DRINKING
WATER
ACADEMY
ELECTRONIC SANITARY
SURVEY PROJECT BULLETIN
OCTOBER 2005
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
ELECTRONIC SANITARY SURVEY SOFTWARE
CONTINUES TO ADVANCE
The latest version of the
ESS STAT E-BY-S1A	Electronic Sanitary Survey
STATUS
(ESS) software, released in
spring 2005, has taken a major
step forward in user capabil-
ity— on the desktop and on
the PDA and Tablet PC. Many
of the revisions to the
software were made in
response to user feedback
and requests for specific
enhancements.
These changes have helped
the Drinking Water Academy
(DWA) meet its long-standing
goal of providing software that
collects sanitary survey data
in the field and moves it easily
into a state database. The ESS
software, along with bridges
JOIN THE DWA FOR ESS TRAINING!
Learn how using the Electronic Sanitary Software can
benefit your sanitary survey program. Join us for an
introduction to the software and a demonstration of its use.
This DWA Webcast will be presented on November 16,
2005, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time. No registra-
tion is necessary.
At the time of the event, simply go to the URL below, enter
your name, and click on the "Join Now" button, which will
take you to the meeting page. Dial the phone number
displayed for your toll-free audio connection. Don't miss this
important event!
Log-in to the ESS Webcast at http://egenda.e2c.com/enc/
join?meetingid=gf2547.
to SDWIS/State and non-
SDWIS state databases, meets
this goal of being able to
download SDWIS data into the
ESS software and then submit
data updates back to SDWIS.
Following are some of the
(Continued on page 2)
DWA DEVELOPS NEW TABLET
SOFTWARE
The Tablet sanitary survey
software has been completely
redesigned since its initial test
release. The Tablet software
is designed to work directly
with the Desktop ESS, just like
the PDA, and should be
thought of as an alternative
electronic device to use in the
field when conducting
surveys. A state or other user
can choose, for example, to
use a Tablet when conducting
surveys of large systems and
a PDA when conducting a
survey at a small system. Data
flows back from each of these
electronic devices into the
same database. As technology
changes, the ESS software is
designed to allows users the
flexibility to choose the
technology that works best for
them without feeling the need
to commit to one technology
over another.
Tablet functionality highlights
include the ability to:
f^ULoad and retrieve surveys
from Desktop ESS.
JO pen. close, and save
surveys on the Tablet.
Use dynamic tab to retain
single page layout of the
survey,
(~"~Ea sily navigate between
sections of questions.
r#'JView and modify up to 20
questions of each section
without scrolling.
[Enable and disable follow-
on questions based on the
lead-in question.
Currently, interested states
can request the Beta version
by e-mailing Rao Mulpuri, the
lead developer for the
software, at rmulpuri@
nbenvironmental.com.

