1. 2017 Exchange Network National Meeting
AMBIENT WATER QUALITY MONITORING SYSTEM INNOVATIONS—AN EN SUCCESS STORY Fred Schenerman, Maryland Dept. of the Environment Mark LeBaron, Gold Systems, Inc
2017 Exchange Network National Meeting
Innovations in Water Monitoring Data
May 16-18, 2017 Sheraton Philadelphia Society Hill Hotel Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This is the Title Slide for all EN2017 presentations. Please insert your presentation title (in ALL CAPS), your name (in plain text), and your organization affiliation (in italics). Organizational logos may be used starting with Slide 2. IMPORTANT: Format for 16x9 projection and monitors.
Fred: Introductions

2. ABSTRACT
This presentation will review and demonstrate project improvements to AWQMS and discuss additional upcoming improvements.  All improvements discussed will be available at no additional charge to the rest of the AWQMS community, which currently includes 7 state agencies, approximately 75 tribal programs, and approximately 65 volunteer, watershed, and municipal agencies in Colorado. 
Fred

3. Project Partners Maryland Department of the Environment
Utah Division of Water Quality
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Fred
The Science Services Administration for the Maryland Department of the Environment has partnered with the states of Utah and Alaska to implement several crucial improvements to the Ambient Water Quality Monitoring System (AWQMS).
MDE is managing the grant and the associated development contract. MDE has also provided much of the input on the design of the enhancements. Utah and Alaska are providing input regarding specific enhancements which we’ll discuss later in the presentation.

4. Background Prior to September 2009: Since September 2009:
Distributed STORET + STORET Data Warehouse
Since September 2009:
Water Quality Exchange (WQX) + STORET Data Warehouse
AWQMS 1.0 – A combined tribal, state, and EPA regional effort to replace “Distributed STORET”
Fred
Up until September 2009, the distributed STORET database has been used to compile data at the national level in the STORET Data Warehouse.
As of September 2009, the Water Quality Exchange, or WQX framework, provides the main mechanism for submitting data to the STORET Data Warehouse.
A group of tribes, states and EPA regions combined efforts for replacement solution for “distributed STORET”. That solution became AWQMS 1.0

5. Background Since AWQMS 1.0:
Gold Systems has continued to maintain and upgrade AWQMS
Released 13 major releases of AWQMS with enhancements funded by many different partners
Version 6.0 due out this summer
Vibrant and growing AWQMS community
Fred
Since then, Gold Systems has maintained and supported AWQMS and has released 13 major releases of AWQMS; each with new and improved features. Version 6.0 is planned to be released this Summer.
The AWQMS community has grown and Gold Systems provides a bi-monthly community call and maintains community support lists and a support web site.

6. Background MDE Adopted AWQMS in 2011 Migrated data into AWQMS
MD DNR also “piggy-backs” on the MDE AWQMS
Recognized some additional needs that would make AWQMS more useful
Worked with states of UT and AK to apply for an Exchange Network grant
Fred
In 2011, MDE adopted AWQMS and migrated years of historical data into the system. We’ve also got MD DNR submitting data to WQX via our AWQMS instance. We’ve recognized some needs that would make AWQMS more useful and in 2014 submitted an Exchange Network grant with input and participation from the Utah DWQ and Alaska DEC.

7. AWQMS Ambient Water Quality Monitoring System
“Ah-Kwums” (Sort of like “Ah-Sum”)
Fred
What is AWQMS?
AWQMS stands for “Ambient Water Quality Monitoring System (AWQMS); which is pronounced “Ah-Kwums”. Mark tells me “AWQMS” rhymes with “Awesome”. Mark’s going to give a brief overview of AWQMS.

8. Brief AWQMS Overview Central Database Concurrent Access Secure Data
Data Import / Entry Tools
All WQX Validations
Expected Parameter QC Validation
Mark
AWQMS is a secure, web-based water quality data management system that allows a program to consolidate all types of water quality data in a central database while providing mutiple users concurrent access to the data. Data can be manually entered or batch imported and all WQX validations are enforced. For most WQX validation errors, AWQMS provides mechanisms to assist you with resolving the issues.
Both the data entry forms and import capability can be configured to your needs and you can have as many different configurations as you need.
Additionally, AWQMS validates parameters you are either importing or entering against a user supplied list of expected parameters. For example, if your organization always logs Dissolved Oxygen in Milligrams/Liter; and one of your technicians tries to upload results for Dissolved Oxygen in Micrograms/Liter, the system can be configured to either warn the user or return an error.

