This project will deal with 3 main sampling plans. Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), Reform Coliform Rule (RTC), and Water Quality Parameter. Each of these plans have subset plans that may or may not be associated with them depending on the circumstances. Currently these plans are submitted every 3 - 9 years. But with the changes to the new lead and copper rule, the frequency will increase dramatically.

Depending on the type of sampling plan rule the water system is required to report out on, different responses and information are required.  Some electronic submittals include a GIS based components.  A GIS shapefile is sometimes submitted representing the water system’s polygon boundary area.   In addition, multiple GIS layers such as sources, treatment, distribution, storage facilities, water mains, etc. may be submitted.  The program currently stores all the submitted GIS data in a series of folders on the shared drive.  The way its organized can sometimes be very difficult to use and an improved way to handle this spatial data is needed.

Along with the GIS layers there are results-based point data.  Laboratories currently submit results for various sampling points within the water system boundary areas.  As it stands now, the program is unable to easily join/relate these locational points to the water quality results that are stored in e2 . 

Overall, WSGS for this project is in need of …

(1)   Data Storage Solution: Establish a centralized storage solution to all the individual data related pieces of the water system sampling plans.

(2)   Web Forms: Develop web forms that can handle each unique aspect of the various types of water system sample plans and the individual pieces of information that make up that plan.

(3)   Completeness Check: Include some completeness check prior to the water system officially submitting their plan to DEP.  If there are missing pieces of data, the user should be informed of those and an ‘easy to understand’ warning message should highlight to the user what needs to be fixed.

(4)   Retain Information: When a water system is completing the web forms, the forms should automatically save the information even if the form is not complete.  This will prevent the user from losing prior information entered into the system should they have to exit out before the final completed submission.

(5)   Administratively Complete: The plan shall not be marked administratively complete until a DEP Administrator has officially filed and accepted the submission and its supplemental files.

(6) GIS Layer Organization: New strategy for organizing and handling ePlanning related GIS layers.  Whether this be a geodatabase, or some way to easily associate GIS layers to each respective water supply plan.