Water Pollution Search Criteria Help

The Water Pollution Search gives users the option to search for DMR or TRI pollutant discharge data.

 DMR Water Pollution Search Help

The DMR Water Pollution Search provides quick access to discharge monitoring data based on simple searches. The three search boxes provide search options to help you determine where discharges are occurring (Location or Watershed Box), what pollutants are discharged (Pollutant Box), and who the dischargers of interest are (Industry Box). Change the criteria in one or more of the boxes below and click the Search button to retrieve DMR pollutant loadings information.

Search criteria are organized by the order they appear in each search box. The hyperlinks below to allow you to quickly find the search term of interest.


 Select a Reporting Year

The calendar year for the annual pollutant loadings. Search Considerations: The Loading Tool extracts the year from the monitoring period dates associated with DMR measurements in ICIS-NPDES. Dates are included for all DMR measurements. See About the Data for information about DMR data completeness.

 Location or Watershed

Nationwide
Search for facilities across the U.S., without restrictions on location or watershed.
Search by Location
Search for facilities based on their location in the Facility Registry Service (FRS). If the location is not populated in FRS, location information in ICIS-NPDES is used. Narrow search results based on ZIP Code, EPA Region, State, City, and County.
ZIP Code
The 5-digit mail code for the facility address. This field is not required to be populated in the source database.
Search Considerations: The Loading Tool searches use ZIP codes in two ways:
To identify discharges from facilities located in the specified ZIP code. For this type of search, the search will produce results if the specified ZIP code matches the first five digits of any facility's ZIP code in FRS or ICIS-NPDES. ZIP codes are not required in FRS or ICIS-NPDES. If a facility's ZIP code is blank in the Loading Tool database, then the ZIP code search will exclude the facility.
EPA Region
The EPA designated area that U.S. states, territories, and tribes are assigned to. There are 10 EPA regions. This field is required to be populated in the source database.
State
The two-character state abbreviation for the facility location. This field is required to be populated in the source database.
County
The county name for the facility location.
Search Considerations: County names can be blank in FRS and ICIS-NPDES. If the county name is not provided for a facility, then the county name search will produce no results for that facility.
City
The city name for the facility location.
Search Considerations: City names can be blank in FRS and ICIS-NPDES. If the city name is not provided for a facility, then the city name search will produce no results for that facility.
Search by Watershed
Search for facilities based on watershed. Narrow search results based on ZIP Code, Watershed ID (HUC), and Major U.S. Watersheds.
ZIP Code
The 5-digit mail code for the facility address in FRS. If the ZIP code is not populated in FRS, then the ZIP code in ICIS-NPDES is used. This field is not required to be populated in the source database.
To identify discharges in watersheds that overlap with the specified ZIP code's geographic boundaries. For this type of search, the search will produce results if:
  1. The specified ZIP code overlaps with a Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) in the Watershed Boundary Database
  2. The corresponding HUC is connected with a NPDES ID in the Watershed Boundary Dataset;
  3. The corresponding NPDES ID is in ICIS-NPDES; and
  4. The NPDES ID has DMR measurements in ICIS-NPDES.
Watershed ID (12-Digit HUC)
Code assigned by the U.S. Geological Survey used to classify watersheds in the United States and the Caribbean. Code consists of twelve digits which correspond to six levels of classification Region (first-level, 2-digit HUC), Subregion (second-level, 4-digit HUC), Accounting unit (third-level, 6-digit HUC), Cataloging unit (fourth-level, 8-digit HUC), Watershed (fifth-level, 10-digit HUC), and Subwatershed (sixth-level, 12-digit HUC). This field is not required to be populated in the source database.
Search Considerations: The Loading Tool links facility discharges with hydrologic unit codes (HUC-12) using a WATERS web service. Searching on HUC-12 will produce results if the WATERS web service returns NPDES IDs that correspond to the specified HUC-12. For more information see Overview of Watershed Data.
Major U.S. Watersheds
This menu includes Major Watersheds: the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, Chesapeake Bay, Columbia River Basin, Delaware Bay, Delaware River Basin, Great Lakes, Long Island Sound, Lower Columbia River Basin, Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin, Mobile Bay, Puget Sound, San Francisco Bay, and Tampa Bay. Many of these watersheds consist of several HUC-12 codes. Maps of these watersheds are available from HUC Maps and Codes for Major U.S. Watersheds.
This menu also provides options to search watershed boundaries defined by:
USGS: The U.S. Geological Survey classifies watersheds in the U.S. and Caribbean into 21 regions, represented by a 2-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC).
Large Aquatic Ecosystems (LAEs) Program: EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans & Watersheds classifies LAEs to include multiple small watersheds and water resources within a large geographic area that provides significant resources or services, such as food supply, recreation and tourism, groundwater recharge, flood management, air purification, nutrient cycling, and wildlife habitat.
National Estuaries Program (NEP): The NEP identifies nationally significant estuaries of the U.S. for protection and restoration. EPA administers the NEP, but program decisions and activities are carried out by committees of local government officials, private citizens, and representatives from other federal agencies, academic institutions, industry, and estuary user-groups. Estuaries are selected for inclusion in the program through a nomination process. There are currently 28 estuary programs implemented in the U.S.
Only include facilities that discharge:
To impaired water bodies: Under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to develop lists of impaired waters. Impaired water bodies are waters that are too polluted or otherwise degraded to meet the water quality standards set by states, territories, or authorized tribes. The law requires that these jurisdictions establish priority rankings for waters on the lists and develop TMDLs for these waters. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still safely meet water quality standards.
Pollutants contributing to a water body impairment: Search for all pollutants discharged by the facility that are potentially contributing to the impairment of local water bodies.
To counties or watersheds with ESA-listed aquatic species: ESA-listed aquatic species are a group of organisms that live in the water for most or all of its life and are designated as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The purpose of the ESA is to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

