Lab data transmittal
Laboratory Data Entry System (LDES)
The department realizes that facilities and laboratories do not all have the same capability in providing electronic records. Therefore, there are a number of options for electronic submittal.
Getting started with data uploading
WAMS is used for authentication to DNR data systems. Before you upload your data, you will need a WAMS ID and access to the DNR Switchboard. Unless you are using an automatic file upload, the following steps will allow you to gain access to upload data.
- Wisconsin Access Management System (WAMS) - Self registration, profile management, and account recovery.
- Switchboard registration - Request access to DNR systems.
- Switchboard logon - Access to DNR systems and your profile.
- Logon to drinking water lab data entry - Lab data entry for the DNR Public Drinking Water System.
- Wastewater, public and private drinking water data
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A WAMS ID, Switchboard registration and correct file format are required to successfully submit data to DNR. There are three options (see following table) to transmit laboratory data to the Public Drinking Water program.
For the Private Drinking Water program, laboratories must electronically submit data for required bacteriological and arsenic samples from well drillers and pump installers by web data entry forms. Laboratories must also be certified by the Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection for bacteriological testing and sign an agreement with the DNR. The DNR Switchboard is used to access forms and submit data. Contact Laboratory Coordinator to get started.
The Bureau of Water Quality has an electronic reporting system for wastewater compliance monitoring data.
| Web data entry form (for drinking water results only) | |
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| The web-based data entry form is now available for laboratories to enter public Safe Drinking Water Act samples. More information on entering these types of sample results directly via the web is provided on the DNR's Electronic reporting of public water samples page. | |
| Manual upload | |
| Manually log on to the DNR Switchboard with your WAMS ID and tell the system what file to upload. There are two types of files that can be uploaded. | |
| Tab-Delimited text file: The sample, analysis, result, and memo information into a single record for each result. The file includes 1 batch record followed by combined records. This format does not allow samples to be submitted without analyses and results, and only allows for a single memo for each analysis. Explanations of the fields and file structure are provided in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet [Excel 97]. | View a sample file tab-delimited file, "SampleFile.txt_.zip" [ASCII text, Zipped]. View the sample file after uploading into Excel, "Uploaded file.xls" [Excel 97]. |
| XML format: The department has adopted the XML format for data transfer. In order to use the XML file format, the tags for the markup language have been standardized into an XML schema. | View the XML schema, "wi_labs.zipd" [.xsd file zipped]. View a sample file in XML format, "samples.zip" [XML file zipped]. |
| Automatic file upload | |
| An XML file is required that is somewhat different than the XML for the manual file upload. You will send your XML file to a web service (EPA Exchange Node). We will provide a batch client for your submissions. | View the XML schema, "wi_labs.zipd" [.xsd file zipped]. View a sample file in XML format, "samplesauto.zip" [XML file zipped]. |
Important note: Before you start transmitting files to the DNR, we must verify your file on the DNR test environment.
Additional resources
- System of Registries
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The System of Registries (SoR) is a resource for environmental system developers and enterprise architects. It also provides environmental program managers and users of environmental information with automated services to enable better understanding of environmental terminology and data used by the Agency.
- USDA - Integrated Taxonomic Information System
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Here you will find authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi and microbes of North America and the world.
- EPA - Substance Registry System (SRS)
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The SRS provides information on substances (chemicals) and how they are represented in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations and information systems.
- USGS - Water Quality and Data Elements
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The Methods and Data Comparability Board and The National Water-Quality Monitoring Council have prepared a list of what we believe to be the necessary or "core metadata" to allow comparability assessments. The list proposed is not a set of required information, rather, it is intended as a means to help data collectors more easily consider the most important water-quality data elements needed to assess data comparability.