EPA305-F-10-001

Ohio EPA eDMR System Case Study Page 1

Case Study: Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Electronic Discharge 

Monitoring Report (eDMR) System Reaches 99% Adoption 

Introduction 

This Case Study highlights how the Ohio EPA 

launched its eDMR system, which uses electronic 

reporting to allow permittees to report their 

discharge measurements quickly and easily online. 

This method of reporting, currently at a 99.9% 

adoption rate, has increased data quality and 

improved environmental protection, while also 

saving significant time and resources for all 

stakeholders. Through interviews and data 

collection, this case study covers the background, 

challenges, implementation and impacts that the 

eDMR system adoption had on both permittees

and the state of Ohio.

Background 

The Clean Water Act of 1972 

delegated to authorized

states the authority to 

regulate surface water within 

their borders by maintaining a 

permit program. Any 

regulated entity discharging 

pollutants into surface water 

owned by the state is required 

to have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 

System (NPDES) permit. NPDES permits allow 

states to control the quantity of pollutants being 

discharged into their waters, and require 

permittees to monitor and report their discharges. 

This process is intended to ensure compliance with 

state and federal regulations that protect public 

health and the environment. 

Since 1972, the US EPA has required the collection 

of water discharge monitoring data mainly through 

paper forms. Filling out these forms was labor 

intensive, requiring permittees to fill them in 

manually and submit them to either the state or 

federal agency. The state or the US EPA then 

manually scanned and verified the data. This 

process led to some data loss, making it difficult 

for states and the US EPA to monitor, enforce, and 

track the progress of clean surface water initiatives 

in the US. 

Ohio EPA decided to collect its water discharge 

monitoring data electronically, eliminating paper 

forms. In 2005-2006, the Ohio EPA collected 70% 

of its water discharge information through a 

software program called SwimWare. The remaining

30% of their data was still collected through 

traditional paper forms. Unfortunately, both

methods were labor intensive for permittee and 

the Ohio EPA. The SwimWare program required 

downloading, installation, and extensive technical 

knowledge. Data could not be easily updated for 

errors or for altered permit conditions. Meanwhile,

paper forms were often illegible and data were 

often omitted. Therefore, both methods of data 

collection resulted in lower data quality.

Challenge 

Given their experience with 

SwimWare and permittees,

the Ohio EPA sought a new

data collection system that 

would allow permittees to 

input discharge amounts 

easily through an online 

application. The intent was to 

reduce the labor associated with processing the 

information and increase data quality. Early in the 

development process of its eDMR system, the Ohio 

EPA recognized several challenges including 

outreach, buy-in, and training. 

Ohio Implementation

The Ohio EPA faced major challenges including

raising permittee awareness and creating the 

desire and ability to learn and use a new eDMR 

system. To address these challenges, the Ohio 

EPA took a phased approach to roll out eDMR. 

The Ohio EPA also included various methods to 

communicate the benefits of the eDMR system 

and to train permittees on the new system. 

This approach appears to have led directly to the 

successful implementation and adoption of the 

Ohio eDMR system.

Nationally, it is reported that 11% of 

US EPA data analysis is solely 

dedicated to water discharge 

collection—the largest of any 

environmental program.
Ohio EPA eDMR System Case Study Page 2

Roll Out 

The Ohio EPA focused on meeting the US EPA’s 

technical requirements, including the Cross-Media 

Electronic Reporting Regulation (CROMERR)

compliance, prior to roll out. CROMERR provides 

the legal framework for electronic signature 

verification and establishes standards for 

information systems that receive reports and other 

documents electronically.

The Ohio EPA also piloted early versions of the 

system with permittees that were SwimWare 

power-users in order to document their responses, 

incorporate their feedback, and refine the system 

in later versions. By focusing on meeting these 

requirements and engaging permittees from the 

beginning, Ohio EPA was able to develop a system 

that met long-term agency and permittee needs. 

Next, the Ohio EPA focused on rolling out the 

eDMR system to each of the five Ohio EPA districts. 

Each month, the Ohio EPA invited each district, one

by one, to use the new system. This allowed them 

to concentrate their communications and training 

on a smaller, individualized audience. Working with 

smaller groups allowed the Ohio EPA to address 

the unique needs of each district and create 

individualized training workshops, which further 

facilitated adoption. As Figure 1 indicates, the Ohio 

EPA was able to increase the number of eDMR 

users each month. 

Figure 1: Ohio eDMR system Adoption by Month

Ohio EPA also designated a point of contact, or 

“relationship manager,” for each district. The

relationship managers became the primary 

sources of information for permittees needing 

assistance with the new system. The relationship 

managers were vital for increasing the number of 

permittees successfully using the system. 

Communications 

The Ohio EPA realized that permittees who were

unaware of the new system, or only had a limited 

understanding of its value, would be less likely to 

adopt it. So the Ohio EPA conducted a permit 

holder analysis to mitigate this risk. They found 

that a majority of permittees preferred phone calls 

and e-mail communications. 

They also found that these permittees were not 

interested in complex videos or the latest 

technologies. These permittees were satisfied with 

simple and easy to understand communications 

that were timely and instructive. The 

communications focused on spreading awareness 

of the new system and its benefits so permittees

would want to learn more. Ohio EPA also reached 

out to external governance groups and industry.

They distributed flyers and brochures to water 

affiliates including the Ohio Water Environment 

Association to broaden their outreach. 