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 Community

All Communities
Search for facilities across all communities, without restrictions on community characteristics.
Specify Community Characteristics
Search for facilities by specific community characteristics such as environmental justice (EJ), demographics, or Indian country/tribal land.
Environmental Justice
EJScreen Indexes At or Above 80th Percentile
Identify facilities at or above the 80th percentile for one or more of the environmental justice (EJ) indexes of EJScreen, EPA's screening tool for EJ concerns. EPA uses EJScreen as a screening tool to identify geographic areas that may warrant further consideration or analysis. Note that use of this filter does not designate an area as an “EJ community” or “EJ facility.” EJScreen provides screening level indicators, not a determination of the existence or absence of EJ concerns. For more information, see the EJScreen home page.
Compare to
Choose "US" or "State" to search for percentile values for EJ indexes nationwide or relative to Census block groups within the same state. The default is US when Yes or No is selected for EJScreen Indexes At or Above 80th Percentile.
Based on
Choose "Block Group" to search for percentile values based on the census block group the facility is located in. Select "1-mile Maximum" to search based on the maximum percentile value for any census block group within a 1-mile radius of the facility. The default is block group when Yes is selected for EJScreen Indexes At or Above 80th Percentile.
Index Type
Choose one of two methodologies for calculating EJScreen indexes. The indexes are a combination of environmental and socioeconomic information. The Environmental Justice Index uses a two-factor demographic index that averages Percent Low Income and Percent People of Color Populations. The Supplemental Index uses a five-factor demographic index that averages Percent Low Income, Percent Unemployed, Percent Limited English Speaking, Percent Less than High School Education, and Low Life Expectancy. The default is Supplemental Index when Yes or No is selected for EJScreen Indexes At or Above 80th Percentile.
Count of EJ Indexes
Select the number of indexes at or above the 80th percentile of the environmental justice (EJ) indexes of EJScreen.

Demographics
Percent People of Color (3-mile radius)
Choose a percentage threshold to search for facilities based on the racial composition of the surrounding three-mile radius. The field is calculated by subtracting the number of persons who are white (and not of Hispanic origin) from the total persons. This number is then divided by the total persons and multiplied by one hundred to determine the percentage.
Percent Low Income (3-mile radius)
Choose a percentage threshold to search for facilities based on the percent of the population of the surrounding three-mile radius that have an income less than two times the poverty level, based on the 2015-2019 ACS 5-Year Summary.

