Wastewater Operators, Have You Switched to NetDMR Yet?

IDEM will only be accepting electronic reports come the end of 2016. Your wastewater treatment plant's paper reports will soon be a thing of the past. Wessler is here to help make this transition easier. In this blog post we will cover what you will need to get started, what initial steps you need to take, and additional options available to help you make the transition before it is too late!

“IDEM will not accept paper DMRs/MROs/MMRs after the end of 2016. The last paper DMRs that can be submitted will be for November 2016. NetDMR will be required for all DMRs/MROs/MMRs beginning with the December 2016 reports.” - IDEM 

The NetDMR system has been developed for the acceptance and data-cataloging of NPDES and industrial wastewater reports.  As noted above, the switch from the traditional method of mailing paper hardcopies of your monthly reports into IDEM will soon cease to be an option.

IDEM offers training opportunities to assist communities with the setup and initial use of the NetDMR system; but these training courses require the users to bring their own laptops, a requirement that has kept some communities from taking the beginning steps. 

Although the 2016 deadline seems far away, IDEM has limited resources to help communiteis make the tranistiion. The sooner your plant makes the switch, the more resources will be available and more likely you will be able to avoid potential fines. 

Below are answers to some of the common questions and concerns you may have about transitioning to NetDMR Reporting.

What does my facility need prior to setting up the transfer to NetDMR?

• Your facility needs a computer with high-speed internet access and Microsoft Internet Explorer v6+ or Firefox v2+; and,

• A scanner or equivalent method of digitizing Monthly Reports of Operation, bypass overflow reports, and other report forms.

What do the initial steps involve?

1. You can start with some practice on the EPA’s test website. The test website behaves exactly the same as the live website and allows you to practice filling out your electronic Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR), attaching relevant documentation such as Monthly Reports of Operation (MROs), and submitting reports to IDEM.  IDEM will receive these practice runs as “practice” runs so that you can verify if the documents have arrived.
   
   
2. Register to use the Live site. This step will require that the “Chief Executive Officer” that typically signs the DMR paper forms (for example, the Mayor or Town Council President) fills out the Indiana Subscriber Agreement and gives permission to a specific person, usually the Certified Operator in responsible Charge, to electronically certify and sign the submitted documents on behalf of the NPDES Permittee.  The Indiana Subscriber Agreement must be sent to IDEM and verified which usually consists of a simple phone call to the Chief Executive Officer.
   
   
3. Now the Operator can begin using the NetDMR live site to submit the monthly reports and the Chief Executive Officer no longer has to sign the reports prior to their submission to IDEM.

I’m not very computer savvy, and I do not have a laptop to take to the training courses that are offered.  What can I do?

IDEM’s staff is a great resource for getting help with specific questions or problems, but for a full tutorial we recommend trying a few other resources:

• Check out IDEM’s list of Frequently Asked Questions about NetDMR
• The EPA’s online “Getting Started” Guide 
• IDEM’s NetDMR Registration Walk-Through guidance 

Still in the dark?  No worries, Wessler has assisted clients with personal, on-site assistance for all your NetDMR needs including: getting you registered, running practice submittals, submitting your first live report and following reports as requested until you feel fully comfortable with the full process. We are fully comitted to helping clients. Contact us today and ask for Adam Downey if you have any questions about this new process.