A Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) is a United States regulatory term for a periodic water pollution report prepared by

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, municipalities and other facilities discharging to

surface water Surface water is water located on top of land forming terrestrial (inland) waterbodies, and may also be referred to as ''blue water'', opposed to the seawater and waterbodies like the ocean. The vast majority of surface water is produced by prec ...

s. The facilities collect wastewater samples, conduct chemical and/or

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tests of the samples, and submit reports to a state agency or the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). All point source dischargers to ”Waters of the U.S.” must obtain a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit from the appropriate agency, and many permittees are required to file DMRs.

NPDES permits and DMR reporting process

For permits other than

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permits, the agencies issue effluent limitations for specific pollutants, pursuant to the

Clean Water Act The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the responsibiliti ...

(CWA). The basis for these limitations depends on the type of discharging facility, the discharge characteristics and status of the specific surface water body receiving the discharge. * National technology-based standards apply to many industries (these standards are called " effluent guidelines"), and to municipal sewage treatment plants. * Some dischargers are subject to water quality-based effluent limitations, derived from water quality standards for the adjacent water body. * For pollutants not covered by the above circumstances, the agency may set technology-based limitations based on its "best professional judgment" (BPJ). Most NPDES permits require facilities to submit monthly DMRs, but some permits require seasonal or semi-annual reporting. Facilities may collect and analyze samples more frequently, e.g. weekly, and summarize the results for the prescribed reporting period. Permits typically require reporting of wastewater flow and the results of one or more chemical tests corresponding to the effluent limitations. Typical monitoring parameters include pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), nutrients (

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and phosphorus), various toxic pollutants, temperature, etc. Some permits also require aquatic biomonitoring of the receiving waterbody.

Accessing DMR Data

The CWA defines DMR data as publicly available information (except for data that would reveal trade secrets). EPA houses DMR data in its Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS). The ''NPDES e-reporting Tool Discharge Monitoring Report'' (NetDMR) is an EPA web-based tool that allows NPDES permittees to electronically sign and submit their discharge monitoring reports to EPA via a secure internet connection (NetDMR is the new tool that replaced the previous Permit Compliance System (PCS)). Information from ICIS database is available through EPA's "Envirofacts" website and "Enforcement and Compliance History Online" (ECHO). The Agency provides a DMR "Pollutant Loading Tool" to help users determine who is discharging, what pollutants they are discharging and how much, and where they are discharging. EPA also allows users to search its

Facility Registry System The Facility Registry System (FRS) is a centrally managed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) database that identifies facilities, sites or places of environmental interest in the United States. Overview FRS creates facility identification record ...

, to compare a facility's compliance with air, water and solid waste permits and regulations.

Notes

{{US Environmental law United States federal environmental legislation Water pollution in the United States United States Environmental Protection Agency

NPDES permits and DMR reporting process

Accessing DMR Data

See also

Notes