Indian Country/Tribal Land
ICIS Tribal Land Flag
When “Yes” is selected, your search results will be limited to facilities or permits flagged as being located in Indian country, based on information entered in EPA's Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS). The accuracy and completeness of this information varies by system, and may differ from the FRS Tribal Land Code. “Indian country” is defined by statute at 18 U.S.C. 1151 to include all lands within Indian reservations, dependent Indian communities, and allotted lands. When “No” is selected, your search results will exclude any facilities or permits that are located in Indian country. “ANY” will not restrict search results.
FRS Tribal Land Code
When “YES” is selected, your search results will be limited to facilities or permits flagged as being located in Indian country, based on information that has been entered in EPA’s Facility Registry Service. The accuracy and completeness of this information varies by data system. “Indian country” is defined by statute at 18 U.S.C. 1151 to include all lands within Indian reservations, dependent Indian communities, and allotted lands. When “NO” is selected, your search results will exclude any facilities or permits that are located in Indian country. “ANY” will not restrict search results.
On or Near Spatial Tribal Boundary
Search for facilities that are located on or near tribal land. Search is based on EPA comparison of the facility locations in its Facility Registry Service to the U.S. Census Bureau 2010 tribal boundary layer data for tribes in the lower 48 states and Bureau of Land Management Alaska State Office data for tribes in Alaska. When “Within X miles” is selected, your search results will be limited to facilities or permits on tribal land and within the selected radius. “No Restrictions” is selected by default and does not restrict search results. You can focus your search on a specific tribal land using the “Tribes” criteria. Please note that facilities must have locational data (latitude/longitude) in EPA's Facility Registry Service to be included in this search. Data Quality Caveat
Tribes
Search for facilities located on or near a tribe, based on spatial/locational association. The information is based on EPA comparison of facility coordinates (in Facility Registry Service) to the U.S. Census Bureau 2016 tribal boundary layer data for tribes in the lower 48 states, and Bureau of Land Management Alaska State Office data for tribes in Alaska. Please note that facilities must have locational data (latitude/longitude) in EPA's Facility Registry Service to be included in this search. Data Quality Caveat. Selection must be made in conjunction with the “On or Near Spatial Tribal Boundary” criteria. "No Restrictions" is selected by default and does not restrict search results. Enter at least one character. Select a tribe from the dropdown list to add it to the search criteria selected panel and clear the input field for a new value.
Find Facilities That Match
When "All Tribal Options" is selected, your search results will return facilities that matches on all selected Indian Country/Tribal Land search criteria. When "Any Tribal Option" is selected, your search results will return facilities that matches on any of the Indian Country Land search criteria selected. These options are not enabled until two or more Indian Country/Tribal Land search criteria are selected.
Data Quality Caveat: EPA makes no claims regarding the accuracy or precision of data concerning Indian country locations or tribal boundaries on the ECHO website. EPA has simply attempted to collect certain readily available information relating to Indian country locations. Questions concerning data should be referred to the originating program or Agency which can be identified in the Envirofacts tribal query metadata files Lower 48 Tribal Areas, Alaska Reservation, Alaska Native Villages, or Alaska Native Allotments. The Indian country and tribal boundary locations are suitable only for general spatial reference and do not necessarily reflect EPA's position on any Indian country locations or tribal boundaries or the land status of any specific location. The inclusion of Indian country information on the ECHO website does not represent any final EPA action addressing Indian country locations or boundaries. This information cannot be relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable by any party in litigation with the United States or third parties. EPA reserves the right to change information on ECHO at any time without public notice.
EPA uses the U.S. Census Bureau 2016 tribal boundary layer data when developing environmental data query responses for tribes in the lower 48 United States and the Bureau of Land Management Alaska State Office when developing environmental data query responses for tribes in Alaska. EPA seeks to use the best available national federal data and may refine the tribal boundary layer in the future as more accurate national federal data becomes available.

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 Pollutant

All Pollutants
This default selection does not restrict results based on pollutant discharges.
Specify Pollutant
Search for facilities based on specific pollutant discharges. Narrow search results based on pollutant name or Chemical Abstract Service number (CAS).
Pollutant Name
The name used in ICIS-NPDES to identify the substance discharged. This field is required to be populated in the source database.
Search Considerations: A pollutant name is provided for each DMR measurement in ICIS-NPDES. See About the Data for more information about DMR data completeness.
Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) Number
A number assigned by the American Chemical Society that uniquely identifies a chemical. This field is not required to be populated in the source database.
Search Considerations: CAS numbers are not available for bulk parameters (e.g., biochemical oxygen demand). Therefore, this search field cannot be used to find loadings for bulk parameters.
Pollutant Categories
Categories of different types of pollutants that can be viewed as aggregated loads with the Water Pollution Search tool. The Loading Tool selects pollutant loadings for each pollutant category if the loadings are associated with parameter codes in ICIS-NPDES that are on the specified pollutant category list. The Loading Tool also includes pollutant categories for which loadings cannot be calculated. A user must conduct a separate search on the categories to view discharge information for categories without calculated loadings.
 Pollutant Categories With Calculated Loadings
  • Nitrogen: All parameters for total nitrogen, organic nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia are included.
  • Phosphorus: All phosphorus and phosphate pollutant parameters.
  • Organic Enrichment: All biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) pollutant parameters.
  • Solids: All parameters for suspended and settable solids. This category does not include chemical-specific solids, such as suspended copper.
  • Metals: All metals parameters. Hexavalent or trivalent metals and metals in ionic form (e.g., hexavalent chromium and aluminum, ion) are included, but metal compounds (e.g., calcium chloride) are not included.
  • Clean Water Act Priority Pollutants: All 126 pollutants that EPA currently defines as priority pollutants.
  • CERCLA Hazardous Substances: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) hazardous substances are substances that are considered severely harmful to human health and the environment. Many are commonly used substances which are harmless in their normal uses, but are quite dangerous when released. They are defined in terms of those substances either specifically designated as hazardous under the Superfund law, or those substances identified under other laws. Superfund's definition of a hazardous substance includes the following:
    • Any element, compound, mixture, solution, or substance designated as hazardous under section 102 of CERCLA.
    • Any hazardous substance designated under section 311(b)(2)(a) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), or any toxic pollutant listed under section 307(a) of the CWA. There are over 400 substances designated as either hazardous or toxic under the CWA.
    • Any hazardous waste having the characteristics identified or listed under section 3001 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Any hazardous air pollutant listed under section 112 of the Clean Air Act, as amended. There are over 200 substances listed as hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
    • Any imminently hazardous chemical substance or mixture which the EPA Administrator has "taken action under" section 7 of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
  • TRI Chemicals: All pollutants that are associated with chemicals that are reported to EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program.
  • Radionuclides: All parameters measuring specific radionuclides, such as Uranium and Radium isotopes. To calculate an annual loading (pounds per year), the Loading Tool converts measurements of radioactivity (in Curies) to mass using the specific activity of the radionuclide. Specific activity is the decay rate per unit mass of a particular radionuclide. 

