ICIS-NPDES DMR Summary and Data Element Dictionary

The Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) system incorporates Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) data submitted by NPDES permit holders to the states or directly to EPA via the US EPA Central Data Exchange (CDX). This compendium of DMR data identifies the permit conditions or limits for each water discharge location, the actual values, identified by the permittee, for each monitored pollutant that were discharged, and whether or not the amounts discharged exceeded the permit limits. At EPA, DMR data is stored in the Office of Enforcement Compliance Assurance, Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) where it is extracted by ECHO.


DMR Description

The download data comprises comma-separated value files, one for each fiscal year since 2009- 2014, available in individual zip files. Each zip file is named npdes_dmrs_fyxxxx.zip and each CSV is named npdes_dmr_fyxxxx.csv, where xxxx is the fiscal year (e.g. npdes_dmrs_fy2014.zip).

The data contained in the download file is comprised of selected data columns from the following ICIS tables: 

IDEA_ICIS ICIS_DMR
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_DMR_EVENT
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_DMR_FORM
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_DMR_FORM_PARAMETER
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_DMR_FORM_VALUE
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_DMR_VALUE
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_LIMIT
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_LIMIT_SET
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_LIMIT_SET_SCHEDULE
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_LIMIT_SET_STATUS
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_LIMIT_VALUE
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_PERMIT
IDEA_ICIS ICIS_PERM_FEATURE

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ICIS-NPDES Data Elements

NPDES DMR (NPDES_DMR_FYxxxx.csv)

Element Name Data Type Length
ACTIVITY_ID Number 22
EXTERNAL_PERMIT_NMBR VarChar2 9
VERSION_NMBR Number 22
PERM_FEATURE_ID Number 22
PERM_FEATURE_NMBR VarChar2 4
PERM_FEATURE_TYPE_CODE VarChar2 3
LIMIT_SET_ID Number 22
LIMIT_SET_SCHEDULE_ID Number 22
LIMIT_ID Number 22
LIMIT_BEGIN_DATE Date 7
LIMIT_END_DATE Date 7
NMBR_OF_SUBMISSION Number 22
PARAMETER_CODE VarChar2 5
PARAMETER_DESC VarChar2 100
MONITORING_LOCATION_CODE VarChar2 3
STAY_TYPE_CODE VarChar2 1
LIMIT_VALUE_ID Number 22
LIMIT_VALUE_TYPE_CODE VarChar2 3
LIMIT_VALUE_NMBR Number 22
LIMIT_UNIT_CODE VarChar2 2
LIMIT_UNIT_DESC VarChar2 13
STANDARD_UNIT_CODE VarChar2 2
STANDARD_UNIT_DESC VarChar2 13
LIMIT_VALUE_STANDARD_UNITS Number 22
STATISTICAL_BASE_CODE VarChar2 3
STATISTICAL_BASE_TYPE_CODE VarChar2 3
LIMIT_VALUE_QUALIFIER_CODE VarChar2 3
STAY_VALUE_NMBR Number 22
DMR_EVENT_ID Number 22
MONITORING_PERIOD_END_DATE Date 7
DMR_FORM_VALUE_ID Number 22
VALUE_TYPE_CODE VarChar2 3
DMR_VALUE_ID Number 22
DMR_VALUE_NMBR Number 22
DMR_UNIT_CODE VarChar2 2
DMR_UNIT_DESC VarChar2 13
DMR_VALUE_STANDARD_UNITS Number 22
DMR_VALUE_QUALIFIER_CODE VarChar2 3
VALUE_RECEIVED_DATE Date 7
DAYS_LATE Number 22
NODI_CODE VarChar2 3
EXCEEDANCE_PCT Number 22
NPDES_VIOLATION_ID Number 22
VIOLATION_CODE VarChar2 5
RNC_DETECTION_CODE VarChar2 3
RNC_DETECTION_DATE Date 7
RNC_RESOLUTION_CODE VarChar2 3
RNC_RESOLUTION_DATE Date 7

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DMR Data Element Definitions

The following is a list of the data elements and ICIS-derived elements that appear in the NPDES DMR download.

ACTIVITY_ID - The unique identifier for an activity performed at or related to a particular site.

DAYS_LATE - The system-generated number of days the DMR value is late.

DMR_EVENT_ID - The sequence ID identifying the DMR Event.

DMR_FORM_VALUE_ID - The sequence ID identifying the DMR Form Value.

DMR_UNIT_CODE - The code representing the unit of measure applicable to quantity or concentration limits and measurements as entered by the user.

DMR_UNIT_DESC - The short description of the unit of measure applicable to limit or DMR values.