9. Brief AWQMS Overview Expected Value Range Validation
Analysis: Graphs, Reports
Analysis: Exports, Map
Assessment Support
Trip Planning
Mark
Also, AWQMS will validate result values per parameter against an expected range for that parameter. So, for example, if someone tries to import a result value for water temperature in degrees Celsius that is outside the realm of credibility, the system can warn you about that or even prevent the data from being saved.
AWQMS provides a suite of data analysis tools including statistical and summary reports, various types of graphs, an integrated Google map. You can export all or a subset of your data in various ways. The analysis tools support assessments through the use of exceedance analysis for water quality standards per parameter, per designated use, per assessment unit or other water body.

10. Brief AWQMS Overview Share with EPA: Built-In Node Client
Submit Data to
WQX & PRAWN
You control it
Share with Public/Others:
Public Portal
Web Services
Mark
AWQMS has a built-in node client and can convert water quality data and Beach Notifications/Actions data to properly formatted XML and then submit the XML files to EPA’s Water Quality eXchange and PRAWN systems, respectively.
You have control over whether data is sent, what data is sent, and when data is sent.
You can also share data with others and integrate with other systems using built-in RESTful web services or by configuring EPA Virtual Node web services.
This overview has only scratched the surface of the long list of AWQMS features. If you are interested in hearing or seeing more, stick around during the break and we can provide more information.
Now Fred is going to touch briefly on the AWQMS Community Development approach and give an overview of how AWQMS fits into the big exchange network picture.

11. AWQMS Community Bi-monthly Call (started by Utah & MDE)
(user support)
Fred
AWQMS has a growing and vibrant user community. We have bi-monthly user webinars that were initiated by MDE and UT DWQ. The webinars are recorded and shared on the AWQMS support site (awqms.com).
Any AWQMS changes or enhancements to AWQMS are shared with all AWQMS community members having either a hosting or maintenance agreement at no additional cost.
As mentioned, there are currently 7 state agencies using AWQMS. Maryland, Kansas, Alaska, and Utah have each funded AWQMS features that have benefitted the other community members.

12. Coalition of Oklahoma AWQMS Tribes
AWQMS Community
Great Lakes Tribal Water Quality Consortium
Fred
There are currently 5 major tribal AWQMS user consortia. All of these groups have helped to fund major AWQMS improvements that have benefitted the rest of the community. Numerous additional individual tribes also use AWQMS
Additionally, the Colorado Data Sharing Network has consolidated data from numerous volunteer, watershed, and municipal groups & agencies using AWQMS. Much of that data has been submitted to WQX and recently much of that data has been helpful for analysis of the before and after picture of the Gold King Mine Spill that has been in the news. The CDSN has also funded certain AWQMS features that have benefitted the entire AWQMS community.
Many of the features and enhancements we’ve been mentioning have achieved their funding via Exchange Network grants.
COAT
Coalition of Oklahoma AWQMS Tribes

13. AWQMS: An Exchange Network Success Story
More Result data in WQX via AWQMS than via any other single source
17% of Result data in WQX flowed to WQX via AWQMS
Fred
The following statistics are as of January, We are confident they’d be even more impressive with today’s updated numbers
More Result data in WQX via AWQMS than via any other single source
17% of Result data in WQX flowed to WQX via AWQMS

14. AWQMS: An Exchange Network Success Story
73 tribal organizations flow data to WQX using AWQMS.
31% of tribal organizations that flow data to WQX, are using AWQMS
7 states currently flow data to WQX using AWQMS
Fred
73 tribal organizations flow data to WQX using AWQMS.
31% of tribal organizations that flow data to WQX, are using AWQMS
7 states currently flow data to WQX using AWQMS

15. AWQMS: An Exchange Network Success Story
188 organizations use AWQMS to flow data to WQX.
26% of Organizations that flow data to WQX, are using AWQMS
Newer numbers will be more impressive!
Fred
188 organizations use AWQMS to flow data to WQX.
26% of Organizations that flow data to WQX, are using AWQMS

16. The AWQMS Big Picture Real World Grab Samples Habitat Assessments
Probe Readings
Fish Census Counts
Benthic M.I. Census Counts
Etc., etc.
Fred (These slides have to be super quick and are intended to work as if they are a single, animated slide)
Some people may wonder how AWQMS fits into the big “WQX” and “Water Quality Portal” picture.
In the real world, we collect our various types of samples and observations; and we record results or receive results back from our labs.

17. The AWQMS Big Picture Real World Grab S. Habitat As. Probe S.
Fish Census
Benthic M.I.
Census
Etc.
Fred
(click through this to the next slide)

18. The AWQMS Big Picture “Data Limbo” Lab  .PDF Flash Drive? Lab  Excel
Real World
Grab S.
Habitat As.
Probe S.
Fish Census
Benthic M.I.
Census
Etc.
“Data Limbo”
Lab  .PDF
Flash Drive?
Lab  Excel
Laptop?
Lab  CSV
Network Server?
Paper sheets
Probe  CSV
Fred
Depending on your situation you might next experience a sort of “data limbo” where there seems to be all sorts of data files, file types and formats, even paper field sheets and notebooks. Depending on your processes and mechanisms, it might seem like the data can be stored all over the place. (example of one group who contacted Gold Systems because they had put a thumb drive with all their data through the wash).