    Search Considerations: The Loading Tool selects pollutant measurements for the Radionuclides category if the measurements are associated with parameter codes in ICIS-NPDES that are on the radionuclides list. This list is available in the Technical Users Background Document
  • Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that includes Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA),  Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), GenX, and many other chemicals. PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States since the 1940s. PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are very persistent in the environment and in the human body – meaning they don’t break down and they can accumulate over time. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects. Section 3.3.1.13 of the Technical Users Background Document for the Water Pollutant Loading Tool describes how the Loading Tool identifies PFAS parameters and lists the parameter codes included in the pollutant category.
 Pollutant Categories Without Calculated Loadings
  • Pathogen Indicators: All parameters for total coliform, streptococci, and enteric. The Pathogen pollutant category query in the Water Pollution Search is the only query option for users to view discharges of pathogens. Because these parameters are reported in units that cannot be expressed as a mass discharge (count per 100 mL), they are excluded from all other Loading Tool searches.
  • Temperature: All wastewater temperature parameters for measuring wastewater temperature in degrees Fahrenheit and Celsius. The Loading Tool presents all measurements in degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Wastewater Flow: All wastewater flow parameters for measuring wastewater flows in millions of gallons per day, gallons per day, and gallons per minute. The Loading Tool presents all flows in millions of gallons per day and millions of gallons per year.
  • General Radioactivity: All parameters for measuring radioactivity not specific to a particular isotope, such as gross alpha and gross beta radiation. Annual loadings cannot be calculated for these parameters.
  • Search Considerations: The Loading Tool selects pollutant measurements for the General Radioactivity category if the measurements are associated with parameter codes in ICIS-NPDES that are on the general radioactivity list. This list is available in the Technical Users Background Document.
  • Color: All parameters measuring color in wastewater. Color measurements may be reported using a variety of units, such as Platinum Cobalt (Pt-Co) units or pound/ton produced. The Loading Tool presents the measurements in the units reported on DMRs, and does not convert the measurements into standard units. The list of color parameters is available in the Technical Users Background Document.
  • Whole Effluent Toxicity: All parameters measuring Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) in wastewater. WET refers to the aggregate toxic effect to aquatic organisms from all pollutants contained in a facility’s wastewater. WET tests measure wastewater's effects on specific test organisms' ability to survive, grow and reproduce. WET measurements may be reported using a variety of units, such as percentages or pass/fail. The Loading Tool presents the measurements in the units reported on DMRs, and does not convert the measurements into standard units. The list of WET parameters is available in the Technical Users Background Document.
The Technical Users Background Document for the Loading Tool describes the pollutant categories and how the Loading Tool calculates the pollutant category loads.
Only include facilities with effluent limit exceedances:
This selection will return only facilities with discharge limit exceedances.

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 Industry

Point Source Category
Specific industry categories that facilities are grouped in based on the release of pollutants from discrete point sources. Each point source category is subject to effluent guidelines under the CWA. However, the Drinking Water Treatment category is not a regulated category under the effluent guidelines, but is included to provide the capability to easily search for this industrial sector.
Search Considerations: Point source category classification is based on a facility's primary SIC code in ICIS-NPDES. SIC codes are not required to be reported in ICIS-NPDES. Searching on point source category will only return records for facilities that 1) have a primary SIC code in ICIS-NPDES, and 2) have an SIC code that maps to a point source category.
Industrial Sector ID (SIC Code)
Code that describes the primary activity of the facility. The two-digit code defines a major business sector, the four-digit code contains two additional numbers that denote a facility's specialty within the major sector. Choose a two-digit code from the dropdown menu or enter a four-digit code. Use the lookup feature to search for an SIC code. See the U.S. Department of Labor website for more information.
Search Considerations: For SIC code searches, the Loading Tool identifies matching facilities based on their primary SIC code in ICIS-NPDES. SIC codes are not required to be reported in ICIS-NPDES. Searching on SIC code will only return records for facilities that have a primary SIC code in ICIS-NPDES that matches the specified SIC code for the search. This field is not required to be populated in the source database.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code
A six-digit code that identifies NAICS industries and has replaced the U.S. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. The first two-digits represent the industry sector, in which there exist 20 broad sectors. The third digit represents the industry subsector, the fourth digit represents the industry group, the fifth digit represents the industry, and the sixth digit specifies the country (i.e. U.S., Canada, or Mexico). See the U.S. Census website for more information. This field is not required to be populated in the source database.
Search Considerations: Searching on this field will only return results for facilities that have NAICS codes in ICIS-NPDES.
All Point Sources
This selection will return all industry classifications, including Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) and industrial dischargers (non-POTWs).
 Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) Only
A POTW is a sewage treatment plant that is owned and usually operated by a government agency. POTWs are typically owned by local government agencies, and are usually designed to treat domestic sewage.
Search Considerations: The Loading Tool identifies POTWs using the Facility Type Indicator Code in ICIS-NPDES. This field is required to be populated in the source database.
Industrial Point Sources (non-POTW)
This selection will return all Industrial Point Sources that are not classified as POTWs and are often referred to as "non-municipals" or "industrials." Industrial point sources may include privately owned treatment works, water treatment plants, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), or any manufacturing or commercial activity.

