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Online Reporting for Discharge Monitoring Under the Multi-Sector General Permit

Learn how to submit sampling data for your Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) using TCEQ’s online discharge monitoring reporting (NetDMR) system.

Electronic Reporting

If your facility is regulated by a Notice of Intent (NOI), the MSGP (TXR050000) requires that you submit sampling data electronically using the NetDMR reporting system. The data is used to determine compliance with permit requirements, such as effluent limitations and benchmark monitoring. Submit results of samples collected between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2023, in NetDMR by March 31, 2024.

You must collect and submit sampling data if any of the following applies to your facility:

  • Subject to federal effluent limitations guidelines.
  • Must report numeric effluent limits for an exceedance of hazardous metals.
  • Subject to benchmark monitoring requirements.
  • Discharges a pollutant of concern at a level of concern directly into an impaired water body.

Submit your data at TCEQ’s NetDMR webpage.

New users: learn How to Create a CDX Account for NetDMR .
Existing CDX users: learn How to Add a MSGP Facility to an Existing Account.

Request a waiver from reporting electronically – TCEQ may grant temporary waivers to the electronic reporting rule in limited cases (such as customers without a computer or internet access). For more information about who might qualify for a waiver from electronic reporting, visit the TCEQ NPDES Electronic Reporting webpage. If you qualify, you can submit a Request for Electronic Reporting Waiver form (TCEQ-20754).

Sampling Guide

The table below summarizes the sampling required for sectors regulated by the MSGP.

NOTE: To view the sampling types or waivers you reported on your Notice of Intent, visit the TCEQ Water Quality General Permits Search webpage. Enter your permit number and then review the authorization details. 

Sampling Type

Permit Citation

MSGP Sector

Frequency of Sampling

Report

Hazardous Metals

Part III C.1

All sectors unless you get a waiver

Annually

Only if exceedance

Benchmark

Part IV and Part V 

Certain SIC codes within A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, O, Q, S, T, U, Y, AA, and AD

Semi-annually (Jan-June and July-Dec)

Always, however waiver option available for Year 3 and 4 of MSGP cycle

Federal Effluent Limits

Part III.C.2 Table 3

Certain activities within A, C, D, E, J, O, and S

Annually

Always

Impaired Waterbody

Part III Section B.4  

All sectors if facility discharges Pollutant of Concern (POC) into receiving waterbody

Annually Always


Roles and Signatory Authority in NetDMR

Understand Your Role

NetDMR accounts are per person, so there can be multiple account holders at a facility. Select the role for your account based on the capability needed.

View role descriptions on the CDX User Types and NetDMR Roles webpage and choose one of the following:

  • Permittee (signature)
  • Permittee (no signature)
  • Data Provider

Accounts with a permittee (signature) role can sign and submit DMRs. To qualify for a permittee (signature) role, you must have signatory authority or be designated or delegated as a duly authorized representative as explained in Delegation of Signatories for the MSGP (RG-557).

If you have trouble logging in or creating an account, contact the NetDMR Helpdesk:

Reporting Deadline

Submit your NetDMR report each year by the March 31 deadline.

For example, the deadline for the Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023 monitoring period is March 31, 2024.

How to Complete the Report

Find MSGP DMRs in the NetDMR system – NetDMR has two types of DMRs: Scheduled (S) and Unscheduled (U). Depending on your permit requirements, you may have to report data for both types. You can search for these in NetDMR using your permit number. See more information on this page for presentation videos and slides (including screenshots) on how to find your DMRs and more.

Determine your sampling types – You can have multiple sampling types on the same DMR. For example, hazardous metals and benchmark sampling will be on the same Unscheduled DMR. The DMR will list the parameters you need to report for each sampling type. Each parameter has a Season ID to help you determine which type of sampling it is associated with. See the table below for additional information.

Sampling Type

Scheduled (S) or Unscheduled (U)

Frequency of Sample

Season ID

Hazardous Metals

U Annually 0
Benchmark U

Semi annually

1

Federal Effluent Limits

S *

Annually 0

Impaired Waterbody

U Annually 0

*In most cases, federal effluent limits are Scheduled. However, for some federal effluent limits, the daily average limits are Unscheduled and only reported if multiple samples are taken in one month.

Common Reporting Issues

Facilities reporting benchmark values but not hazardous metals – Benchmark and hazardous metals sampling will appear on the same Unscheduled DMR. You will not report hazardous metals results if you:

  • submitted a waiver for hazardous metals sampling according to Part III Section C.1.c of the MSGP; or
  • sampled hazardous metals and had no exceedances.

Instead, complete an Unscheduled DMR and report a No Data Indicator (NODI) code “9” (for conditional monitoring-not required this period) for the hazardous metals’ parameters. Report any benchmark values as appropriate.

Facilities only required to sample for hazardous metals - If you are only required to sample for hazardous metals and no other sampling types, do not report in NetDMR if you:

  • submitted a waiver for all hazardous metals sampling according to Part III Section C.1.c of the MSGP; or
  • sampled hazardous metals and had no exceedances.

Facilities with substantially similar outfalls - If you have multiple substantially similar outfalls, only report in NetDMR for one representative outfall. Use NODI Code 9 to report for the other outfalls. However, maintain the appropriate documentation on-site listed in Part III Section D.2.b. of the MSGP to show which outfalls are substantially similar.

More Information


Webinar Training and Other EPA Resources

View the webinar recording: Multi-Sector General Permit: Online Reporting for Discharge Monitoring. You can also view the presentation slides below:

Find answers to frequently asked questions on EPA’s NetDMR FAQ webpage.

How to Contact Us

If you need assistance, contact TCEQ’s MSGP DMR helpline at 855-906-6747.