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Managing Monitoring Data from Many Sources A New Hampshire Experience

Learn about the background on NHDES monitoring data, the development of the Environmental Monitoring Database (EMD) based on EPA's STORET database, and the process of electronic data submission. Discover the features of the EMD and how it expands within NHDES and beyond. Access EMD data online and find out about the next steps for the database.

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Managing Monitoring Data from Many Sources A New Hampshire Experience

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  1. Managing Monitoring Data from Many Sources A New Hampshire Experience Deb Soule Watershed Management Bureau New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services May 9, 2006

  2. Items to be covered • Background on NHDES monitoring data • Development of our own database based on EPA’s STOrage and RETrieval (STORET) database • Web access to database • Electronic data submittal process • Next steps - Using the Water Quality Exchange Schema

  3. Prior to 2003, how would you obtain NHDES water monitoring data? • Be on the inside track - know someone who knew where the data was • Sort through paper lab data in file cabinets • Weed through disks and databases of various formats

  4. We looked for a better solution. • Reviewed commercial databases (we’re too cheap) • Asked other states if we could copy their database (cheap option but not fruitful) • Reviewed STORET (didn’t fit all our needs) • Formed a department wide committee to develop a database (couldn’t get consensus) • Began development of our own database in the bureau

  5. Database development process • Bureau met every 2 weeks for several months to determine needs/wants • STORET structure and requirements were used as guidance • Organizations/Programs/Projects/Stations/Activities • Program needs were incorporated • Business plan was developed

  6. Core database is developed • Called the Environmental Monitoring Database (EMD), it was built: • by one developer in-house in 4 months • by a total design/development team of 3 people: business analyst, developer, and database administrator • using Oracle forms 6i with Oracle 8i for the back end • while working on other databases/projects • Imported almost all old bureau data (in electronic format) • Has automatic nightly imports of DES State Lab and bureau’s Limnology Lab data

  7. EMD facts • Went live March 2003 • Accepts both field and lab data for air, water, soil, product etc. • Accepts QA/QC samples and automated data logger files • Handles physical/chemical data – biological later • Has over 110 projects, 15,000 stations, 241,000 activities, and 1,870,000 results • Contains 64 screens and 48 tables (for main part of database only)

  8. EMD features • Contains modules to track complaints, beach inspections and shellfish sanitary surveys • Fulfills beach reporting requirements (both monitoring and advisory) • Can be linked to the Assessment Database (ADB) and is used as the basis for developing automated assessments • Can easily create STORET Import Module (SIM) compatible export files for upload to STORET

  9. The EMD expands within NHDES • Other bureaus/divisions contribute data • Superfund • Site Remediation • Geology Unit • Wastewater • Developed direct links between their databases and the EMD • Developed department wide committee to collectively create changes to the database

  10. The EMD beyond NHDES • Outside agencies/groups contribute data • University of NH • Several volunteer monitoring groups • Working with other agencies to bring in their data • We enhance/standardize their data to meet database requirements • Will upload to STORET for them free of charge • Why do we do this? We want/need data for assessments and the EMD is the basis for assessment data.

  11. EMD data available on the web • Went live June 2004 • Only “final” data is available • Can query by: Organization Project Name Station ID Station Type Town County State Waterbody Name River Name Designated River HUC 12 Name Analyte Medium • Data returned via email in Excel/pipe delimited file complete with your query parameters • Data available via: http://www2.des.state.nh.us/OneStop/Environmental_Monitoring_Query.aspx

  12. Electronic data submittal to the EMD via the web • Needed a way to receive standardized monitoring data electronically from consultants, outside labs, volunteers, cooperating agencies etc. • Developed Excel spreadsheets to import station and activity data separately (with XML planned for the future). • Developed web registration and submittal forms with data validation tool. • Developed interim table to capture what was being submitted, by whom, when etc.

  13. Next steps • Update EMD to Environmental Sampling, Analysis and Results (ESAR) data standards • Report data to EPA via Water Quality Data Exchange (WQX) • Eliminate local copy of STORET • Add biological component to EMD • eventually eliminate local copy of Ecological Data Application System (EDAS) • Update web site to include: • graphing capabilities • geographic queries

  14. Questions? Contact Information: Deb Soule Business Systems Analyst Watershed Management Bureau New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services dsoule@des.state.nh.us (603) 271-8863

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