Who can submit Groundwater DMRs through eDEP?
The Groundwater Discharge Permittee, a person with authority for the permit, needs to set up an eDEP account and submit a Proof of Identity form. Once the Proof is processed the permittee will be able to submit the DMRs through that eDEP account.
On the Proof of Identity form the permittee may designate an "Authorized Agent". The Agent sets up an eDEP account but is not required to submit a Proof. The Agent will be affiliated with the Permittee's account which will allow the Agent access to the DMRs. Any submittal made by the Agent will also be accessible through the Permittee's account.
What is a Proof of Identity and do I need to submit one?
The Proof of Identity form verifies your identity by notarized signature and your authority to submit DMRs for the Groundwater Discharge facility and to appoint someone else to do so.
In order to file DMRs through eDEP, the Groundwater Discharge Permittee must file the Proof of Identity form.
How Do I File the Proof of Identity form?
- Login or Create Your Account: eDEP Online Filing
- From My Homepage go to My Profile > Proof of Identity.
- Check the Apply for Proof box and select Groundwater Discharge Permittee from the dropdown menu.
- Enter the Federal Tax Identification number (TIN) and the Business name for the facility and click Apply.
- Check the Apply for a Groundwater Discharge Permittee box, enter the permit number, enter a designated Authorized Agent's name and company name if applicable. Click Apply.
- Print the Standard Proof of Identity form, and have it signed and notarized. Mail the form to the address indicated at the top of the form.
You will be notified via email when the Proof has been processed and the DMR forms are available online.
What is an Authorized Agent and how can the Agent submit my DMRs?
An Authorized Agent is a person designated by the Permittee to submit the DMRs for the facility. To do this the Agent sets up his own eDEP account, NO PROOF REQUIRED.
Once the Permittee's Proof of Identity has been processed, he/she will receive instructions for affiliating the Agent with their account. The affiliation will allow the Agent access to the DMRs under their own eDEP account. Whatever forms are submitted by the Agent will also be viewable from the homepage of the Permittee's account.
When are the groundwater monitoring reports due to be submitted to DEP?
The timeframe for submitting groundwater reports through eDEP is as stated in each groundwater discharge permit and is no different from when the previously submitted hard copies were due. For the majority of permits reports are due by the 15th or the 30th of the month following the sampling event.
What do I need to submit with my eDEP reports?
The new eDEP groundwater forms are the Groundwater Program's official "DMRs" for monitoring data. Operational records required by 314 CMR 12.00 and any additional compliance sampling beyond permit requirements should also be submitted each month. eDEP provides a place for this information to be typed in at the Comments section and/or attached electronically.
At this time the Department is not requiring that laboratory reports be submitted with reports submitted through eDEP. Please be advised that per the groundwater regulations permittees are required to maintain all records, logs and data reports on file for a minimum of 3 years.
Should I still submit hard copy reports to the regional office and Board of Health?
Your eDEP submittal serves as both the submittal to the regional office and the Boston office as required by your permit. Copies of these reports still need to be sent to the local Board of Health. This can be done either via hard copy or, if the Board of Health Agent registers as a user on eDEP, via the Share feature.
Why are there parameters on the Daily Form that are not required by my permit?
The Daily form is the only form that is not permit specific. The daily form is a static form listing possible parameters that could be required to be monitored daily in any permit. If a parameter on the daily form is not required by your permit then the fields for that parameter should be left blank.
What should I do if there are missing or "extra" parameters on my forms?
If, when filling out your Discharge Monitoring Report form and Monitoring Well Data Report form, you notice that there are parameters listed that are not required by your permit, or required but not listed, or listed under the wrong frequency of sampling, please contact the Groundwater Permit Program at 617-556-1029 or 617-556-1150.
Please be advised corrections to the eDEP forms will take 24 hours to appear online.
When does someone leave a field blank in the report form?
The Daily form can have blank fields and the detection limit field can be left blank on all other forms. All the data fields on the other groundwater forms need to be completely filled out in order to be validated and submitted.
What do I enter in the fields for the Volatile Organic Compounds not analyzed by the method used?
The VOC list is comprised of compounds for Method #624 and some additional compounds. For any compounds not tested enter "NS" for "Not Sampled" in the field.
If you find there are compounds tested that are not on the list, note these compounds and their results in the Comments page for the Transaction.
What values other than numerical values can be entered in each field?
The values that can be entered in a field are dictated by the parameter. Possible entries for the fields are noted at the top of each form and are as follows:
ND = For a parameter that was tested and found "Not Detected"
TNTC = "Too numerous to count" for fecal and total coliform results
NS = "Not Sampled" - For use when a sample was required but none was done (explanation should be provided in the Comments section)
DRY = Indicates that there was not enough water to sample a monitoring well
YES/NO = MS-2 phage testing only
< or > = For these values, enter the number value of the result only and note the < or > in the comments section.
If I monitor a permit parameter more frequently than required by the permit how do I submit these results with eDEP?
Per the Groundwater Discharge Permit Regulations, any additional compliance sampling beyond permit requirements analyzed by approved methods must be reported to DEP. At this time, because the Discharge Monitoring Report form and Monitoring Well Data Report form are based on the monitoring frequencies of each permit, there is not a field for "extra" samples. Therefore these parameters will need to be reported, inclusive of the date of sampling, either in the comments section, as an attachment with the submittal or mailed in as hard copy (with a note stating such in the eDEP comments section) on the proper DMR form.
If I monitor a permit parameter more frequently than required by the permit, which result should be reported on the eDEP groundwater form?
The results submitted on the groundwater forms (DMR & MWDR) should be the maximum result obtained. Averages should not be submitted.
For example, if two separate samples are run during the same week for a weekly BOD requirement, then the maximum result should be entered on the appropriate groundwater weekly form and the other result, inclusive of date of sampling, noted either in the comments section, sent as an attachment with the submittal or mailed in as hard copy (with a note stating such in the eDEP comments section) on the proper DMR form.
Can I add data taken at a later time to a submitted form?
Once a groundwater form has been submitted it is no longer available for data entry or changes, only viewing and printing.
If you tested the monitoring wells for the quarter but were unable to sample a well that was dry, the quarterly MWDR form would be submitted with the results for the wells tested and a "DRY" in the fields for the one that was not. If in the next month you were able to sample the dry well you would not be able to update the previously submitted form. Instead these results, inclusive of date of sampling, should be noted in the comments section of the next submittal made, attached electronically with the next submittal or mailed in as hard copy (with a note stating such in the eDEP comments section) on the proper DMR form.
How do I complete my submittal?
Section B. of the Groundwater Permit Form in eDEP is where you select each form to be filled out for your submittal and where you indicate that all forms for the submittal have been completed. This can be done in two different ways:
- Check the box "All forms for submittal have been completed" instead of choosing a form in B.1 or,
- Select a form from the drop down menu at B.1 and check the box at B.2, "This is the last selection."
Either of these options will complete Step 1 and move you to the next step of the submittal process. For further detail on completing a submittal please see the Groundwater eDEP Instructions (link below).