We designed our process to fit the way small utilities already work. No new software to learn, no training sessions to attend. Forward us your lab results — we handle everything else.
Before your first DMR, we do a one-time setup so the ongoing monthly process runs automatically. Here's what that looks like.
Send us your current NPDES permit. We extract every effluent limit, monitoring frequency, outfall, and parameter — and build your compliance template.
You designate Effluent Labs as an authorized agent in NetDMR. We walk you through the exact steps — it takes about 10 minutes on your end.
We process one month of historical lab data to verify the template, confirm calculations, and make sure everything matches before going live.
After onboarding, the same four-step process repeats each reporting period. Your involvement is typically under 15 minutes.
Forward the email from your lab — or let it flow in automatically if your lab supports EDI delivery. We accept CSV, PDF, Excel, and scanned paper reports. No reformatting required on your end.
Our calculation engine applies EPA-standard methods against your permit limits — arithmetic and geometric means, mass loading, percent removal, and non-detect substitution — without any manual intervention.
Before anything is drafted, the DMR passes through our full quality assurance suite. We catch errors that spreadsheets miss — and we flag them by severity so you know what needs your attention versus what's just informational.
We send you the completed DMR with a summary of any flags. You review the numbers, reply with approval, and we submit directly to NetDMR as your authorized agent. Typically under 15 minutes of your time.
Most of our clients spend 8–12 hours per month on DMR prep before working with us. Here's where that time goes — and where it goes after.
No. The entire process runs over email. You forward your lab report, we process it, and you get a draft DMR back. If you want a portal for tracking historical submissions, we can set that up — but it's not required to get started.
We've processed data from dozens of regional labs in formats ranging from color-coded Excel templates to faxed paper reports. During onboarding we'll process a sample report from your lab and confirm the parser handles it correctly before going live. If your lab format requires custom handling, we build that as part of setup at no extra charge.
In NetDMR, you can designate a third-party organization as an authorized agent for your permit. This gives us the ability to enter and submit DMRs on your behalf. You retain the ability to review, revoke access, and see all submission history. We walk you through the exact steps during onboarding — it takes about 10 minutes and only needs to be done once.
We flag it clearly in the draft DMR review with the specific parameter, the reported value, and the permit limit. We include a plain-English summary of what it means and what your notification obligations may be. We do not hide or minimize exceedances — accurate reporting is non-negotiable, and your permit's self-reporting requirements apply regardless of what caused the exceedance.
Yes. Multi-outfall permits are fully supported. Each outfall gets its own calculation and QA workflow, mapped to the correct parameter limits for that discharge point. We also support facilities with quarterly or annual reporting requirements in addition to monthly DMRs.
Send us the new permit as soon as you receive it. We update your compliance template to reflect the new limits, parameters, and monitoring frequencies effective as of the new permit date. We also do a side-by-side comparison to flag any new requirements you need to be aware of — new parameters, changed monitoring frequencies, or new special conditions.
Most facilities are fully onboarded in under a week. Let's talk about your specific situation.
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