Data Entry Guidance and Technical Papers

Data Entry Guidance for Select NPDES Data Elements

This memorandum provides guidance to authorized National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) programs regarding how they should manage data for unusual circumstances with permittees that may necessitate overriding system-generated compliance evaluations. This memorandum also provides guidance on how to identify and track changes to a permittee’s designation as a “major.” Use of this guidance will help provide greater nationally-consistent transparency to the public on non-compliance as we will be better able to correctly generate and show compliance evaluations for NPDES permittees.  

Implementation Technical Paper No. 1 - Public Access to Non-Major DMR Data and Compliance Status

This paper describes how EPA’s NPDES data system (ICIS-NPDES) will handle DMR non-receipt violations for non-majors so that authorized NPDES programs will not need to spend much time addressing erroneous DMR non-receipt violations in ICIS-NPDES. The approach outlined in this paper provides authorized NPDES programs with sufficient time to share facility and permit data with ICIS-NPDES and to conduct outreach, training, and registration for NetDMR and other electronic reporting tools.

Implementation Technical Paper No. 2 - Data requirements for NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule Sewer Overflow, Bypass, POTW, and LTCP-specific Data Elements

This technical paper provides more detail for data elements specific to noncompliant sewer overflows, bypasses, and data specific to POTWs and LTCPs.

Implementation Technical Paper No. 3 - Data Elements for Tracking Electronic Reporting Progress and Other Phase 1 Data Elements

This paper support implementation of the final rule by providing further information for the data elements indentifies in the final rule (Appendix A to 40 CFR 127).  In particular, this paper provides more information on the requirements, reference values, system requirements, and important dates for implementing data elements specific to tracking approved electronic reporting waivers and progress in transitioning to electronic reporting.  This paper also summarizes details for other Phase 1 data elements.  See Attachment 1 for a listing of the data elements discussed in this paper. 

Implementation Technical Paper No. 4 - Data Sharing Guidance for NPDES Permit Coverage Status and Permit Date Data Elements

This paper provides data entry guidance to EPA Regions and states regarding how EPA and states can track the status of permit coverage from permit issuance to expiration.

Implementation Technical Paper No. 5 - Data Entry Guidance for Biosolids Data Elements

This paper supports implementation of the NPDES Electronic Reporting rule (Appendix A to 40 CFR 127). In particular, this paper provides further information for the biosolids data elements identified in this rule.

Implementation Technical Paper No. 6 - Data requirements for NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule CAFO-specific Data Elements

This paper supports implementation of the final rule by providing further information for the data elements identified in the final rule (Appendix A to 40 CFR part 127). In particular, this technical paper provides more detail on electronic formatting and submission of data elements required to be submitted through CAFO annual reports, compliance monitoring activities, and permit applications and Notices of Intent (NOI).

Implementation Technical Paper No. 7 Data Entry Guidance for Pretreatment Data Elements

• Attachment to Technical Paper No. 7 - Template for Pretreatment Pollutant Concentration Data for Semi-Annual Compliance Monitoring Report (xlsx) (19.54 KB)

Implementation Technical Paper No. 8 - Data requirements for NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule CWA Section 316 Data Elements

This technical paper supports implementation of the final rule by providing further information for the data elements identified in the final rule (Appendix A to 40 CFR part 127). In particular, this technical paper provides more detail for data elements specific to Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 316 that are already required to be submitted under NPDES regulations. 

Implementation Technical Paper No. 9 - Data Entry Guidance for Stormwater Information

This paper supports implementation of the final rule by providing further information for the data elements identified in the final rule (Appendix A to 40 CFR part 127). This technical paper provides more detail on electronic formatting and submission of data elements required to be submitted through authorized NPDES program inspections and oversight, MS4 program compliance monitoring reports, NPDES permit applications, and NPDES general permit reports [e.g., Notices of Intent (NOIs)].  The first version of this technical paper was issued on October 23, 2018.  This revised version incorporates recent changes to the NPDES eRule MS4 data elements (85 FR 20873; 15 April 2020). EPA used a separate notice and comment rulemaking to make the NPDES eRule MS4 data elements conform with the information collection and data sharing requirements found in the 2016 MS4 General Permit Remand Rule (81 FR 89320, 8 December 2016).

• Data Entry Guidance for Select NPDES Data Elements (pdf) (77.71 KB, December 28, 2016)
• Implementation Technical Paper No. 1 - Public Access to Non-Major DMR Data and Compliance Status (pdf) (619.21 KB, December 22, 2016)
• Implementation Technical Paper No. 2 Data requirements for NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule Sewer Overflow, Bypass, POTW, and LTCP-specific Data Elements (pdf) (2.79 MB, April 19, 2018)
• Implementation Technical Paper No. 3 - Data Elements for Tracking Electronic Reporting Progress (pdf) (1.07 MB, 2 Jun 2017)
• Implementation Technical Paper No. 4 - Data Sharing Guidance for NPDES Permit Coverage Status and Permit Date Data Elements (pdf) (1.47 MB, April 2, 2018)
• Implementation Technical Paper No. 5 - Data Entry Guidance for Biosolids Data Elements (pdf) (1.19 MB, January 28, 2018)
• Implementation Technical Paper No. 6 - Data requirements for NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule CAFO-specific Data Elements (pdf) (1.73 MB, April 2018)
• Implementation Technical Paper No. 7 Data Entry Guidance for Pretreatment Data Elements (pdf) (1.46 MB, July 27, 2018)
• Implementation Technical Paper No. 8 - Data requirements for NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule CWA Section 316 Data Elements (pdf) (1.38 MB, June 20, 2018)
• Implementation Technical Paper No. 9 - Data Requirements for NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule Stormwater Information (pdf) (1.82 MB, June 30, 2020)