DMR_VALUE_ID - The system-generated unique identifier for the DMR value.

DMR_VALUE_NMBR - The DMR value number reported on the DMR form.

DMR_VALUE_QUALIFIER_CODE - The unique code identifying the DMR value operator (e.g., <, T, >, E, =).

DMR_VALUE_STANDARD_UNITS - The DMR value expressed in standard units as calculated by the system.

EXCEEDENCE_PCT - The system-generated percent by which the DMR value (or Adjusted Value) exceeded its Limit (or stay) value.

EXTERNAL_PERMIT_NMBR - The unique identifier for a permit.

LIMIT_BEGIN_DATE - The date on which a limit starts being in effect for a particular parameter in a limit set.

LIMIT_END_DATE - The date on which a limit stops being in effect for a particular parameter in a limit set.

LIMIT_ID - The unique identifier for a limit parameter record.

LIMIT_SET_ID - The system-generated unique identifier for a limit set.

LIMIT_SET_SCHEDULE_ID - The system-generated unique identifier of the Limit Set Schedule.

LIMIT_UNIT_CODE - The code representing the unit of measure applicable to quantity or concentration limits and measurements as entered by the user.

LIMIT_UNIT_DESC - The short description of the unit of measure applicable to limit or DMR values.

LIMIT_VALUE_ID - The system-generated unique identifier for the Limit Value.

LIMIT_VALUE_NMBR - The actual limit value number from the Permit or Enforcement Action Final Order.

LIMIT_VALUE_QUALIFIER_CODE - The unique code identifying the limit value operator (e.g., <, T, >, E, =).

LIMIT_VALUE_STANDARD_UNITS - The limit value expressed in standard units as calculated by the system.

LIMIT_VALUE_TYPE_CODE - The indication of the limit value type (e.g., Quantity 1, Concentration 2).

MONITORING_LOCATION_CODE - The code that the monitoring location at which the monitoring requirement (and effluent limit if limited) applies. One parameter may have several monitoring location requirements pertaining to the same permitted feature. Valid code values are:

Code Description
0 Intake
1 Effluent Gross
2 Effluent Net
3 Intake Public Water
4 Pretreatment, Process Complete
5 Upstream Monitoring
6 Downstream Monitoring
7 Intake from Stream
8 Other Treatment, Process Complete
9 Phosphate Removal, Process Complete
A Disinfection, Process Complete
AP Alternate Process
B Prior to Disinfection
C Nitrogen, Removal Complete
D Tertiary/Advanced Process Complete
E Secondary/Biological Process Complete
EG Effluent Gross
F Primary/Preliminary Process Complete
G Raw Sewage Influent
H During Manufacturing
I Intake from Well
IN Allowed Increase
J Intermediate Treatment, Process Complete
K Percent Removal
L Digestor
N In Aeration Unit
O See Comments
P See Comments
Q See Comments
R See Comments
RS Beneficial Reuse
RW Receiving Water
S See Comments
SC See Comments
SL Sludge
T See Comments
U See Comments
V See Comments
W See Comments
X End of Chlorine Contact Chamber
Z Instream Monitoring
Y Effluent Gross (Supplementary)
GW Groundwater
II Industrial Influent
IM Internal Monitoring Point
PI Prior to Irrigation
PR Prior to Reuse
LA Land Application Soil

MONITORING_PERIOD_END_DATE - The date that the monitoring period for the values covered by this DMR form ends.

NMBR_OF_SUBMISSION - The attribute stores the number of months for submitting the DMRs for the limit set (e.g., monthly = 1, semi-annually = 6, quarterly = 3); this data element will be blank for Unscheduled Limit Sets.

NODI_CODE - The unique no data indicator code indicates why no DMR Value was submitted by the permittee for a Monitoring Period End Date.

Code Description
1 Wrong Flow
2 Operation Shutdown
3 Special Report Attached
4 Discharge to Lagoon/Groundwater
5 Frozen Conditions
7 No Influent
8 Other (See Comments)
9 Conditional Monitoring - Not Required This Period
A General Permit Exemption
B Below Detection Limit/No Detection
C No Discharge
D Lost Sample/Data Not Available
E Analysis Not Conducted/No Sample
F Insufficient Flow for Sampling
G Sampling Equipment Failure
H Invalid Test
I Land Applied
J Recycled - Water-Closed System
K Natural Disaster
L DMR Received but not Entered
R Administratively Resolved
S Fire Conditions
V Weather Related
W Dry Lysimeter/Well
Q Not Quantifiable
X Parameter/Value Not Reported
M Laboratory Error
N Not Constructed

NPDES_VIOLATION_ID - The system-generated unique identifier for the NPDES Violation.

