Stormwater Electronic Discharge Monitoring Reports (eDMR)

What is eDMR?
How To Get Started
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Six Step Process

What is eDMR?

EPA published the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Rule, which will modernize Clean Water Act reporting for municipalities, industries and other facilities. Administrator Gina McCarthy signed the rule on September 24, 2015 and it was published in the Federal Register on Oct. 22, 2015. The rule replaces most paper-based NPDES reporting requirements with electronic reporting, requiring regulated entities to report information electronically instead of filing written paper reports. The rule does not change what information is required; it only changes the method by which information is provided. The rule also requires states and other regulatory authorities to share data electronically with EPA. The data that these regulatory authorities will share with EPA includes the data they receive from regulated entities, along with the compliance monitoring (e.g., inspection), violation determination, and enforcement action data they generate themselves.

The Electronic Discharge Monitoring Report (eDMR) is a web enabled application developed to capture discharge monitoring information. The eDMR application provides users with an alternative to submitting hand-written or paper-based DMRs that is secure, faster, more efficient, and less burdensome for both the regulated users and NC DEQ. It allows permitted facilities the ability to enter required DMR data and the ability to view, print, and revise DMRs stored within the database. Once a report is electronically signed and submitted, the reporting requirement has been completed and signed copies are no longer required to be mailed to Central Files.

Benefits of eDMR

• Saves time and resources by eliminating paper reports;
• Online access to electronically submitted monitoring reports;
• Built in validation rules reduce reporting errors;
• Provides a complete and accurate set of monitoring data on industrial facilities; and
• Brings DEQ and permittees into compliance with EPA’s NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule

All reports submitted in the eDMR system are accepted with electronic signature and no signed hardcopy is required to be mailed to the NC Stormwater Permitting Program.

How To Get Started

All permittees required to conduct analytical monitoring must complete Steps 1 and 2 of the eDMR Six Step Registration Process. If you have submitted registration paperwork but have not received eDMR account set-up information, please contact Joyce Sanford to inquire about the status.

Before submitting the eDMR Registration Form, please make sure that the permit contacts are up to date (Step 1 of the Six Step Process). Important permit contacts such as Owner Affiliation (for eDMR Owner privileges) and Person(s) with Delegated Signatory Authority (for eDMR Submitter privileges) should be current. Review the list of all stormwater permits that are assigned to a given Owner. If your permit is not up to date, this can lead to a delay in your eDMR registration.

All eDMR users should read through the Stormwater eDMR User Guide before contacting staff with questions. Section 7 of the User Guide on how to create and submit eDMR reports is especially helpful.

Permittees may also find Significant Figures and Their Use on Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) helpful. It covers the use of significant figures and how to report levels that are recorded as “non-detect” values (Section 3 of the User Guide).

Please visit the Wastewater eDMR website if you need information about electronic reporting for an NPDES wastewater permit.

System Requirements for eDMR

To use the North Carolina eDMR application, the user must have the following:

• A basic computer with adequate memory and resources for internet functions;
• An internet connection;
• An internet browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge);
• A PDF reader (Adobe Reader, Adobe Acrobat, or other available PDF reader); and
• A valid email address.

Permittees who do not have the above items may submit an Application for Temporary Stormwater Electronic Reporting Waiver.

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