There are four databases that collect data on related water quality issues in CT and may affect the state’s drinking water: LISWQMP, SQUID, SITS, and Underground Storage Tank databases.
LISWQMP covers water quality of the CT shoreline and Long Island Sound using sea water and filters and are reported via laboratory reports since 1991. Dissolved Oxygen, nutrient levels, temperature and salinity concentration levels are collected and provided via media, e-mail and/or hard copy. The database currently houses approximately 45,000 records.
Sediment Quality Information Database (SQUID’s) primary goal is to have a “sediment quality information database” that enhances dredging management decisions such as developing sediment testing plans, selecting priority pollutants for testing, evaluating the suitability of sediments for open water disposal, etc. The database includes all localities proposed for dredging in CT and the NY coast of Long Island Sound. The database includes the following contaminants: heavy metals, PCD’s, pesticides, PAH’s. Approximately 50 – 60 records reported annually.
Spill Incident Tracking System (SITS) was created in 1996 to maintain information resulting from hazardous material(s) reported to the Oil & Chemical Spill Response Division. Reporting these releases is required by CT General Statutes. Reports are usually phoned in and entered concurrent to reporting the spill. This data is used to keep track of where releases have occurred, which ERC was assigned the case or if no one responded, what and how much substance was released, the responsible party if known, whether or not the release entered a water-body and if yes, which one and whether or not the release has been terminated. With-in the Division, this database is also used to ensure that the ERC’s have completed their reports, planning based on the number of spills, which area of the state they occur and other such planning functions. The database houses 68,557 records and 8,000 – 9,000 incidents are reported annually.
The Underground Storage Tank Programs have two primary databases - both in Access 2000. The Underground Storage Tank database contains information on sites with registered underground storage tanks which includes: business name address, owner and operator names and addresses, size, construction and age of tanks, type of products contained in the tanks. GPS location data is also maintained and is currently accessed through the DEP ECO system. The GPS data is linked to the registration data.
The Leaking Underground Tank database contains tank sites reporting some kind of release to the DEP. New sites are added as they are reported to the DEP. Underground storage tank releases are a subset of releases reported to the DEP Oil and Chemical Spill Division. Since the DEP does not follow up on all sites, the amount and type of data regarding the release in the database may vary. Data includes the type of fuel or substance released, actions taken to stop or cleanup the release, the name of the reporting party, location, soil and groundwater sampling results, and an estimate of the size of the release. There is an estimated 30,000 tanks currently recorded in the database and there are approximately 1,500 releases of commercial and residential tanks annually; there are approximately 10,000 total releases reported in the database to date.