Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Environmental Monitoring and Awareness Program (E-MAP) for Healthy Water
EPA Grant Number: R827968Title: Environmental Monitoring and Awareness Program (E-MAP) for Healthy Water
Investigators: Meuli, R. Larry , Wilson, Dorothy
Institution: Laramie County Information Technology Office
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: November 1, 1999 through October 31, 2000
Project Amount: $235,782
RFA: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) (1999) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water , Aquatic Ecosystems , Air , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration
Objective:
The overall objective of the Environmental Monitoring and Awareness Program (E-MAP) Web Site is to reduce misinformation on water quantity and quality, train the public to find data on neighborhood water quality, educate the public on obtaining tests of wells and septics and obtaining data on public water/sewer systems, teach the public to check septic conditions/problems in their neighborhood, and activate public efforts for obtaining public water/sewer systems for the urban density areas, as well as alert the public to the significance of bacteriological tests.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
This final report is separated into four different sections: water and wastewater data, public education, information technology and networking systems, and public access via the E-MAP Web Site. Prior to these sections is a discussion of the project status, preliminary results, findings and their significance to the field, relationship to the goals of the project, relevance to protection of the environment, and human health and potential practical applications.
Results and Findings
There are five expected results for the "E-MAP for Healthy Water" program. The results are: (1) a decrease in illnesses found in sensitive populations; (2) early detection of drinking water and well contamination problems; (3) accessibility to timely information resulting in a decrease in public and staff time expended for researching well water and septic information; (4) a decrease in the purchase of "nonserviceable" property; and (5) reduced disputes regarding annexation. This report covers the status and examination of these items as part of the grant (in reverse order).
Problems regarding inadequate water knowledge in regard to annexation requirements dropped dramatically as a result of the data dissemination accomplished through the research project. The high visibility of the E-MAP for Healthy Water program made the topic of water quality and its connection to annexation a major community concern. E-MAP brought environmental issues, which previously had been only of concern to government officials, into mainstream community discussion. The local City Council moved the issue of water quality, in relation to growth and annexation, onto its list of improvement goals for the community. The main local newspaper also has determined that this is a key focus item for the community and promotes issues related to growth and annexation as part of its editorial agenda.
Active use of the Internet and written materials resulted in a decrease in the purchase of nonserviceable property. Currently, the Development Office (which handles land use issues) has received only two calls regarding property that may be nonserviceable. Real estate agents and builders appear to be referring clients to the Web site.
Additionally, one popular component of this effort was the distribution of letter openers bearing the Web address. Builders who received pens as free Web site promotional material have used the Web site information printed on the envelope openers as a sales tool for their clients to "prove" that the water for the property they are selling is safe. More openers were purchased to give away to the public and builders during the last extension of the project period.
The accessibility to timely information resulted in a decrease in the time spent researching well water and septic information, as well as answering water-/septic-related questions, because referral to the Web site allows everyone a greater degree of access to real-time information. This provision of information is being expanded to include information on a number of other environmental factors because the format for the computer work turns out to be easily adaptable to other uses.
Data collection for possible contamination evaluation indicates that there is no significant issue with well sources. This area of data has raised a great deal of interest from the general public regarding the protection of the local aquifer.
A decrease in illnesses found in the sensitive populations has not been evaluated as originally planned. The collection of significantly more data than originally proven feasible with this research project may be necessary to support that hypothesis. Also, the staff found that they lacked the expertise to adequately track these results.
Water and Wastewater Data
The Division of Environmental Health started work on this research project by creating a digital database available to the public, with data from septic permits and water quality reports entered into the database. The septic field of most value is the percolation rate of the soil. Water quality fields of most value to the reviewing public are nitrate, total dissolved solids (TDS), and sulfates. The databases were designed in March 2000.
The design phase was successful. After completion of the design, the project team entered approximately 10 percent of the records from each data set as part of the pilot project. The next step in making the information available was the full data entry phase of the project, which took almost 2 months.
After completion of the pilot project and during the data entry, work began on putting the information into a geographic information systems (GIS) program to map the data. Quality assurance (QA) started after the mapping process to ensure that the data entered were not only the correct data but also were entered in the correct format to make them link ("map") to the address points in the county's addressing file. QA work took almost as long as the original data entry because of the large amount of data to check. The first check of the data found an almost 30 percent error rate. After corrections to the data, the errors are still at about 15 percent, but these are records that do not match any addresses. The number of missing addresses is still being reduced as the Environmental Health Staff is now using global positioning system (GPS) equipment (obtained with the grant) to remap the septic systems on those properties.
During the QA process, the team determined that it was not necessary to include bacteriological information in the mapping and Web site because the results were always satisfactory when the inspections were completed. Bacteria tests only show a satisfactory (negative) or unsatisfactory (positive) result. The only time an unsatisfactory (positive) bacteria test was found was when there was a failure to properly disinfect the well, hence a conclusion that the aquifer at this point in time is free of total and fecal bacteria. This was a change from the original research project plan that evolved as the work progressed. This information took the group by surprise and resulted in an unexpected limitation to the information we had anticipated receiving and providing to the public.