19. The AWQMS Big Picture Real World Grab S. Habitat As. Probe S.
Fish Census
Benthic M.I.
Census
Etc.
“Data Limbo”
Lab  .PDF
Lab  Excel
Lab  CSV
Flashdrive
Paper sheets
Probe  CSV
Flash Drive?
Laptop?
Network Srvr?
Fred
(Click through this slide)

20. The AWQMS Big Picture Local Information AWQMS All Your Data
Local Analysis Tools
Local Data Verification
Local Data QA/QC
Local Decision Support
Local Data Assessment
Control what is sent to WQX and when it is sent
Local Portal (Optional)
Real World
Grab S.
Habitat As.
Probe S.
Fish Census
Benthic M.I.
Census
“Data Limbo”
Lab  .PDF
Lab  Excel
Lab  CSV
Flashdrive
Paper sheets
Probe  CSV
Fred
So, that’s where AWQMS comes in. It gives you a single place where you can consolidate all your water quality related data, including Beach Notifications and Actions. It provides secure, concurrent access for multiple users. Everyone knows where the data is and there’s no confusion about which “copy” of the data is the latest. It’s your one-stop shop for local data management and analysis.

21. The AWQMS Big Picture Real World Grab S. Habitat As. Probe S.
Fish Census
Benthic M.I.
Census
“Data Limbo”
Lab  .PDF
Lab  Excel
Lab  CSV
Flashdrive
Paper sheets
Probe  CSV
Local Information
AWQMS
All Your Data
Local Analysis Tools
Local Data Verification
Local Data QA/QC
Local Decision Support
Local Data Assessment
Control what is
sent to WQX and
when it is sent
Local Portal (Optnl.)
Fred
(Click through this slide)

22. The AWQMS Big Picture Public Information WQX/STORET Water Quality
Portal (WQP)
Only Public Data
Public Analysis
Tools
Real World
Grab S.
Habitat As.
Probe S.
Fish Census
Benthic M.I.
Census
“Data Limbo”
Lab  .PDF
Lab  Excel
Lab  CSV
Flashdrive
Paper sheets
Probe  CSV
Local Information
Local AWQMS
All Your Data
Local Analysis Tools
Local Data Verification
Local Data QA/QC
Local Decision Support
Local Data Assessment
Control what is
sent to WQX and
when it is sent
Local Portal (Optnl.)
Fred
When your data is declared to be finalized, AWQMS gives you a mechanism to flag data as “ready to send” to WQX for public use and access to the data. WQX, the STORET Data Warehouse, and the new Water Quality Portal are for public analysis of public data using public tools. Whereas, AWQMS helps you make sure your data is ready to go to WQX BEFORE the data is made public.

23. The AWQMS Big Picture Real World Grab S. Habitat As. Probe S.
Fish Census
Benthic M.I.
Census
“Data Limbo”
Lab  .PDF
Lab  Excel
Lab  CSV
Flashdrive
Paper sheets
Probe  CSV
Local Information
AWQMS
All Your Data
Local Analysis Tools
Local Data Verification
Local Data QA/QC
Local Decision Support
Local Data Assessment
Control what is
sent to WQX and
when it is sent
Local Portal (Optnl.)
Public Information
WQX/STORET
Water Quality
Portal (WQP)
Only Public Data
Public Analysis
Tools
Fred
Now mark is going to provide a brief overview of AWQMS and discuss the enhancements and modifications we are making to AWQMS.

24. MDE, UTDEQ, AKDEC Project Goals
Mark (click through this)

25. Project Goals GIS-Centric Web Services to AWQMS (Started)
Seamless integration w/GIS Tools
Starting with Web Feature Services (WFS)
Get Locations Service
Eventually Get Beaches
Includes hyperlink to AWQMS REST services
Mark
The first goal of the project will implement AWQMS GIS-Centric Web Services to allow for streamlined or even seamless integration of AWQMS with GIS tools. For starters we’ve implemented an initial version of a Web Feature Service, or “WFS” that allows an external system, such as a GIS mapping tool, to query monitoring location information from AWQMS. Each feature returned also includes a URL hyperlink to a corresponding RESTful web service that allows retrieval of sample data related to the monitoring location.
Our next step is to improve that services to allow for filtering of the data.
Eventually, there will be a service to allow an external system or tool to also get Beach coordinates from AWQMS. Conceivably, beach features returned by this service would include URLs pointing to RESTful web services that will return related monitoring data and beach actions/notifications data.

