Data Submittal – WQX-Web

This page is intended for the data manager or scientist responsible for making their organization’s data freely available to the public. One of the largest centralized environmental data storage systems in the country is the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Water Quality Portal.  The easiest way to submit data to the Water Quality Portal is for an organization to use USEPA’s WQX-Web tool.  WQX Web is a web-based application specifically designed to assist smaller organizations with their data submittals to the Water Quality Portal.  This tool is a great alternative to groups that might not otherwise have a large internal Information Technology (IT) infrastructure to handle more complicated methods of data flow.

Getting Started With WQX-Web

Step One: Gaining Access to WQX-Web and Central Data Exchange (CDX)

Step Two: Create WQX-Web Templates

  • WQX-Web templates are set up to prepare your organization’s data for import into the WQX Web tool, and subsequent transfer to the Water Quality Portal.  You are defining which pieces of information you want to be uploaded via WQX-Web.
  • A user guide to get you started on how to work with WQX-Web templates can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/waterdata/water-quality-exchange-web-template-user-guide
  • EPA provided WQX-Web template files based on the type of data you are providing can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/waterdata/water-quality-exchange-web-template-files
  • If you have questions regarding the creation of WQX-Web templates, please contact the WQX help desk at: wqx@epa.gov.

 

Step Three: Formatting of Data

  • You must now format your organizations data into a compatible text file to match the WQX-Web template that you created in Step Two.  This can be accomplished in several ways such as using Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, writing R Code, etc.   Your strategy for formatting data will be dependent on your organization’s skill sets.

WQX/WQX-Web

Water Quality Exchange

The Water Quality Exchange (WQX) is USEPA’s framework that makes it easier for States, Tribes, and others to submit and share water quality monitoring data over the Internet. States, Tribes and other organizations can now submit data directly to the publicly accessible STORET Data Warehouse using the WQX framework.

WQX-Web

WQX Web is a web-based application designed to assist smaller organizations with submitting data via WQX. WQX Web is a tool that converts text files (such as comma or tab-delimited files) into a valid WQX submission file (based on the WQX schema). WQX Web also interacts with the Central Data Exchange (CDX), which is the EPA’s portal through which all environmental data is expected to flow. WQX Web is also a data conversion and validation tool, providing support for user-defined file formats and user-defined translations to WQX-compliant values for items like Characteristics, Taxonomic Names, Units of Measure, etc.

A WQX Web template is available to assist organizations with formatting their data for upload to WQX Web. Please see the WQX Web Resources page to access the template.

Data submitted to WQX is used by NJDEP to develop New Jersey’s Integrated Water Quality Assessment Report.