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 Facility

Facility Name
The primary name used to identify a facility in FRS (preferentially) or ICIS-NPDES (if facility name in FRS is unavailable).
Facility ID
Search for pollutant loadings by facility identifiers. Separate multiple IDs with a comma or carriage return. The search form allows for up to 1,500 IDs to be entered at once.
NPDES Permit ID
A unique 9-character ID assigned for each permit within the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. The ID may contain both letters and numbers and often begins with the two-letter abbreviation for the state in which the facility is permitted. 
FRS ID
A 12-digit code used to uniquely identify a facility site within the EPA FRS database. FRS uniquely identifies a facility by assigning an identification number (FRS ID) and uses this FRS ID to link together all regulatory program database records (such as for permit IDs and facility IDs that facilities use in reporting to EPA).
TRI ID
A unique 15-character ID assigned to each facility within the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program. The format is ZZZZZNNNNNSSSSS, where ZZZZZ = ZIP code, NNNNN = the first 5 consonants of the name, and SSSSS = the first 5 non-blank non-special characters in the street address.
CWNS ID
A unique identifier for a facility in the Clean Watersheds Needs Survey, an assessment conducted by the EPA and states to determine the capital needs for municipal wastewater treatment facilities to meet the goals in the Clean Water Act. Most facilities participating are publicly owned treatment works (POTWs).
Major/Non-Major Indicator
A facility classification from the NPDES permitting authorities based on toxic pollutant potential, ratio of discharge flow/stream flow volume, conventional pollutant loading, public health impact, water quality factors, and proximity to coastal waters. For industrial facilities, EPA developed a permit rating worksheet, used by permit writers to assist with classification of a facility as major or non-major. See EPA NPDES Permit Rating worksheet. Industrial facilities that scored 80 points or higher using this worksheet were classified as major facilities. Publicly owned treatment works (POTWS) with 1 million gallons of flow per day or greater and POTWs serving a population of 10,000 or greater were also classified as major facilities. Lastly, the Regional Administrator or State Director can also designate facilities as major facilities independent of the worksheet or above criteria. The non-major designation includes municipal and industrial facilities that have not been designated as majors. EPA places greater priority on major facilities, and requires authorized states to provide more information about the compliance status of these dischargers. For more information, refer to About the Data.
Compare DMR to TRI
The Loading Tool presents data from ICIS-NPDES and Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). This feature provides criteria to restrict results based on inclusion in ICIS-NPDES. Facilities may be linked at the facility, industry, and pollutant level. For further information about how facilities are linked, please refer to Linking DMR and TRI Data in the Water Pollutant Loading Tool.
Only include facilities that:
  • Link to TRI ID(s): This selection will return facilities in ICIS-NPDES that link to TRI ID(s). The Loading Tool uses Facility Registry System (FRS) identification numbers to link NPDES permit numbers to TRI facility IDs. A TRI ID is the number used to uniquely identify facilities in EPA's TRI database.
    • Report TRI releases to surface waters: This selection will return facilities that report direct discharges to receiving streams or water bodies to TRI based on a facility and pollutant linkage.
    • DO NOT report TRI releases to surface waters: This selection will return facilities that DO NOT report direct discharges to receiving streams or water bodies to TRI.
  • DO NOT link to TRI ID(s): This selection will return facilities in ICIS-NPDES that DO NOT link to TRI ID(s).

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 TRI Water Pollution Search Help

The TRI Search option on the Water Pollution Search page provides quick access to reported wastewater discharges to surface waters (e.g., lakes, rivers, or streams) or to municipal sewage treatment plants (a.k.a. Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs)) in the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program.

The search boxes provide search options to help you determine where discharges are occurring (Location or Watershed Box), what pollutants are discharged (Pollutant Box), and who the dischargers of interest are (Industry Box). Change the criteria in one or more of the boxes and click the Search button to retrieve the reported TRI releases to surface waters ("direct dischargers") or POTWs ("indirect dischargers").

Search criteria are organized by the order they appear in each search box. The hyperlinks below to allow you to quickly find the search term of interest.


 Select a Reporting Year

The calendar year of the reported pollutant discharges. Search Considerations: TRI releases are reported annually. See About the Data for information about TRI data scope and limitations.

 Location or Watershed

Nationwide
Search for facilities nationwide, without restrictions on location or watershed.
Search by Location
Search for facilities based on location as reported in TRI. Narrow search results based on geographic criteria, such as ZIP code, EPA region, state, city, and county.
 
