Using the Exchange Network A User’s Perspective Deb Soule Watershed Management Bureau New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

Experience Using the Network Not a lot of hands on experience, but I’ve got plans… Creating universal data submittal templates based on the e-DWR schema for “outsiders” to submit data to NHDES based on the e-DWR schema for “outsiders” to submit data to NHDES Submitted beach advisory data using beach XML schema Propose to submit STORET data using Water Quality Monitoring Data Exchange (especially if we get NEIEN grant $$) Gulf of Maine Nutrient Data Grant Proposal Gulf of Maine Ocean Data Partnership

Universal Data Submittal Templates Developing in conjunction with Public Drinking Water Program Creating submittal templates in Excel to start with XML later Based on e-DWR schema and some draft Environmental Data Standards Council (EDSC) environmental sampling, analysis and results (ESAR) data elements to cover non-drinking water columns Goal is to have one universal template for outside folks to submit data to NHDES After registration, files are submitted via web, validated, held in data submittal warehouse, and routed to appropriate databases

Beach Data Successfully submitted beach advisory data to EPA via CDX on March 12, 2004 and again on November 19 th Built in-house, integrated, Oracle database to track advisory and monitoring data Mapped our advisory database elements to beach XML schema, created XML file and submitted to CDX. Everything went fairly smoothly. There were some iterations due to problems on our side and EPA’s. Monitoring data uploaded to National STORET via data dump from our own local copy of STORET

Our Current STORET Set-up A Recipe for Network Potential In-house Environmental Monitoring Database State Lab Data Staff Field Data Outside data (consultants, volunteer groups etc.) Use Cognos/Clear Access to create text export file Use STORET Interface Module (SIM) to import text file into local copy of STORET Create data dump of local STORET and send to National STORET

What’s wrong with that scenario? Data duplicated in state lab, our database, our STORET copy – a lot of duplicate storage. If need to make an edit, manually change in all affected places – well, hopefully. Resource intensive Staff time Database - Keeps track of changes made to STORET imported records or only allow edits by certain users.

Network Solution to This? The Water Quality Monitoring Data Exchange EPA’s alternative for states/agencies that cannot/will not operate a local copy of STORET Agree to adopt all applicable Environmental Data Standards Council (EDSC) approved data standards and associated method standards from EPA’s System of Registries

Our 2005 NEIEN Grant Proposal Update current database to EDSC standards Acquire outside agency data for NH and enhance it to meet these standards Expand our current web data services Map the data to the Water Quality Monitoring Data Exchange schema(s).

What are the benefits? We hope to eventually retire our local copy of STORET. Reduce one “duplicate” storage Replace Excel export from database to SIM upload to STORET process with automation of XML Make our DBA happy. Make our DBA happy. We can provide this data exchange service for other organizations/agencies in NH. They don’t have to reinvent the wheel/invest resources. We get their data for waterbody assessment purposes.

What are the benefits? (cont.) Supplying data to others become easier Less need for additional documentation to explain data being supplied – schema should do most of it Only have to maintain one format Others will already know format

Other Exchange Related Projects Partner in “Gulf of Maine Nutrient Water Quality Data Exchange” grant proposal Partner in Gulf of Maine Ocean Data Partnership For both of these, we would supply our data using the Water Quality Monitoring Data Exchange schema. The schema becomes our standard of supplying data to others.

Questions? Deb Soule New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Phone: (603)