PARAMETER_CODE - The unique code identifying the parameter being limited and/or monitored.

PARAMETER_DESC - The description of the parameter.

PERM_FEATURE_ID - The unique system identifier of a permitted feature.

PERM_FEATURE_NMBR - The identifier assigned for each location at which permit conditions are being applied.

PERM_FEATURE_TYPE_CODE - The code indicating the type of permitted feature (e.g., External Outfall, Sum). Valid code values are:

Code Description
ARW Receiving Water (Ambient)
CDS Co-disposal Site
DOF Discharge to Offsite Facility
EXO External Outfall
INC Incinerator
INF Influent Structure
INO Internal Outfall
INS Intake Structure
LAS Land Application Site
MOD Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU)
OTR Other
PLA Platform
SDS Surface Disposal Site
SUB Subsea
SUM Sum
WEL Monitoring Well

RNC_DETECTION_CODE - The code indicating the reportable noncompliance (RNC) detected for a violation. Valid code values are:

Code Description
A Enforcement Order
B Manual 2A4 - Pass-Through
C Chronic Violation
D Manual Other
E Manual 2F - Permit Narrative
F Manual 2G - Violation of Concern
G Manual 2A1 - Effluent Violation
H Chronic Violation, Non-Monthly Average
I Manual 2A2 - Unauthorized Bypass
J Manual 2A3 - Unpermitted Discharge
K Non-receipt Violation, Non-Monthly Average
N Non-Receipt of DMR/Schedule Report
P Enforcement Order, Non-Monthly Average
Q Manual 2B - Pretreatment
R TRC Limitations Exceeded, Non-Monthly Average
S Schedule Violation
T TRC Limitations Exceeded
U Other Violation with TRC Non-Monthly Average
V Other Violation with TRC
W Manual 2E - Deficient Report
X Manual Other Violation with TRC
Y Manual TRC
Z Manual Chronic

RNC_DETECTION_DATE - The date that RNC was detected. It can be entered manually or automatically. In cases in which RNC is detected by ICIS-NPDES, the detection date entered will vary according to the type of violation detected.

RNC_RESOLUTION_CODE - The code indicating the resolution of noncompliance (RNC) for a violation. Valid code values are:

Code Description
A NC - Manual Unresolved RNC
B RE - Manual by EPA/State/Tribal Action
1 NC - Unresolved RNC
2 RE - Back into Compliance
3 RP - Due to Formal Enforcement Action Final Order with Compliance Schedule
4 RP - In Compliance with Formal Enforcement Action Final Order Requirement
5 RE - Resolved RP by NPDES Closure of Enforcement Action Final Order with Compliance Schedule
6 RE - Manual Resolution by Enforcement Action
7 RP - Manual RP - In Compliance with Formal Enforcement Action Order Requirement
8 RP - Manual Due to Formal Enforcement Action Formal Order
9 RE - Manual by Back into Compliance

RNC_RESOLUTION_DATE - The date RNC was marked to its current resolution status. It can be entered manually or automatically.

STANDARD_UNIT_DESC - The short description of the standard unit of measure applicable to limit or DMR values.

STATISTICAL_BASE_CODE - The code representing the unit of measure applicable to the limit and DMR values entered by the user (e.g., 30-day average, daily maximum). For a list of all codes and descriptions, download the Statistical Base Code Reference Table (CSV) (10 K).

STATISTICAL_BASE_TYPE_CODE - The code indicating whether the statistical base code is a minimum, average, or maximum for purposes of calculating compliance against the limit value. For a list of all codes and descriptions, download the Statistical Base Code Reference Table (CSV) (10 K).

STAY_TYPE_CODE - The unique identifier of the type of stay applied to a limit (e.g., X, Y, Z), which indicates whether the limits do not appear on the DMR at all, are treated as monitor only, or have a stay value in effect during the period of the stay.

STANDARD_UNIT_CODE - The code representing the standard unit of measure applicable to quantity or concentration limits and measurements as entered by the user.

STAY_VALUE_NMBR - The numeric limit value imposed during the period of the stay for the limit; if entered, during the stay period, the system will use this limit value for calculating compliance rather than the actual limit value.

VALUE_TYPE_CODE - The indication of the limit value type (e.g., Quantity 1, Concentration 2).

VALUE_RECEIVED_DATE - The date the DMR value was received by the regulatory authority.

VERSION_NMBR - The version of the permit when a modification or reissuance is applied to the permit.

VIOLATION_CODE - The code identifying which type of violation has occurred (e.g., D80 = Required Monitoring DMR Value Non-Receipt, E90 = Effluent Violation, C20 = Schedule Event Achieved Late).

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