The Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) group of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)/OWM/Permits Branch is using a new CSO tool to track Long- Term Control Plan (LTCP) milestones, internal IDEM milestones, information related to CSO outfalls, and general information related to each CSO community. The CSO tracking tool uses TEMPO, a software application created by CGI which has been customized by IDEM to meet the needs of the CSO group.
Information managed by the CSO tracking tool:
- LTCP CSO tasks that each community must complete to meet the requirements of the LTCP. These “tasks” include all LTCP implementation tasks, LTCP approval/completion dates, internal IDEM tasks (such as audits), and so forth. Each task includes a description of the activity that must be completed by the permittee including the required start date and due date. The completion date for each task is entered by IDEM staff when the communities provide notification that the task is completed.
- General information related to each CSO community, such as the type of enforceable document through which the LTCP schedule is enforced (i.e., agreed Order, state judicial agreement, or federal consent decree), National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit number, associated Virtual File Cabinet (VFC) document number, and LTCP level of control.
- Specific CSO outfall information for each CSO community, including latitude/longitude, receiving stream, watershed, county, active/inactive status, treated/untreated status, etc.
Results to Date:
While the system can generate custom reports using the information in the database, there are a number of standard reports. The current reports include:
- Document Attributes Report: This report can retrieve a list of facilities by enforceable document (agreed order, state judicial agreement, federal consent decree), or can search LTCP level of control, associated VFC document numbers, or NPDES permit numbers. This report has the ability to accommodate other general information as the program moves forward. This is used to check on the enforceable documents and to view the LTCP levels of control for all communities.
- Metrics Report: This report lists the total number of CSO communities, total approved LTCPs, total LTCPs remaining to be approved, and total LTCPs fully implemented. Frequently, upper management is asked to provide status reports on CSO-related topics. The Metrics Report provides information that is readily obtainable without the need to query staff.
- Outfalls Report: Filters on this report can be set to provide a wide range of information regarding CSO outfalls. This report can generate location, waterbody information, active status, treatment status, and other data by community, county, receiving stream, or watershed. This report is particularly useful for public information requests.
- Work Activity Log Tasks Reports: This report is used to track CSO program activities. The filters on this report provide a wide range of information. For example, this report can provide overdue tasks for each community or completed tasks for each community, can search a common task among all communities, can give the “universe” of tasks for the entire CSO program, and so forth. This report is being used monthly to track which communities may be behind in their LTCP implementation. It is also used to track completion of internal tasks, such as audits, for staff scheduling purposes. Another use of the report is to search a specific type of project. For example, IDEM may be asked, “How many communities have completed construction of a CSO Treatment Facility?” Setting the filters correctly on the report, the Department can now easily answer such questions.
Future Enhancements under Consideration:
A compliance module for the CSO program is currently being developed using an external workgroup. Other enhancements being considered include an interface with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ICIS system to enable exchange between TEMPO and ICIS, and utilization of outfall geographic coordinates to map CSO related information.
Contact:
Holly Zurcher
Project Manager, Permits Branch
Office of Water Quality
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
(317) 234-2122
