DRINKING
WATER
ACADEMY
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
ESS SOFTWARE
ENHANCEMENTS
OCTOBER 2005 TO
FEBRUARY 2006
TEAMWORK TO
COMPLETE SDWIS TO
ESS BRIDGES
ESS TECHNOLOGY
CONFIGURATION
(MINIMUM
REQUIREMENTS)
ABOUT THE
DRINKING V
ACADEMY
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 V\fater 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.
ELECTRONIC SANITARY
SURVEY PROJECT BULLETIN
MARCH 2006
HIGHLIGHTS OF ESS ACTIVITIES IN UTAH AND ALASKA
Utah
Utah is a SDWIS Oracle state
with about 1,700 water systems
in its database. Utah had been
using the older version of ESS
software since 2004. When
ESS was upgraded in 2005, the
Drinking Water Academy
(DWA) team assisted Utah in
converting to the new ESS
format. Since the conversion,
the program has conducted
nearly 60 electronic surveys.
Utah received ESS training
(desktop and PDA) during the
second week of October 2005.
Like many other states, Utah
delegates certain types of
surveys to local health
departments. These local
health departments are not
able to access the drinking
water program's ESS files. In
order to accommodate Utah's
setup, the DWA ESS team
enabled Utah to create an
export version of the electronic
sanitary survey that could be
completed by the local health
departments and returned to
the drinking water program
electronically so the sanitary
survey information could be
added to the central ESS
database.
In addition, various enhance-
ments and improvements to the
software have been made to
accommodate specific needs of
Utah, and they will be available
to all users. They include a
customized deficiency report,
survey list sort capability,
several new deficiency fields,
and the development of new
deficiency reports with "add
notes" capability.
Several of the state inspectors
have been testing the ESS
software by conducting surveys
on the desktop and with PDAs.
Utah is in the final stages of
converting water system data
from its data system to SDWIS/
State Oracle. Utah plans to
implement ESS with all its
sanitary survey inspectors
during spring and summer
2006.
Alaska
Alaska is a SDWIS SQL Server
state with an inventory of
approximately 1,700 public
water systems in the Alaska
Department of Environmental
Conservation (ADEC) data-
base. The DWA team assisted
Alaska in developing and
installing the new ESS
application. ADEC drinking
water program staff received
ESS training (desktop, tablet,
(Continued on page 2)
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OTHER STATE
ESS ACTIVITIES
The following is an update on
other states using ESS on the
desktop and with PDAs or
tablets.
Arizona is working to create
SDWIS 8.1 installation to
access the ESS. Despite losing
two key people during the past
few months, Arizona is
planning to move ahead with
ESS implementation this
spring.
California received a demon-
stration of ESS software in
November, and the state is
interested in using the ESS
software, initially on small
systems. Further follow-up is
required to move forward with
ESS installation.
Connecticut has reviewed the
ESS software and tested it in
the field. The state is refining
the sanitary survey question
sets and testing the SDWIS
uploads and downloads with
ESS.
Delaware was successful in
finally being allowed to use
Microsoft Access, which was
necessary before the drinking
Continuted on page 4

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1 MARCH 2006
PAGE 2
UTAH AND ALASKA HIGHLIGHTS
Continued from page 1
and PDA) from February 7 to
February 9, 2006.
Alaska is unique among the
states in who is allowed to
conduct sanitary surveys. Due
to the vast distances and high
cost of getting to all of its
systems, the state began
certifying qualified indepen-
dent/third-party inspectors
several years ago with the help
of the Drinking Water Academy
and the Alaska Training and
Technical Assistance Center in
Sitka, (a designated DWA
sanitary survey training center).
These certified third-party
inspectors now conduct a large
portion of the sanitary surveys
completed annually. The DWA
ESS team developed and
enhanced the field desktop
functionality component of the
desktop ESS software to
accommodate this variation in
how the state undertakes
surveys.
