview to review the modified report.
    
    Click Cancel to discard any modifications made to outfalls, unless you have already updated your Essential database by clicking Update Essential EH&S Data.

Electronic DMR

An Electronic Discharge Monitoring Report (eDMR) can be generated to satisfy filing requirements for the State of Illinois and an electronic DMR can be generated for the State of Texas and National NetDMR applications. Specify reporting parameters and initiate the generation process on the DMR/MER Setup form. Report data is displayed as a text file after the generation process is complete. State of Illinois data is displayed in ASCII format and State of Texas data in CSV format. Save the file to your desktop or another local destination and use it when uploading your data to the applicable electronic DMR system.

Use the guidelines below to verify that your Essential database contains the appropriate information to generate a meaningful electronic DMR file with all required data.

• The Report Designator property has been added to the Process Unit form for the outfall. The first character of the value in the Text field is used as the designator. The Report Designator is used for the Limit Set Designator in the Texas NetDMR file.

• The one-character No Data Indicator Code (NODI) has been specified in the Report Details section on the Outfall Parameter Report Information form. For eDMR reporting, the code will be used when all measurement fields are blank. For National NetDMR and Texas NetDMR reporting, the code will be used when there are no sample measurements to report either because there are none for the monitoring period or the Assume no discharge check box in the Calculation Method section on the DMR/MER Setup form has been selected.

• The one-character Monitoring Location Code has been specified in the Report Details section on the Outfall Parameter Report Information form. This code is required to generate a Texas NetDMR.

• For the Texas NetDMR, the one-character Season Number has been specified in the Report Details section on the Outfall Parameter Report Information form. Leave this field blank and the Season Number field in the NetDMR file will be automatically populated with zero (0) as a default.

• For the Texas NetDMR, the NET DMR Unit has been entered on the Report Unit form when the required Texas NetDMR reporting unit of measure is different than the units used by your facility or for other reports.

• The Parameter Code is the first five characters of the Description Line 3 field value in the General Parameter Information section on the Outfall Parameter Report Information form.

• The Sample Type codes assigned to the monitoring parameters you track on the Outfall form and the Outfall Parameter Definition form match valid electronic DMR sample type codes. Or, the Use User Defined Sample Type check box in the Report Details section on the Outfall Parameter Report Information form has been selected and a valid sample type code has been entered. For Texas NetDMR reporting, if the user-defined check box is selected but no valid sample type has been entered, null values will be reported even when there is a valid default sample type.

• The Frequency field in the Monitoring Parameters section on the Outfall form contains a valid five-character Frequency of Analysis entry. Or, the Use User Defined Frequency check box in the Report Details section on the Outfall Parameter Report Information form has been selected and a valid frequency code has been entered. For Texas NetDMR reporting, if the user-defined check box is selected but no valid frequency has been entered, null values will be reported even when there is a valid default sample frequency.

To generate an electronic DMR file

1. Click Reports > DMR Reports > National & Texas NetDMRs or Illinois DMR/eDMR in the Navigation Tree.
   
   The DMR/MER Setup form is displayed.

2. Click the Select Outfalls button.

3. Select the appropriate Entity from the list.
   
   All outfalls associated with the entity are displayed as line items.

4. Select the applicable outfalls by clicking the check box for each one and clicking OK. Click the Select All check box to quickly choose all of the outfalls displayed.
   
   The DMR/MER Setup form is displayed with all of the selected outfalls listed as line items in the Outfalls and Outfall Groups section.

5. Select the appropriate outfall(s) by clicking the check box for each one.

6. Expand the Time Period section when necessary and enter the appropriate Year.

7. Use the following guidelines to specify the reporting Period:

1. • Select a month from the list for the Period field and select the Monthly or Quarterly option. When reporting quarterly, choose the first month of the quarter for the Period field.

   • When the reporting permit involves a non-standard date range, click the Use defined range check box and enter the Start and End dates. The Calendar button next to each field is available to select the date.

   • Change the Report Date when applicable. The Calendar button is available to select the appropriate date.

8. Expand the Calculation Method section and click the Assume no discharge check box when there are no sample results to report during the monitoring period.
   
   Tip:  For Texas NetDMR reporting, if sample results exist for the monitoring period and the Assume no discharge check box is selected, no results will be reported.

9. Using the following guidelines, select the Loading Calculation Method:

1. • The Straight Average method uses daily average values of quality and quantity monitoring parameters to calculate loading for that day. Only days with both quality and quantity values will be used.

   • The Time Averaged method considers the number of hours a value has been valid. The calculation assumes a value remains constant over time until a new value is entered.

10. Click the National NetDMR, Texas NetDMR, or Illinois eDMR button in the Electronic DMR section to generate the report.
    
    Report data is displayed as a text file in a separate window.

11. View the data, as needed. Refer to the National NetDMR File format, Texas NetDMR File format, and Illinois eDMR File format descriptions when necessary.

12. Use the browser commands to save, print, etc., the file. It is recommended that you change the default file name before saving; you may want to include the reporting period in the name for reference purposes.

National NetDMR File format

For the DMR files uploaded to the EPA's National NetDMR platform, a comma-separated value (CSV) format file that is compatible with the NetDMR application is generated. The table below lists the file contents.

Note:  The National NetDMR report allows you to submit an abbreviated report that lists only columns 1 through 5. If you submit an abbreviated report, you must select a NODI Code in column 5 to provide a reason for reporting no additional data. If you submit the full version of the report (columns 1-34), then you must leave column 5 blank.

Texas NetDMR File format

For the State of Texas, a comma-separated value (CSV) format file that is compatible with the NetDMR application is generated. The table below lists the file contents.

Illinois eDMR File format

For the State of Illinois, a comma-delimited ASCII format file that is compatible with the Illinois EPA eDMR System is generated. The table below lists the file contents.