Ohio EPA focused on the remaining 800 “paper 

form” permittees. Each year, they sent out new 

blank discharge monitoring forms to those

permittees along with an attached flyer 

recommending that they use the eDMR system 

and eventually transitioned them to a request only 

procedure. The Ohio EPA made personal phone 

calls to the paper form permittees to individually 

encourage them to use the eDMR system. Many 

permittees quickly transitioned because the focus 

on personal contact remained central to the Ohio 

EPA’s approach. 

Training 

Many permittees cite the difficulty of learning new 

systems as an impediment to frequent and correct 

usage. The Ohio EPA supported the need for robust 

training to draw permittees into the new system. 

Efficient and diverse training opportunities and 

information dissemination eased permittees into 

the new system and reduced the time needed to 

engage interest.
Ohio EPA eDMR System Case Study Page 3

First, Ohio EPA created an online “All in One” 

training document that had screenshots and 

descriptions of the entire reporting process. 

Continuing their focus on personal attention, the 

Ohio EPA also held in-person training at the various

districts each month. They filled over 100 seats at 

each training event. 

The Ohio EPA was aware that Operators, who often 

prepare reports for permittees, were required by 

the state to complete a certain amount of 

training/coursework each year. The Ohio EPA 

leveraged this requirement to gain approval for 

their free three-hour eDMR system training 

workshop to fulfill certification requirements to 

maintain an Operator’s license.

The Ohio EPA started each training session with an 

hour and a half PowerPoint presentation followed 

by a live demonstration of the system with a permit 

holder or Operator from the audience. The “permit 

holder” would create his/her account on the spot 

to exhibit the system’s ease of use. Eventually, 

positive word of mouth about Ohio EPA’s eDMR 

system and the ease of submitting discharge 

monitoring reports electronically led to more 

invitations to conduct workshops at regional 

conferences and other events. 

Result/Outcome 

The Ohio EPA made significant strides in increasing 

the number of electronically reporting permittees,

decreased the amount of time spent managing the 

program, and improved data quality to ensure 

compliance. Ohio’s successful implementation of 

its eDMR system was due in part to a well-planned 

and executed roll out strategy that included diverse

communication and training. Over 99% of Ohio 

permittees now use the eDMR system (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Ohio Permittees using eDMR system

Prior to eDMR, Ohio EPA needed five full time staff 

members to support the DMR program. During 

eDMR roll-out they reduced support to two staff 

members. They now run the program without any

full-time staff. The automated compliance tools 

within the eDMR system inform permittees if their 

discharges exceed their authorized permit limits or 

if there are data errors. Most of the data errors are 

user errors and with the new system permittees

can go back quickly to correct the errors.

As a result, errors have dropped from 50,000 per 

month to 5,000 per month, giving the Ohio EPA 

more accurate and robust data, which translates 

into improved data quality. With improved data 

quality, Ohio EPA is able to better target areas of 

pollution, which further improves Ohio’s 

enforcement and compliance program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion 

The Ohio EPA created an eDMR system that saves

time and resources for the state and permit 

holders while dramatically improving data quality. 

The implementation of the eDMR system has 

improved the ability of Ohio EPA to monitor and 

enforce compliance with the Clean Water Act.

Higher data quality and operational efficiency 

facilitates the agency’s mission to protect human 

health and the environment.

“I used to dedicate over 40 hours a week to 

this program answering hundreds of e-mails 

and phone calls by permit holders. After the 

deployment of Ohio eDMR system, I’ve been 

able to reduce my level of effort 75 percent 

to just 10 hours a week.” – Ohio EPA 

Employee 
Ohio EPA eDMR System Case Study Page 4

Key Lessons Learned 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ohio EPA eDMR System Team and EPA NetDMRs Contacts: 

Name Role E-Mail 

Chris Bowman Ohio EPA Information Resource 

Management (IRM) Manager for 

Division of Surface Water (DSW)

Chris.Bowman@epa.state.oh.us 

Randy Crowell Ohio EPA Data Administration Manager 

DSW

Randy.Crowell@epa.state.oh.us 

Jamie Roberts Ohio EPA eDMR Administrator DSW James.Roberts@epa.state.oh.us 

Adele Vogelgesang Ohio EPA Information Technology (IT)

Manager, IT Services 

Adele.Vogelgesang@epa.state.oh.us

Catherine Bius US EPA NetDMR Training Lead Bius.Catherine@epa.gov

Nasrine Lescure US EPA NetDMR Technical Lead Lescure.Nasrin@epa.gov

Allison Donohue US EPA NetDMR Communication and 

Outreach Coordinator

Donohue.Allison@epa.gov

 

Additional Information/Resources 

Ohio EPA eDMR system Information Page: http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/edmr/eDMR.aspx

Ohio EPA eDMR system Training Guide: http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/edmr/eDMRtraining.aspx

Ohio EPA Link to Answer Place: http://ohioepa.custhelp.com/cgibin/ohioepa.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=_NxrDJ-j

Roll Out 

• Ensure CROMERR-compliance, and engage permittees from the beginning to develop your system

• Segment the roll out of an eDMR system to allow for customized communication and training

• Provide a relationship manager to alleviate anxiety and address pressing questions and concerns

Communications 

• Understand your stakeholders and their communication preferences

• Consider using time intensive tactics such as phone calls to win over resistors

• Develop partnerships with associations and other like-minded organizations in your state to broaden your 

outreach

Training 

• Receive accreditation for eDMR system training to provide an incentive for attendance

• Build out Help resources for the eDMR system and use forum boards or e-mail to answer questions quickly

• Offer training both in person and virtually to increase speed of adoption