To speed the adoption of the
electronic sanitary survey
system in Alaska, the DWA
ESS team developed a bridge
database to download public
water system (PWS) data from
the SDWIS SQL Server to the
Alaska ESS. This temporary
bridge will be used until the
permanent bridge is completed
in early spring 2006 (see article
below). In addition, the DWA
ESS team implemented various
enhancements and fixes to the
software to accommodate
specific needs for Alaska.
These included a customized
deficiency report, a customized
cover letter, blank survey
responses report, help in
customizing their question sets,
and addition of "Year suffix" to
the name of the surveys to
better organize the surveys.
Several ADEC-approved
sanitary survey inspectors and
DW program staff members
Enhancements to ESS
Software
f^DEnhanced question-set
management to include
additional deficiency
information such as "Days
to Correct Deficiency,"
"Regulatory Reference
Code," "Demerit Points."
f^QDeveloped seamless
download of SQL Server
SDWIS/State data using
SQL Bridge to populate
water system data in the
survey (primarily for
Alaska).
f^Dlmproved functionality
related to sorting and
filtering the list of sanitary
surveys so users can more
quickly locate a particular
survey.
i^DRevised water system
component management to
match SDWIS coding of
system components/
inventory.
If^ Improved functionality
related to attaching pictures
have beta tested, and continue
to test, the ESS software by
conducting surveys on the
desktop and tablets and by
using PDAs. The Alaska DW
program coordinated all the
users' testing efforts, reported
issues, and provided recom-
mendations to the DWA ESS
team for immediate fixes and
to individual sanitary survey
questions.
Revised reports to display
deficiency information and
changes in SDWIS data
and water system invento-
ries.
Developed state-specific
survey cover letters for
Maine and Alaska.
Enhanced software code
for preparing the survey for
SDWIS/State updates.
Tested "Generate Text
Files" with survey updates
for SDWIS/State migration
(SQL Server version).
Developed new field
desktop functionality to
accommodate field
(remote) users who do not
have access to the state
network.
Enhanced survey question
form and code to accom-
modate new deficiency
fields and functionality.
Enhanced ability to exclude
questions on the survey
questions form.
support. The DW program is
providing a series of sanitary
survey inspector training
workshops throughout the state
before implementing the Alaska
ESS statewide on April 1, 2006.
Fixed code and enhanced
functionality based on
issues reported by various
state users.
Integrated state-specific
deficiency reports.
Tablet Enhancements
Changed the table
structures in the tablet
version to reflect desktop
ESS.
Enhanced tab order
functionality.
Created pop-up display to
highlight potential defi-
ciency based on the correct
answer.
Fixed code and functional-
ity based on issues
reported by various state
users.
ESS SOFTWARE ENHANCEMENTS OCTOBER 2005 TO
FEBRUARY 2006

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[
ELECTRONIC SANITARY SURVEY PROJECT BULLETI
N]
MARCH 2006
TEAMWORK TO COMPLETE SDWIS TO ESS BRIDGES
On behalf of ESS users, the
Drinking Water Academy
wishes to express its apprecia-
tion to the SDWIS/State team
and its contractors for complet-
ing bridges from the ESS
software to SDWIS/State for
Oracle users and for the final
push to complete the last piece
of the bridge for SQL server
states. The SDWIS team and
its contractors will initiate work
on the bridge to the new Web-
based version soon.
SQL Server Bridge
EPA's SDWIS/State contractor
is working to complete the last
piece of the bridge to provide
SDWIS SQL Server states with
the same capability that Oracle
states have to seamlessly
download water system and
inventory data from SDWIS to
ESS. It is expected that this
component of the SQL bridge
will be completed in early
spring 2006. In order to assist
states that require this
capability immediately, the
DWAteam developed an
interim solution (bridge)
program to download data from
SDWIS/State system. Alaska is
using this bridge until the
permanent solution is avail-
able.
