Water Pollutant Loading Tool Modernization
Last Updated: June 2, 2021
The Water Pollutant Loading Tool (Loading Tool) is a public access website designed to help you determine who is discharging, what pollutants they are discharging and how much, and where they are discharging. The Loading Tool calculates pollutant loadings from permit and DMR data from EPA's Integrated Compliance Information System for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (ICIS-NPDES). Data are available from the year 2007 to the present.
The Loading Tool was transitioned into ECHO to increase user access to data and streamline site maintenance. EPA retired the legacy site on January 24, 2018.
- Site Navigation
- Features Available in ECHO
- Availability of Other Features
- Future Enhancements
- Frequently Asked Questions
Site Navigation
Water Pollution Search
Streamlined combination of EZ Search, TRI Search, and Facility Search.
Data Downloads
Access features that generate files for download, such as Custom Search and NPDES Monitoring Data Download.
Everyday Searches
Specialized tools and features.
Resources
Access help information and technical documentation.
Features Available in ECHO
Overall:
- Video tutorials for the TRI and DMR Comparison Dashboard
- Streamlined and consistent design, using ECHO design template
- Data provided via publicly available web services
- Improved search speed and performance
- Simplified navigation tabs within the Loading Tool to enable quick access across features and resources
- Many features and pages (e.g., search forms, reports, etc.) have unique aliases and may be accessed via direct URL calls
- Expanded help documentation
| ECHO Feature | ECHO Navigation Tab | Legacy Feature | Notes about changes and improvements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Pollution Search | Water Pollution Search | EZ Search | Water Pollution Search default search type is DMR. |
| TRI Search | Select search type "TRI" to search for TRI direct and indirect discharge data. | ||
| Facility Search | Search functionality, such as ability to search by Facility ID, incorporated into the Water Pollution Search. | ||
| Custom Search | Data Downloads | Advanced Search | Reorganized search form and improved search speed and performance. |
| TRI and DMR Comparison Dashboard | Everyday Searches | TRI and DMR Comparison Dashboard | Charts refresh automatically when selecting a metric. |
| Pollutant Loading Report (DMR) | N/A | Facility Information (DMR) |
Available via "L" report icons throughout ECHO: Incorporates loading calculation drilldowns. Example report: https://echo.epa.gov/trends/loading-tool/reports/dmr-pollutant-loading?…; |
| NPDES Permit Limit and Monitoring Requirements Report | N/A | View Permit Limits and Monitoring Requirements | Available via "P" icon in Loading Tool:  Summary information added to link to other reports. Users may also change the year of data displayed. Improved format and functionality of table and download. |
| Pollutant Loading Report (TRI) | N/A | Facility Information (TRI) | Example report: https://echo.epa.gov/trends/loading-tool/reports/tri-pollutant-loading?… |
| NPDES Monitoring Data Download | Data Downloads | Permit Fact Sheet Tables | Improved spreadsheet formatting. Available via "F" report icon in Loading Tool:  |
| Nutrient Modeling (Hypoxia Task Force Search) | Everyday Searches | Nutrient Modeling | Retained legacy functionality and updated formatting. |
| Annual Loadings (Hypoxia Task Force Search) | Everyday Searches | Annual Loadings Report | Retained legacy functionality and updated formatting. |
| DMR and TRI Multi-Year Loading Report | N/A | Facility Multi-Year Loading Report | Available via "M" report icon in Loading Tool:  |
| Effluent Limit Exceedances Report | N/A | Effluent Limit Exceedances Report |
Available via "X" report icons throughout ECHO: |
| Watershed Statistics | Data Downloads | Watershed Statistics and Loadings | Retained legacy functionality and updated formatting. |
| State Statistics | Data Downloads | State Statistics | Retained legacy functionality. Help documentation is under development. |
| Effluent Limit Exceedances Search | Everyday Searches | Effluent Limit Exceedances Search | Retained legacy functionality. Improved results table scrolling and pagination. |
Availability of Other Features
Additional features will be added incrementally to the modernized Loading Tool. Dates are subject to change.
| Feature | Anticipated Availability Date |
|---|---|
| Indirect Industrial Discharge Report | Under consideration |
| Compare DMR and TRI features in Water Pollution Search Results | Under consideration |
| Top Industrial Dischargers of Toxic Pollutants | Under consideration |
| Exceedance Charts | Under consideration |
| Loading Trends Charts | Under consideration |
| Load over Limit Summary | Under consideration |
| Lookup Tables | Under consideration |
| Data Explorer | Discontinued |
| Facility Exceedance Counts | Discontinued |
Future Enhancements
The following data and functionality are planned for future releases:
- National download files
- Automated weekly updates of select reference files
Please let us know if you have suggestions for additional features for the Loading Tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to questions will be posted below during the Loading Tool transition into ECHO.
- Will notice be given as features are added in ECHO?
- Yes. EPA will update this page and send emails to the Water Pollutant Loading Tool News list as features become available.
- Will there be webinars to train users on how to use the Loading Tool?
- EPA will offer online training for the modernized Loading Tool in the future. Visit ECHO Training recordings of past webinars and registration information for upcoming webinars.