Inventory of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Environmental and Occupational Health Data
Sources and Surveillance Activities

Inventory of Data Sources

Environmental Data Store (EDS) (Ontario)

Contacts
Duncan Boyd
Supervisor, Surface Water Monitoring
Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
125 Resources Road
Etobicoke, ON
M9P 3V6
Tel: (416) 235-6221
E-mail: Duncan.Boyd@ene.gov.on.ca

Jan Proboszcz
Database Administrator
Environmental Sciences and Standards Science Division
Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
[Address same as above]
Tel: (416)-235-6020
E-mail: probosja@ene.gov.on.ca

Organization Maintaining the Database
Environmental Sciences and Standards Science Division,
Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch,
Ontario Ministry of the Environment

Purpose of Database
Serves as a repository for all data on surface water sample analyses done by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, including surface water monitoring data.

Content
Monitoring data on Ontario surface water quality, and data on industrial hazards relating to water quality. Data types: contaminant levels in media; bio-monitoring data; biological, microbiological, and chemical data. There are data on approximately 300,000 surface water samples from about 10,000 sample locations, and 6,000,000 test results. Geolocators: longitudinal / latitudinal coordinates; UTM.

Data Elements: For station data: station ID, program ID, study ID, sampling agency ID, region ID, district ID, province ID, terminal stream ID, hydro level stream, station number, station code, station group, zone, UTM coordinates, latitude, longitude, county, municipality, concession, lot number, electoral district, setup date, station type description, plant description, user data, result, data correct, update date, update user, end date, end reason.

Sample data: sample ID, program ID, study ID, sample type, sampling agency, analysis agency, region, district, province, station ID, station number, physical species, sample date, sample distance, sample number, sample depth, zone, time, status, project, water depth, water layer, sample composite, UDM parameters, latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, location, municipality, system input source, system update source, update date, update user, number of samples, time interval, soil ph, species code, done date, redo flag.

Results data: result ID, sample ID, program ID, study ID, test ID, unit ID, analysis method, update date, update user, result remark ID.

Test data: test ID, test class ID, test code, description, effective date, update date, update user, end date, end reason.

Data coding/classification standards: MOE Corporate Standard is used as the classification standard for the database

Year Database Established
The Environmental Data Store (EDS) was migrated from the Sample Information System (SIS) in 1997 (SIS was established in 1967).

Coverage Period
1967 to 2003

Data Updates
EDS is updated daily; it receives new data from the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) every day.

Data Provider
Ontario Ministry of the Environment

Data Availability
Scientists and technical staff in the Ontario Ministry of the Environment are the main users of the database information; users must have database user ID and password to log in and access the database from OPS's wide area network only. No one else has direct access to the data. Protocols or guidelines restricting the use or disclosure of the data fall presumably under Ontario Freedom of Information legislation.

Reports
Various technical reports available to the public in printed and electronic formats. Data can be exported in various ways, including: spreadsheet, data dump, and formatted text output.

Additional Comments
There are no direct legal requirements for surface water monitoring by the Ontario MOE. Data are collected under the authority of the MOE policy document "Water Management, Policies, Guidelines, Provincial Water Quality Objectives".

Keywords for searches: Data in EDS can be queried by program, study, station, sample collection date and test; or it can be searched using the Laboratory Information Management System's (LIMS) submission number.

Documentation on the database is available in printed and electronic formats.