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1 OCTOBER 2005
PAGE 2
ESS SOFTWARE CONTINUES TO ADVANCE
(Continued from page 1)
highlights of the new ESS
software.
Enhancements to PDA
Software Increase
Functionality
(~~creation of multiple
question sets so states
can start the development
of their own question sets
using question sets more
closely aligned to their
needs. Comprehensive,
small, and transient non-
community are three
examples of question set
types available for
download.
(~~Elimination of multi-use
questions by consolidating
them into single questions.
(~~Flexible question set
management enables
users to edit column
headings, reorganize
where questions are
located or grouped, and
more easily map questions
to SDWIS data elements.
(~~Seamless download of
SDWIS state data (cur-
rently Oracle only, SQL
Server in-process) to
populate water system
information in the elec-
tronic survey question set
and allow inspectors to
validate this information.
(~ Flexibility to select a
question set and water
system when creating a
survey.
(~~Ability to easily sort and
filter the list of surveys to
quickly locate a particular
survey.
(~~Ability to attach and view
sanitary survey-related
documents.
(~~Ability to attach pictures
from a survey to individual
sanitary survey questions
and deficiency report.
(~~creation of additional
reports to display defi-
ciency information and
changes in SDWIS data
and water system
inventory.
(~~Development of state-
specific sanitary survey
report cover letters.
(~~creation of an automated
checklist for preparing the
survey for SDWIS state
updates.
(~~Ability to generate text
files with survey updates
for SDWIS state migration
(Oracle only).
(~"~Li mited state-by-state
capability to support
development of a bridge to
non-SDWIS state data-
bases, such as Massa-
chusetts'.
(~~Enhanced help and user
guides.
(~ Improved technical and
data architecture.
PDA Enhancements
(~ Protection of the survey
list while the user has a
survey open and in
progress, to help ensure
surveys are saved
properly before they are
closed.
(~ Removal of the system
components tab, which
provided only limited
functionality.
(~ Elimination of technical
issues related to the drop-
down boxes and saving
answers.
(~ Improved edit checking of
allowable data entry.
(~ Improved XML file han-
dling.
The Electronic Sanitary Survey
(ESS) software is available for
downloading at http://
12.170.50.10/Downloads/
SanitarySurvey. Please follow
the instructions on the site as
the download steps have
changed since the earlier
versions.
ESS STATE-BY-STATE STATUS
The DWA extends special
thanks to sanitary survey
inspectors in Massachusetts,
Maine, Hawaii, and other
states for their help in working
through issues in the early
versions of the ESS software.
Below is a summary of the
experiences and status of
state ESS activities.
Alaska is in the processing
creating comprehensive and
transient non-community
question sets based on the
ESS question sets. As a
SDWIS SQL Server state,
Alaska is looking forward to
having the capability to
download and upload data
from SDWIS/State. Alaska is
currently testing the Desktop
and Tablet software by
conducting surveys for some
typical water systems. Alaska
is planning ESS training for
state inspectors in the near
future.
Arizona has installed the
latest version of the Desktop
ESS and PDA software. As a
SDWIS Oracle state, Arizona is
testing the download and
migration of data with SDWIS/
State. Arizona is currently
testing the Desktop and PDA
software by conducting some
sample surveys.
California has installed the
latest version of the Desktop
and PDA software. California
is currently not a SDWIS state,
(Continued on page 3)

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1 OCTOBER 2005
PAGE 3
ESS STATUS
(Continued from page 2)
therefore, the state will bridge
from its database to download
the water system data from
the state system. California is
interested in using a mix of
Tablets and PDAs to conduct
surveys, depending on the
need.
Connecticut has installed the
latest version of the Desktop
software. As a SDWIS Oracle
user, Connecticut is in the
process of configuring the
system to do the upload,
download, and migration of
data with SDWIS/State.
Connecticut is interested in
testing the Tablet software.
Hawaii has installed the latest
version of the Desktop and
PDA software. Hawaii
configured a question set
based on the ESS question
sets. The state is currently
testing the Desktop and PDA
software by conducting some
sample surveys.
Maine has installed the latest
version of the Desktop and
PDA software. Maine created
several question sets to fit its
needs. As a SDWIS Oracle
state, Maine has used the
download and migration of
data from SDWIS/State to
conduct 30 surveys, update
SDWIS data, and produce
reports back to the systems.
Massachusetts has installed
the latest version of the
Desktop and PDA software. As
a non-SDWIS state, Massa-
chusetts has been using the
bridge database to download
water system data to conduct
surveys. Massachusetts is
currently enhancing the bridge
database to more completely
populate water system
information on the surveys.
The state is interested in
testing the Tablet software.
New Mexico has installed the
latest version of the Desktop
and PDA software. As a
SDWIS Oracle state, New
Mexico is configuring the
system to do the download
and migration of data with
SDWIS/State.
Rhode Island is looking
forward, as a SDWIS SQL
Server state, to having the
capability to download and
upload data with SDWIS/State
when the SQL bridge is
completed. Rhode Island is
interested in testing the Tablet
software.
Utah has conducted 70
surveys using PDAs. The
state's question set is being
converted to the new version
of ESS, which will enhance its
data collection in the field. A
specific enhancement for Utah
is the ability of remote users to
conduct surveys using the full
version of the software. Utah
has a training session planned
for October 2005.
EPA Regions 4 and 10 have
installed the latest version of
the Desktop and PDA soft-
ware. Being SDWIS Oracle
users, they are testing the
download and migration of
data with SDWIS/State. Region
10 is providing feedback on
some enhancements in several
of the reports that they would
like to see.
The Drinking Water Academy
is a long-term training
initiative whose primary goal
is to expand EPA, State, and
Tribal capabilities to
implement the 1996
Amendments to the Safe
Drinking Water Act.
For more information on the
DWA or on the electronic
sanitary survey project, visit
the Web site at www.epa.
gov/safewater/dwa.html or
contact Jamie Bourne at
Bourne.James@epa.gov or
at (202) 564-4095.

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