Use of the GPS equipment started in March 2001, making it possible to add more data to the E-MAP Web Site. Environmental information of interest to the public being considered as additions to the Web site are: mosquito-breeding areas, prairie dog colonies (where plague can be transmitted), and water quality along Crow Creek, a local waterway that is being considered for reclassification. This would be an expansion of the original uses proposed for the research project and is critical information that serves as a practical application for any jurisdiction. Additionally, the team from E-MAP would like to report water quality on food service establishments that use well water.
Other relevant data being proposed for addition to the E-MAP Web Site include radon in water wells, radon in indoor air, and soil typing. The soil type information is still under revision to give a seamless look to the final product.
After mapping the data, it became apparent that not all of the information could be shared with the public via the Internet because the sheer volume of data is too cumbersome for practical use. The solution was to display an average result for wells. This average will start at the section level, but in future refinement of the project, it will be reduced to quarter section or subdivision levels. A section is 640 acres or 1 square mile; a quarter section is 160 acres or 1/4 of a square mile. This is a long-term goal that will be completed after the project period because of the need to amend every record in both databases.
Public Education
The speaker series served as the heart of this project and proved more successful than originally anticipated. There were 12 separate presentations from different individuals or agencies. The first presentation was given in September 2000, and the last was presented in July 2001. Speakers included the Wyoming State Groundwater Engineer, the President of the Southeast Wyoming Homebuilders Association, the President of the Cheyenne Board of Realtors, and representatives from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Cheyenne/Laramie County Health Department, and Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities. Topics for the presentations included Wyoming water rights, water quality for the City of Cheyenne's public water supply, and how septic systems affect water quality. The series concluded with a presentation showing the public what information can be obtained on the E-MAP Web Site and how to use the Web Site. Approximately 447 people attended.
Brochures were created and distributed at public gatherings to promote the research project, the Web Site, and to let the public know the purpose of the grant and the type of information the project provides. Letter openers distributed to the public are popular with building professionals who indicated that they shared them with their clients (future homeowners). Homeowners know they can check the E-MAP Web Site to see that their builder is locating their home in an area with appropriate water sources. This was a very positive and unexpected result of the educational components of the E-MAP Web Site.
The E-MAP team made presentations on the E-MAP Research project at the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.'s (ESRI) Regional Users Group in Ft. Collins, CO, in May 2000; the Wyoming Environmental Health Association's Annual Education Conference in September 2000; and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Small Wastewater Conference in April 2000. The team also presented the E-MAP Web Site to the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce in February 2002. The Division of Environmental Health also will continue to present the completed but dynamic E-MAP Web Site to civic groups and other governmental entities.
Information Technology and Network Systems
The Laramie County Information Technology Department (IT) was a major contributor to this research project. The GIS Coordinator oversaw the development of the electronic databases for the project to ensure that the data would be in compliance with the Cheyenne/Laramie County GIS Cooperative Agreement. IT coordinated the development of the mapping project and trained employees to use the ArcView mapping software so that the information could be updated on an as-needed basis. During the busy home building and home buying seasons, this information changes almost daily and the knowledge to maintain and update the data feeding the E-MAP Web Site would not be possible without the training provided by IT.
IT continued to oversee much of the technical infrastructure development throughout the project period. The infrastructure development included setup of a computer facility for public research, installation of a wireless connection between the Laramie County Governmental Complex and the Cheyenne/Laramie County Health Department, and installation of notebook computers with portable printer, the GPS equipment, and a map server.
The Project Team and Principal Investigator determined that a fiber optic system connecting all three entities would be of great value for information transmission to the public. The Health Department, with guidance from the IT, purchased a 5.4 GHz, 20Mb/s wireless solution through this research project. The wireless connection was chosen because of the enormous expense of running fiber optics more than 1.5 miles between the sites and the overcrowded conduit in many places along the route. The fiber optic and wireless connections allow for a seamless network connection with the City of Cheyenne Government, Laramie County Government, and the Board of Public Utilities. This network system ensures that GIS data are the most current and up-to-date data available, and that the E-MAP Web Site is giving time-relevant information for public use.
The interconnections also make it possible for easier access to, and sharing of, data that are available on the Web Site. For instance, the 201 Boundary Data came from the City Engineer's Office, the water and sewer main data came from the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities, and the water quality and septic data came from the Health Department. All information will be transferred among agencies from the workstation of the individual performing the update.
The network solution required the cooperation of four governmental agencies: Laramie County, the City/County Health Department, the City of Cheyenne, and the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities. It often is difficult to find that kind of cooperation among government agencies at any level. These connections were made with a combination of single and multi-mode fibers and a gigabit Ethernet switch. The switch provided by this research project and the wireless system (which was actually a separately funded project but one that fit nicely with the E-MAP Grant) were cooperatively purchased by the government agencies involved in the connection. The funds for the switch were not considered matching funds for E-MAP.