ZIP Code
The 5-digit mail code for the facility address. To identify discharges from facilities located in the specified ZIP code. For this type of search, the search will produce results if the specified ZIP code matches the first five digits of any facility's ZIP code in TRI.
EPA Region
The EPA designated area that U.S. states, territories, and tribes are assigned to. EPA has 10 regional offices that execute programs within several states and territories. This field is required to be populated in the source database.
State
The two-character state abbreviation for the facility location. This field is required to be populated in the source database.
County
The county name for the facility location. This field is not required to be populated in the source database.
Search Considerations: County names can be blank in TRI. If the county name is not provided for a facility, then the county name search will produce no results for that facility.
City
The city name for the facility location.
Search Considerations: City names can be blank in TRI. If the city name is not provided for a facility, then the city name search will produce no results for that facility.
Search by Watershed
Search for facilities based on watershed. Narrow search results for a watershed area based on ZIP code, watershed ID (HUC), and Major U.S. Watersheds.
ZIP Code
The 5-digit mail code for the facility address. The Loading Tool searches use ZIP codes to identify discharges in watersheds that overlap with the specified ZIP code's geographic boundaries. For this type of search, the search will produce results if:
  1. The specified ZIP code overlaps with a Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) in the Watershed Boundary Database
  2. The corresponding HUC is connected with a NPDES ID in the Watershed Boundary Dataset;
  3. The corresponding NPDES ID is in ICIS-NPDES; and
  4. A TRI ID is linked to the NPDES ID.
Watershed ID (12-Digit HUC)
Code assigned by the U.S. Geological Survey used to classify watersheds in the United States and the Caribbean. Code consists of twelve digits which correspond to six levels of classification Region (first-level, 2-digit HUC), Subregion (second-level, 4-digit HUC), Accounting unit (third-level, 6-digit HUC), Cataloging unit (fourth-level, 8-digit HUC), Watershed (fifth-level, 10-digit HUC), and Subwatershed (sixth-level, 12-digit HUC).
Search Considerations: The Loading Tool links facility discharges with hydrologic unit codes (HUC-12) using a WATERS web service. Searching on HUC-12 will produce results if the WATERS web service returns NPDES IDs that correspond to the specified HUC-12. For more information, see Overview of Watershed Data.
Major U.S. Watersheds
Search for facilities within a major U.S. watershed. This field is not required to be populated in the source database.
Major watersheds: the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, Chesapeake Bay, Columbia River Basin, Delaware Bay, Delaware River Basin, Great Lakes, Long Island Sound, Lower Columbia River Basin, Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin, Mobile Bay, Puget Sound, San Francisco Bay, and Tampa Bay. Many of these watersheds consist of several HUC-12 codes. Maps of these watersheds are available from HUC Maps and Codes for Major U.S. Watersheds.
USGS Watersheds: The U.S. Geological Survey classifies watersheds in the U.S. and Caribbean into 21 regions, represented by a 2-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC).
Large Aquatic Ecosystems (LAEs) Program: EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans & Watersheds classifies LAEs to include multiple small watersheds and water resources within a large geographic area that provides significant resources or services, such as food supply, recreation and tourism, groundwater recharge, flood management, air purification, nutrient cycling, and wildlife habitat.
National Estuaries Program (NEP): The NEP identifies nationally significant estuaries of the U.S. for protection and restoration. EPA administers the NEP, but program decisions and activities are carried out by committees of local government officials, private citizens, and representatives from other federal agencies, academic institutions, industry, and estuary user-groups. Estuaries are selected for inclusion in the program through a nomination process. There are currently 28 estuary programs implemented in the U.S.
Only include facilities that discharge to counties or watersheds with ESA-listed aquatic species
ESA-listed aquatic species are a group of organisms that live in the water for most or all of its life and are designated as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The purpose of the ESA is to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

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 Community

All Communities
Search for facilities across all communities, without restrictions on community characteristics.
Specify Community Characteristics
Search for facilities by specific community characteristics such as environmental justice (EJ), demographics, or Indian country/tribal land.
Environmental Justice
EJScreen Indexes At or Above 80th Percentile
Identify facilities at or above the 80th percentile for one or more of the environmental justice (EJ) indexes of EJScreen, EPA's screening tool for EJ concerns. EPA uses EJScreen as a screening tool to identify geographic areas that may warrant further consideration or analysis. Note that use of this filter does not designate an area as an “EJ community” or “EJ facility.” EJScreen provides screening level indicators, not a determination of the existence or absence of EJ concerns. For more information, see the EJScreen home page.
Compare to
Choose "US" or "State" to search for percentile values for EJ indexes nationwide or relative to Census block groups within the same state. The default is US when Yes or No is selected for EJScreen Indexes At or Above 80th Percentile.
Based on
Choose "Block Group" to search for percentile values based on the census block group the facility is located in. Select "1-mile Maximum" to search based on the maximum percentile value for any census block group within a 1-mile radius of the facility. The default is block group when Yes is selected for EJScreen Indexes At or Above 80th Percentile.
Index Type
Choose one of two methodologies for calculating EJScreen indexes. The indexes are a combination of environmental and socioeconomic information. The Environmental Justice Index uses a two-factor demographic index that averages Percent Low Income and Percent People of Color Populations. The Supplemental Index uses a five-factor demographic index that averages Percent Low Income, Percent Unemployed, Percent Limited English Speaking, Percent Less than High School Education, and Low Life Expectancy. The default is Supplemental Index when Yes or No is selected for EJScreen Indexes At or Above 80th Percentile.
Count of EJ Indexes
Select the number of indexes at or above the 80th percentile of the environmental justice (EJ) indexes of EJScreen.