26. Project Goals – GIS Centric Web Services
ArcGIS
QGIS
Mark – Here are some recent examples of using Open Geospatial Consortium-compliant tools to obtain information from AWQMS using the new GIS web feature service. On the right is QGIS, an Open Source OGC compliant GIS tool. On the left is the ESRI ArcGIS. Both obtained the information from the same AWQMS Web Feature Service following OGC standards.
Really quick – Almost click through this.

27. Project Goals AWQMS RESTful Web Services (Complete) GetLocations
Get ActivitiesAndResults
Can filter by various search criteria
An AWQMS community partner has added Get Projects, Get Metrics, Get Indexes
Mark
The second goal of the project improved upon existing AWQMS RESTful Web Services to which I alluded in the last couple of slides. You can obtain monitoring locations, and monitoring results/observations information. You can filter information returned using a myriad of search criteria. Incidentally, another project has recently added three additional RESTful web services that allow you obtain project information, monitoring metrics, and index scores.

28. Project Goals
Auto-Sync AWQMS Domain Values Lists with WQX DVLs (Complete)
Includes All WQX domain lists - Nightly
We rarely manually update AWQMS DVLs anymore
Drastically increased our WQX submission success rate!!
Mark
One of the really nice things about AWQMS is that it uses the same Domain Value Lists as WQX does to govern data entry for data elements that need to be entered in a consistent manner. That really simplifies the process and reduces submission errors when sending data to WQX. Another really nice feature that this EN project has implemented is a nightly auto-synchronization of domain value lists from WQX to AWQMS using the WQX Domain Value List web services. This has drastically increased WQX submission successes from not only the three states involved in the project, but also hundreds of other programs and groups using AWQMS.

29. Project Goals
Auto-Calc Metals Standards for Data Analysis (Starting Soon)
E.g., based on Hardness
Major input from the state of UT DWQ
Mark
Earlier, I briefly alluded to the ability in AWQMS to compare actual data against water quality standards in order to perform exceedance analysis. AWQMS currently allows you to record and maintain static chronic, acute, and other water quality standards per parameter and designated use combination. Project goal number four is to implement a feature to auto-calculate dynamic water quality standards for metals and possibly other parameters needing dynamically calculated standards based on other parameter results returned from a sampling activity. We’ve previously received some good input on this from the Utah Division of Water Quality and from EPA Region 8 tribal water quality support leads. We’ll be consolidating those notes soon and then reviewing them with the states involved in the project. We’ll also solicit input from other AWQMS community members as well.

30. Project Goals Beach Actions/Notifications (Complete)
Define & Track Beaches
Log Actions/Notifications
Submit Notifications to
PRAWN via EN
Major additional input
from AK DEC
Mark
For several states using AWQMS, the new Beach Actions/Notifications feature implemented by this project will reduce workload and data entry for program personnel while reducing the propensity for data entry errors. Additionally, the ability to submit Beach Notifications directly to the EPA PRAWN system from AWQMS should improve the timeliness of such notifications in PRAW for those states. The state of Alaska provided important input in the form of a prototype upon which we were able to model much of what was added to AWQMS for all AWQMS community members.
Submission of data to PRAWN is one of several important exchange network flows that AWQMS will implement.

31. Project Goals Assessment Related Support (Under Way)
Manage Assessment Units & Associated Locations
Manage Designated Uses List
Manage WQ Standards Per Designated Use
Ability to relate WQX organizations to an ATTAINS organization
Mark
The final goal of the project is to implement user interface tools that allow AWQMS users to manage all of the Water Quality Assessment meta-data and the relationships between such metadata. For example, in AWQMS you can now manage a list of designated uses and the assessment units and associated monitoring locations. I mentioned previously the ability to manage static water quality standards per designated use. Additionally we are currently working on mechanisms that allow a state with multiple WQX Organizations to tie those organizations to a single statewide ATTAINS organization. The idea is that we eventually want to be able to tie ATTAINS assessments in AWQMS back to AWQMS water quality result and observations data captured per WQX organization. As shown in the previous slide, the strategic vision is to be able to capture and submit water quality assessment information to ATTAINS via the new ATTAINS EN flow.

32. Questions? Fred Schenerman fred.schenerman@maryland.gov Mark LeBaron
If time allows:
MDE version of NPSTORET Access database as an “AWQMS Mobile” and flow of data via AWQMS.
Strategic Plans for Assessments and flow to ATTAINS via the EN.
Strateguc Plans for Continuous Monitoring Data and registration of AWQMS as a “Data Appliance” with the new national sensor catalog.
Strategic Plans for a more integrated data review process within AWQMS.
Strategic Plans calculated QA checks for certain parameters