Additional materials used to provide information are five laptop computers, a portable printer, and three GPS units. The network configuration and installation of this equipment was a smooth process. The configuration and installation of the E-MAP Web server also facilitates collection and dissemination of large amounts of data that are relevant to the public.
Public Access via the E-MAP Web Site
Web Site design work began in the fall of 2000, with a simple site that was based on a free ESRI product, the Demographics module (found at http://ESRI.com Exit ). After putting all the data on this site and putting it on the intranet for internal review, comments indicated that it was difficult to understand and use, did not look professional, and was not user-friendly. Therefore, we decided to go back to the drawing board and recreate the E-MAP Web Site.
During that process, and with professional consultation, it was decided to use ArcIMS, an ESRI Informational Management System designed to create an interface between ArcView GIS maps and an interactive Web map used by the public.
In July 2001, the E-MAP Web Site was up and running again and sent for internal review. Minor changes were made and the E-MAP Web Site was released to the Internet. A security breach allowed the E-MAP Web Site to become the target of a hacker. The Web site was immediately brought down and security issues were resolved.
The whole problem centered on the E-MAP Web Site's security. IT learned that as the public accessed the E-MAP Web Site for GIS information, they also were accessing the County’s network; hence, the security issue. In defining this problem, staff not only gained knowledge concerning security issues but also realized that they had to build a separate server with County funds to make this project work. This new server acts as the Web server and is in the demilitarized zone, which keeps public traffic out of the County's network system. With two servers (one to house data and one to house the Web Site), the original goal of allowing the public timely access to current, up-to-date information was completed. As those issues were being resolved, personnel issues brought the project to a halt. The Cheyenne/Laramie County GIS Cooperative brought in ESRI to see if they could get the E-MAP Web Site back online. Support from the GIS Cooperative and ESRI representatives made it possible to complete the project and get it ready for release.
The E-MAP Web Site was officially online in late September 2001. The E-MAP Web Site will easily allow future layers of information to be added to the maps. Some of the proposed additions will include the 201 Boundary, Radon in Air, and Soil Survey Data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Additionally, the team hopes to use some existing funds toward further educational efforts and educational materials. Further equipment purchases for converting data to digital form from the paper copies submitted by contractors also is under consideration by the team.
After completing the interactive maps, the final step was to put together an entry and informational Web site. The E-MAP Web Site is accessed through http://www.laramiecounty.com/health/E-Map_Web/E-MapWeb.htm Exit . The E-MAP Web Site gives the public links to environmental and demographic information about Laramie County, as well as links to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) project, ESRI, and other useful information. The Web site also features a quick 10 question survey to give input on the overall E-MAP Web Site. Hopefully, public comments will give insight into how to make a better and more informative Web site. This is a step that any jurisdiction should include in its project for feedback purposes.
To date, the E-MAP Web Site has been a success. IT tracks the number of hits to the site by using WebTrends software. This software package tracks the number of times the Web site is accessed by the public. Since going online, the site is the second-most accessed site behind the County's Job Opportunities link. However, there are multiple mapping pages and by adding together the hits on all those pages, the GIS Web Site may be the most visited.
Kiosks have been made available at both the Laramie County Governmental Complex and the City/County Health Department for anyone who does not have Internet access. These locations also provide faster access to the maps for those with slower telephone modems. Additional computers at the locations, purchased for the research project, allow for easier public access than the local library computers.
The Wyoming Association of Municipalities presented an Innovation Award for E-MAP to the City/County Development Office. The award was presented at the City/County Development Office Annual Conference in June 2000.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 7 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
water, wells, septics, water quality, groundwater, bacteriological tests, nitrates, sulfates, total dissolved solids, TDS, Environmental Monitoring and Awareness Program, E-MAP, Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking, EMPACT, Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming, WY, EPA Region 8., RFA, Health, Toxics, Geographic Area, Water, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, National Recommended Water Quality, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Ecosystem Protection, exploratory research environmental biology, Chemical Mixtures - Environmental Exposure & Risk, State, Monitoring/Modeling, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Ecological Effects - Human Health, Children's Health, genetic susceptability, Drinking Water, EPA Region, Ecological Indicators, EMPACT, environmental monitoring, EMAP, total dissolved solids, monitoring, ecological exposure, environmental health, sensitive populations, WY, exposure and effects, health risks, infants, public information, bacteria monitoring, emergency health situations, lead, exposure, other - risk assessment, water supply, children, pre-existing conditions, community water quality information system, dose related toxins, web site development, fecal coliform, wastewater permits, Region 8, treatment, community outreach, community tracking, water quality, Wyoming, elderly, public health alerts, urban environment, sensitive population, pregnancy, outreach and education, real-time monitoring, well and septic systemRelevant Websites:
http://www.laramiecounty.com/departments/health/emap.asp Exit
http://www.usgs.gov Exit
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.