get_dmr_values
Retrieve actual effluent discharge monitoring report (DMR) values for a facility by NPDES permit or name. Filter by pollutant parameter and date range; specify dates to access historical data beyond the current permit window.
Instructions
Get measured Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) values for a facility - the actual reported effluent values, not just limits (use get_permit_limits for that).
Identify the facility with npdesId (preferred) or name (resolved internally - ambiguous names return a note asking you to call find_facility first).
THE WINDOWING TRAP, SOLVED: omitting startDate/endDate returns ONLY the
facility's CURRENT permit window - which can be as narrow as the last few
years, hiding older discharges entirely. The response ALWAYS notes this when
no date range is given, even if current-window rows come back. To reach
historical discharges (e.g. a pre-2023 permit), pass startDate/endDate
(YYYY-MM-DD) - ECHO honors these and returns REAL DATA from the facility's
OLDER permit(s), verified live (a 2011-2012 query against a real facility
returned 360 real historical report rows). There is no separate historical
endpoint to call - passing the date range through to this same tool IS the
fix.
If a date range IS given but zero rows come back, the response explains the returned permit window rather than implying "no discharge occurred" - a range outside any permit ECHO has data for looks identical to a genuinely clean period unless you check the window ECHO actually returned.
dmrValue:null with a populated nodiFlag means ECHO recorded a specific
reason no value was reported (e.g. monitoring not required that period) -
this is NOT the same as a missing/unreported value; nodiFlag:null with
dmrValue:null on an overdue report means the value is simply missing.
Values may be provisional and subject to revision.
Optionally filter with parameter - matches EITHER an exact parameter code
(e.g. "00530") OR a case-insensitive substring of the parameter name (e.g.
"suspended"). Results are capped at maxResults (default 50, max 500);
when more match, truncated:true and totalMatched show how many were
found in total.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| name | No | Facility name, resolved to an NPDES permit internally. Prefer npdesId when you have it - name resolution can match more than one facility. | |
| endDate | No | End of the DMR date range, YYYY-MM-DD. Requires startDate. | |
| npdesId | No | NPDES permit number (e.g. "GA0038202"). Loosely 2-letter state code + up to 7 alphanumeric characters, but not strictly validated here - pass it exactly as find_facility returned it. | |
| parameter | No | Pollutant parameter name or code to filter to (e.g. a DMR parameter code). Omit to return all measured parameters. | |
| startDate | No | Start of the DMR date range, YYYY-MM-DD. Omitting both startDate and endDate returns only the CURRENT permit window. | |
| maxResults | No |