Demographics
Percent People of Color (3-mile radius)
Choose a percentage threshold to search for facilities based on the racial composition of the surrounding three-mile radius. The field is calculated by subtracting the number of persons who are white (and not of Hispanic origin) from the total persons. This number is then divided by the total persons and multiplied by one hundred to determine the percentage.
Percent Low Income (3-mile radius)
Choose a percentage threshold to search for facilities based on the percent of the population of the surrounding three-mile radius that have an income less than two times the poverty level, based on the 2015-2019 ACS 5-Year Summary.

Indian Country/Tribal Land
ICIS Tribal Land Flag
When “Yes” is selected, your search results will be limited to facilities or permits flagged as being located in Indian country, based on information entered in EPA's Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS). The accuracy and completeness of this information varies by system, and may differ from the FRS Tribal Land Code. “Indian country” is defined by statute at 18 U.S.C. 1151 to include all lands within Indian reservations, dependent Indian communities, and allotted lands. When “No” is selected, your search results will exclude any facilities or permits that are located in Indian country. “ANY” will not restrict search results.
FRS Tribal Land Code
When “YES” is selected, your search results will be limited to facilities or permits flagged as being located in Indian country, based on information that has been entered in EPA’s Facility Registry Service. The accuracy and completeness of this information varies by data system. “Indian country” is defined by statute at 18 U.S.C. 1151 to include all lands within Indian reservations, dependent Indian communities, and allotted lands. When “NO” is selected, your search results will exclude any facilities or permits that are located in Indian country. “ANY” will not restrict search results.
On or Near Spatial Tribal Boundary
Search for facilities that are located on or near tribal land. Search is based on EPA comparison of the facility locations in its Facility Registry Service to the U.S. Census Bureau 2010 tribal boundary layer data for tribes in the lower 48 states and Bureau of Land Management Alaska State Office data for tribes in Alaska. When “Within X miles” is selected, your search results will be limited to facilities or permits on tribal land and within the selected radius. “No Restrictions” is selected by default and does not restrict search results. You can focus your search on a specific tribal land using the “Tribes” criteria. Please note that facilities must have locational data (latitude/longitude) in EPA's Facility Registry Service to be included in this search. Data Quality Caveat
Tribes
Search for facilities located on or near a tribe, based on spatial/locational association. The information is based on EPA comparison of facility coordinates (in Facility Registry Service) to the U.S. Census Bureau 2016 tribal boundary layer data for tribes in the lower 48 states, and Bureau of Land Management Alaska State Office data for tribes in Alaska. Please note that facilities must have locational data (latitude/longitude) in EPA's Facility Registry Service to be included in this search. Data Quality Caveat. Selection must be made in conjunction with the “On or Near Spatial Tribal Boundary” criteria. "No Restrictions" is selected by default and does not restrict search results. Enter at least one character. Select a tribe from the dropdown list to add it to the search criteria selected panel and clear the input field for a new value.
Find Facilities That Match
When "All Tribal Options" is selected, your search results will return facilities that matches on all selected Indian Country/Tribal Land search criteria. When "Any Tribal Option" is selected, your search results will return facilities that matches on any of the Indian Country Land search criteria selected. These options are not enabled until two or more Indian Country/Tribal Land search criteria are selected.
Data Quality Caveat: EPA makes no claims regarding the accuracy or precision of data concerning Indian country locations or tribal boundaries on the ECHO website. EPA has simply attempted to collect certain readily available information relating to Indian country locations. Questions concerning data should be referred to the originating program or Agency which can be identified in the Envirofacts tribal query metadata files Lower 48 Tribal Areas, Alaska Reservation, Alaska Native Villages, or Alaska Native Allotments. The Indian country and tribal boundary locations are suitable only for general spatial reference and do not necessarily reflect EPA's position on any Indian country locations or tribal boundaries or the land status of any specific location. The inclusion of Indian country information on the ECHO website does not represent any final EPA action addressing Indian country locations or boundaries. This information cannot be relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable by any party in litigation with the United States or third parties. EPA reserves the right to change information on ECHO at any time without public notice.
EPA uses the U.S. Census Bureau 2016 tribal boundary layer data when developing environmental data query responses for tribes in the lower 48 United States and the Bureau of Land Management Alaska State Office when developing environmental data query responses for tribes in Alaska. EPA seeks to use the best available national federal data and may refine the tribal boundary layer in the future as more accurate national federal data becomes available.