Development of Web-
based ESS Bridge
SDWIS Web Release 1
(SSWR1) data structures have
undergone significant changes
from the SDWIS/State 8.0.5
version. The SDWIS contractor
is working on the Migration to
State for the Web release to
provide SDWIS Web Release 1
(SSWR1) states with the
capability to migrate water
system and inventory data
updates and site visit informa-
tion from ESS to the SDWIS
Web-based version.
ESS uses SDWIS structure
sets in creating and migrating
data from updated sanitary
surveys to SDWIS, and water
system and inventory data
from SDWIS. The Drinking
Water Academy's ESS team
will assess the impact of the
changes to the SDWIS
structure sets and make
necessary data and
programming changes to
ESS. States that are
planning to migrate to
SDWIS Web Release 1
need to coordinate the
move with the Drinking
Water Academy's ESS
team.
ESS TECHNOLOGY CONFIGURATION
(MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS)
For those of you looking to purchase equipment to use the ESS
software, the minimum requirements for each platform are listed
below. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Jamie
Bourne at (202) 564-4095 prior to your purchase.
DESKTOP ESS
1.	Pentium-based processor.
2.	256 MB RAM.
3.	20 GB hard disk.
4.	Windows 2000/ME/XP.
5.	Microsoft Access 2000 or
higher.
6.	Microsoft Word 2000 or higher.
7.	Microsoft Active Sync Software (for PDA Connection).
PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT (PDA)
1.	Microsoft Windows 2003 for Pocket PC.
(Palm platform is not compatible.)
2.	Intel 400 MHZ processor or higher
3.	64 MD SDRAM.
4.	256 MB Flash Memory card
(optional).
TABLET ESS
1.	Tablet PC hardware.
2.	Pentium-based processor.
3.	256 MB RAM.
4.	20 GB hard disk.
5.	Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
6.	Microsoft Access 2000 or higher.

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1 MARCH 2006
PAGE 4
OVERVIEW OF STATE ACTIVITIES
Continued from page 1
water program could initiate
implementation of the ESS
program. The state is receiving
assistance to install the latest
ESS and SDWIS 8.1 scripts,
and it has received an overview
of the ESS functionality.
Delaware is working on refining
its survey question sets before
they are used in the field.
Hawaii previously conducted
surveys using PDAs with the
original ESS software. The
state is modifying its question
sets to work with the new
software and to expand the
types of systems to be
surveyed electronically. Hawaii
plans to implement SDWIS/
State during the summer of
2006 and will formally roll out
the ESS afterward.
Illinois is very excited about
using the ESS software. It is
developing an enterprise-wide
data repository for water and
wastewater and plans to tie the
ESS software into that project.
The DWA ESS team will
provide support to the state as
requested.
Indiana purchased new tablet
PCs for sanitary inspectors and
ESS staff. The state received
an overview of the ESS
functionality and is reworking
one of the sanitary survey
question sets before formally
testing the software. The
program plans to conduct some
ESS training before formally
rolling out the electronic survey
in the field.
Maine has been working
steadily in the field using ESS
and has conducted over 70
surveys using PDAs. In
addition to the Transient Non-
Community question set it
started with, the drinking water
program is expanding its
question sets to include other
small systems. Maine is looking
to work with compatible global
positioning system software
and to expand the number of
capacity questions in its survey.
Missouri has purchased tablet
PCs for its drinking water
program to use in the field and
is in the process of loading
Access 2000 and ESS
software.
North Carolina has installed
ESS software and has tested
linking it to SDWIS. The DWA,
through a Webcast, provided
the state with an overview of
ESS functionality for both the
tablet and PDA software
versions. The state is refining
its question sets and will review
SDWIS inventory data for
duplicates. North Carolina is
planning ESS training for its
inspectors prior to formally
rolling out the software in the
field.
Rhode Island has tested the
ESS software. The drinking
water program plans to
complete its question sets and
roll out ESS implementation
after finishing the SDWIS roll
out this spring.

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