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 Pollutant

All Pollutants
This default selection does not restrict search results based on pollutant discharges.
Specify Pollutant
Search for facilities based on a specific pollutant discharge. Narrow search results based on pollutant name or discharge type.
TRI Chemical Name
Enter the name of any pollutant that is associated with chemicals that are reported to EPA's TRI Program. Use the lookup feature to search for TRI chemicals.
Discharges to:
  • Surface waters and/or sewage treatment plants: This selection will return all facilities that discharge TRI pollutants "directly" to receiving streams and water bodies, and/or "indirectly" to sewage treatment plants. This selection does not restrict search results.
  • Surface waters: This selection will return all facilities that discharge TRI pollutants "directly" to receiving streams or water bodies.
  • Sewage treatment plants: This selection will return all facilities that discharge TRI pollutants "indirectly" to sewage treatment plants.
  • ONLY to surface waters: This selection will return all facilities that discharge TRI pollutants ONLY to receiving streams or water bodies (i.e., direct dischargers only).
  • ONLY to sewage treatment plants: This selection will return all facilities that discharge TRI pollutants ONLY to sewage treatment plants (i.e., indirect dischargers only).
Note: For indirect dischargers, EPA adjusts the facility discharges to account for removals at the sewage treatment plant or POTW. POTWs can treat and remove some or all of the chemicals from TRI indirect releases before releasing the treated wastewater to the environment. EPA estimates chemical removal rates based on a percent removal and subtracts the percent removed from the reported indirect discharge. The POTW chemical removal spreadsheet is available in Technical Users Background Document.

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 Industry

All Point Sources
This selection will return all facilities with point source discharges reported to the TRI Program, including POTWs and Industrial Point Sources (Non-POTWs). This default selection does not restrict search results based on industry classification.
Point Source Category
Specific industry categories that facilities are grouped in based on the release of pollutants from discrete point sources. Point source category classification is based on a facility's primary NAICS code in TRI. Searching on point source category will only return records for facilities that 1) have a primary NAICS code in TRI, and 2) have a NAICS code that maps to a point source category.
Industrial Sector ID (SIC Code)
Code that describes the primary activity of the facility. The two-digit code defines a major business sector, the four-digit code contains two additional numbers that denote a facility's specialty within the major sector. Choose a two-digit code from the dropdown menu or enter a four-digit code. Use the lookup feature to search for an SIC code. See the U.S. Department of Labor website for more information.
Search Considerations: For SIC code searches, the Loading Tool identifies matching facilities based on their primary SIC code in TRI. SIC codes are not required to be reported in TRI. Searching on SIC code will only return records for facilities that have a primary SIC code in TRI that matches the specified SIC code for the search.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code
A six-digit code that identifies NAICS industries and has replaced the U.S. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. The first two-digits represent the industry sector, in which there exist 20 broad sectors. The third digit represents the industry subsector, the fourth digit represents the industry group, the fifth digit represents the industry, and the sixth digit specifies the country (i.e., U.S., Canada, or Mexico). See the U.S. Census website for more information.
Search Considerations: This field is not required to be populated in the source database. Searching on this field will only return results for facilities that have NAICS codes in TRI.

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 Compare to DMR Data

All Facilities
This default selection does not restrict search results based on the compare feature.
Specify DMR Criteria
Narrow your search by selecting specific criteria relevant to Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) in ICIS-NPDES. The Loading Tool presents data from ICIS-NPDES and Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). This feature provides criteria to restrict results based on inclusion in ICIS-NPDES. Facilities may be linked at the facility, industry, and pollutant level. For further information about how facilities are linked, please refer to Linking DMR and TRI Data.
Clean Water Act NPDES Permits
Only include facilities that link/do not link to a NPDES permit: The Loading Tool uses FRS identification numbers to link NPDES permit numbers to TRI facility IDs. The NPDES permit program regulates the direct discharge of pollutants into U.S. waters. A nine-character code (NPDES Permit ID) is used to uniquely identify a permitted NPDES facility.
Reported Discharges
Only include facilities that report discharges greater than or equal to zero in DMRs or TRI in the selected year. Options include:
  • In both DMR and TRI
  • In both DMR and TRI where: The user may enter a selection to restrict search results based on percent, pounds, or TWPE differences between DMR discharges and TRI releases.
  • In TRI only
Surface Water Impairments
Options include:
  • Only include facilities that discharge to impaired surface waters
  • Only include facilities that discharge to impaired surface waters AND also discharge one or more pollutants that are causing the impairment
"Based on TRI data" is selected by default, but the user may select whether to restrict results based on DMR or TRI data.
Effluent Exceedances
Only include facilities with a minimum number of effluent exceedances of its NPDES permit, based on DMR data (e.g., entering a 1 will return all facilities with 1 or more exceedances). This selection will only return facilities in the TRI program that link to NPDES permits with numeric permit limits and discharge data in ICIS-NPDES.